adssite-horshamdistrictldf.docVIP

Alternative Sites needing Sustainability Appraisals As the Inspectors advised at the Pre-Examination Meeting on 16 April 2007, a number of alternative sites as listed below have no Sustainability Appraisal (SA) information and no consequent consultation on it. The Inspectors will not be able to include any site in the Site Specific Allocations of Land Development Plan Document for which an SA and the necessary consultation have not been carried out. The Inspectors have advised that such SA information and consultation would have to be provided and carried out before the close of the relevant hearing or the end of the hearing sessions (if a written representation). Regulation 8 of The Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004 No 1633) in summary prevents the adoption of a Plan unless certain conditions are met regarding the preparation of an environmental assessment and, importantly, the taking into account of the outcome of consultation on such assessments and opinions expressed. Regulation 13 sets out the consultation procedures. Some of the suggested alternative sites were considered by the Council at earlier stages of the preparation of the Plan. The conclusions relating to the environmental assessment of most (but not all) of these sites were set out in the SA report that was submitted to the Secretary of State by the Council alongside the Plan. Advice on Sustainability Appraisals at the Examination stage is given on pages 54 and 55 of the Government’s Sustainability Appraisal of Regional Spatial Strategies and Local Development Documents. Paragraph 3.5.8 confirms that it is the responsibility of the promoter of an alternative site to provide the necessary sustainability information for the Council to include in its SA Report (the existing report would have to be revised prior to the adoption of the Plan if the site was included). Paragraph 3.5.9 also points to the need for a further period of public consultat