"Assuming the policy is implemented as intended, that the development plan is applied as a whole, and if a planning application was made and determined in accordance with this policy, does/is ..."
Table B.1
Suggested environmental objectives and criteria |
Ref | Environmental Objective | Environmental Criterion
* see note above table | Most relevant factors in Annex I(f) |
1 | Respect land form, natural processes and systems | Does the aim/policy/proposal respect the influence of landform, geology, geomorphology and natural systems such as coastal erosion and unstable land or is it likely to significantly exacerbate risks? | Biodiversity, human health, fauna, flora, water, air, climatic factors and landscape |
2 | Protect and use soils in a sustainable way | Is the aim/policy/proposal likely to significantly help to protect soils or encourage the sustainable use of soils, or to have adverse effects on soils? | Soils |
3 | Protect and enhance the water environment including coastal and river systems | Is the aim/policy/proposal likely to significantly help to protect or enhance the water environment, for example by encouraging SUDS, reducing the risk of water being polluted, development being flooded or the need for flood defence works, or is it likely to have significant adverse effects on the water environment? | Water, biodiversity, population, human health, fauna, flora, climatic factors, material assets, cultural heritage and landscape |
4 | Protect, enhance and where necessary restore (specified) species and habitats | Is the aim/policy/proposal likely to significantly help to protect species especially protected by law or species identified in national or local BAPs, or to protect, enhance or restore designated nature conservation sites and/or habitats which are identified in national or local BAPs, or is it likely to have significant adverse effects on them? | Biodiversity, fauna, flora, water and landscape |
5 | Protect, enhance and where necessary restore landscape character, local distinctiveness and scenic value | Is the aim/policy/proposal likely to significantly help to protect, enhance or restore, or is it likely to significantly damage or diminish landscape character, local distinctiveness or scenic value or the enjoyment and understanding of the landscape? | Landscape, population, biodiversity, water, material assets, cultural heritage |
6 | Protect, enhance and create green spaces important for recreation and biodiversity | Is the aim/policy/proposal likely to significantly help to protect, enhance or create, or is it likely to significantly destroy green spaces important for recreation and biodiversity or diminish their enjoyment? | Population, human health, biodiversity, fauna, flora, water, air, climatic factors and landscape |
7 | Regenerate degraded environments | Is the aim/policy/proposal likely to make a significant contribution to the regeneration/restoration of derelict, contaminated or otherwise degraded environments or is it likely to increase the area or degradation of such land? | Population, human health, biodiversity, water, air, climatic factors, material assets and landscape |
8 | Respect urban form, settlement pattern and identity | Does the aim/policy/proposal respect aspects of urban form, settlement pattern and identity in ways that contribute to sustainable development, or depart/detract from them in significant ways? | Human health, material assets, cultural heritage (including architectural and archaeological heritage) and landscape |
9 | Protect, enhance and where necessary restore building character, and townscape | Is the aim/policy/proposal likely to significantly help to protect, enhance or restore, or is it likely to significantly damage or diminish building character or townscape or its enjoyment and understanding? | Population, material assets, cultural heritage (including architectural heritage) and landscape |
10 | Protect, enhance and where necessary restore the historic environment | Is the aim/policy/proposal likely to significantly help to protect, enhance or restore, or is it likely to significantly damage or diminish the historic environment and its enjoyment and understanding? | Population, material assets, cultural heritage (including archaeological heritage) and landscape |
11 | Improve design quality in new development | Is the aim/policy/proposal likely to significantly improve or reduce the quality of design in new development? | Biodiversity, population, human health, material assets, cultural heritage and landscape |
12 | Reduce energy consumption | Is the aim/policy/proposal likely to significantly help to reduce energy consumption or increase it? | Air, climatic factors, water, biodiversity, population, human health |
13 | Facilitate renewable energy | Is the aim/policy/proposal likely to significantly help to facilitate renewable energy in appropriate locations or deter its development? | Air, climatic factors, water, biodiversity, population, human health and landscape |
14 | Reduce the need for travel and journey length | Is the aim/policy/proposal likely to significantly help to reduce the need to travel or reduce journey length or is it likely to significantly increase travel? | Air, climatic factors, water, biodiversity, population, human health |
15 | Encourage walking, cycling and use of public transport | Is the aim/policy/proposal likely to significantly help to encourage walking, cycling or the use of public transport or is it likely to deter them? | Population, human health, water, air, climatic factors, biodiversity and landscape |
16 | Reduce waste | Is the aim/policy/proposal likely to significantly help to reduce waste including by re-using existing buildings or is it likely to increase waste arisings? | Human health, water, air, soils and material assets |
17 | Protect the environment from pollution | Is the aim/policy/proposal likely to significantly help to protect the environment from pollution, inc by avoiding potentially polluting developments in sensitive locations, or is it likely to increase the risk of pollution? | Population, human health, water, air, climatic factors, soils, biodiversity fauna, flora and material assets |
18 | Environmental capacity and the precautionary principle | Is the aim/policy/proposal likely to significantly help to identify, and to contain development within, the limits of acceptable change, or is it likely to exceed environmental capacity? Would the precautionary principle be invoked and applied? | Population, human health, water, air, climatic factors, soils, biodiversity, fauna, flora, landscape, cultural heritage, material assets |