1. SUSTAINABILITY TESTING. Phillip Rowson Development Manager Development Management Team

2. Sustainability Testing. NPPF – introduction states Development that is sustainable should go ahead, without delay – a presumption in favour of sustainable development that is the basis for every plan, and every decision. This framework sets out clearly what could make a proposed plan or development unsustainable.

3. Sustainability Testing. ECONOMIC TESTING – Development which contributes to building a strong, responsive and competitive economy. Ensuring that sufficient land of the right type is available in the right places and at the right time to support growth and innovation; By identifying and coordinating development requirements, including the provision of infrastructure;

4. Sustainability Testing. Social – Supporting strong, vibrant and healthy communities, providing the supply of housing required to meet the needs of present future generations; creating a high quality built environment, with accessible local services that reflect the community’s needs support its health, social and cultural well-being;

5. Sustainability Testing. Environmental Contributing to protecting and enhancing our natural environment Protecting and enhancing the built and historic environment; and, as part of this, helping to Use natural resources prudently, minimise waste and pollution, mitigate and adapt to climate change including moving to a low carbon economy.

6. Sustainability Testing. How is sustainable development delivered? In principle Council’s must deliver a sustainable five year rolling supply of housing land, this should be achieved by the adoption of an up to date local plan. The local plan should be monitored and reviewed to ensure that the land supply is being maintained. Where a council cannot demonstrate a five year supply it may be argued that the plan is out of date and that other opportunities should be taken to explore the delivery of an appropriate level of sustainable development, based upon those three tests outlined above. Paragraph 14 of the NPPF enshrines the presumption in favour of sustainable development.

7. Sustainability Testing. What does this mean for applications? The policies which are in place for a local plan should be considered relevant to decision making where they are demonstrably in keeping with those provisions of the NPPF. Issues which relate to sustainable transport, design, heritage, ecology and protection of local economies will remain relevant to the decision making process.

8. Sustainability Testing. What of localism? The picture is unclear, on the one hand the strength of neighbourhood plans and local plans will remain significant material considerations. On the other an appeal decision at Tewkesbury in 2013 was subject to legal challenge which found that the fact that development was not supported by a local community was not grounds in itself to refuse planning permission. In effect the provisions of the NPPF and its presumption in favour of sustainable development trump the provisions of the Localism Act.

9. Sustainability Testing. Next steps? Promote delivery of allocated local plan sites – e.g. Brookes Peninsula Support the production of robust Neighbourhood plans that accord with adopted the adopted local plan. Defend appeals robustly on grounds of sustainability. Look to promote appropriate sustainable development.