Review of Sustainability Appraisal June 2011

The Council submitted the Rochford District Core Strategy to the Secretary of State in January 2010. Since that time the document has been under examination by the Planning Inspectorate to determine whether it is sound and legally compliant.

During the course of the examination, the change in government and subsequent changes in national policy have resulted in delays into the determination of the Core Strategy’s soundness.

In light of the recent High Court Ruling Save Historic Newmarket v. Forest Heath District Council, Rochford District Council requested that the issuing of a decision on the soundness of the Core Strategy be delayed to enable the Council undertake a review of the Core Strategy Sustainability Appraisal. The Planning Inspectorate accepted this request.

The review of the Sustainability Appraisal may necessitate further public consultation on the Core Strategy and possibly additional examination hearing sessions.

The Council is mindful of the need to ensure the Core Strategy is in place as soon as possible, but it is also crucial that the additional work being carried out on the Sustainability Appraisal is fed into the decision-making process as appropriate and that the results of the review are properly considered.

Keith Hudson (Portfolio Holder for Planning & Transportation) said:

“You will know that the process surrounding the development and adoption of our Core Strategy has been significantly delayed due to factors beyond this Council’s control, such as “Cala vs. The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government”, the High Court Judgement which ruled against the Secretary of State’s instruction to disregard the Regional Spatial Strategy.

There has been a more recent court ruling relating to “The Forest Heath Core Strategy” and their Sustainability Appraisal. We intend to ensure that we conform to the findings and ruling of this court judgement, and as such there will need to be a review of our own sustainability appraisal; unfortunately this will inevitably lead to a further short delay.

Whilst this is frustrating it will have the advantage of ensuring that our core strategy coincides with the Royal assent of the Coalition Government’s Localism Bill thus revoking the Regional Spatial Strategy once and for all.

It is high time that this lengthy saga was brought to a satisfactory conclusion; this will remove doubt, cease speculation, and provide a surety of knowledge as to precisely how our District will develop up to and including 2031”

The Council has produced a review of the Core Strategy Sustainability Appraisal (Sustainability Appraisal Addendum) which can be viewed under Related Documents.

A consultation asking for comments on this document was held from 13th June to 11th July 2011. The results of this consultation were used to inform the final version of the Sustainability Appraisal Addendum, which was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate on 26 July 2011.