A sustainability appraisal assesses the extent to which development proposals contribute to sustainable development. The development is assessed against National, Regional and Local objectives, and the proposals are measured using a range of indicators to establish performance when compared to best practice standards. Areas covered include:
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business
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climate change and energy
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community
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ecology
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place making
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resources
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transport and movement
Sustainability appraisals can be used by developers to demonstrate the performance of their proposed development, for instance as evidence for PPS25 flood risk “exception tests”. Additionally planners and developers may use it to compare the sustainability of different development site options at Local Plan stage.