The protocol for sustainable development planning

The protocol for sustainable development planning

The above methodology, four-stage process and procedure may be seen as a protocol to follow in preparing the plans needed to deliver sustainable development. The four stages of this protocol for sustainable development planning are set out below.

Stage 1: Issues and objectives

The aim of this stage is to set the framework for an overview of the full range of topics involved in achieving sustainable development. Key actions for development plan preparation are as follows:

• Take part in identifying strategic issues and objectives for the region and sub-region. • Use existing initiatives such as Local Agenda 21 to consult with as wide a range of

stakeholders as possible about key concerns in local areas. • Prepare Issues Reports as a focus for consultation and discussion in local forums. • Try to be as spatially specific as possible in setting local economic, social and

environmental objectives. (ibid: 133)

Stage 2: Indicators and targets

The aim of this stage is to identify indicators and targets for measuring progress towards achieving objectives. The guide emphasises that if indicators are to be helpful they must:

• be sensitive to environmental, economic and social change; • be easily capable of being assessed; • be readily understood so that people can identify with them and with the issues to which

they relate; • be cost-effective in terms of data needs and monitoring requirements; • have specific identifiable thresholds (limits and targets) that indicate where significant

changes are taking place. (DETR 1998:139)

For environmental indicators, it is important to differentiate between state, pressure and response indicators.

Key actions for development plan preparation are as follows: • Select the key economic, social and environmental objectives where indicators are

needed and select the type of indicators appropriate to the issue. • Use existing data where possible to define indicators; share experience with other local authorities and national agencies. •Involve the local community and councillors in deciding thresholds, particularly for qualitative issues.

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•Use targets to signal the direction of change proposed in the plan and to monitor its success in moving towards sustainable development. (ibid: 139)

Stage 3: Strategic options

The aim of this stage is to develop and test options, particularly for the location of new growth, in order to determine the strategy for the plan. Key actions for development plan preparation are as follows:

• Select the key decision areas for strategy development (of which core topics for

developing strategic options include: housing, employment, transport, environment and retail, with linkages to other areas, notably education, health, leisure and tourism).

• Develop options for the long-term future, based on different roles that the area could perform.

• Clarify the likely effects of the options in relation to the key objectives, using the

‘Compatibility Matrix’ suggested in Environmental Appraisal of Development Plans (DoE, 1993) to test the internal consistency of different elements of spatial strategy.

• Summarise the issues for further consultation or decision, using, for example, a Choices

Report to summarise the results of option testing (the Vancouver City Plan of 1995 is used as an example: ibid.: 152).

• State the chosen strategy explicitly at the beginning of the plan to provide a vision for the area. (ibid: 146)

Stage 4: Policies and proposals

The aim of stage 4 is to add to the strategy the full range of policies and proposals that are needed to implement it. A development plan can have three types of policies: guidance, incentive and control. Each of these has a part to play in promoting sustainable development, by informing and raising awareness, by influencing the nature and location of development and by providing the basis for decisions on planning applications (ibid.: 153).

Key actions for development plan preparation are as follows: • Develop policies that help to implement the overall strategy.

• Clarify the likely impact of the policies on the key local objectives. • Make the contribution of each policy to achieving the plan’s objective clear using the

‘Policy Impact Matrix’ suggested in Environmental Appraisal of Development Plans (DoE 1993), mentioned earlier.

• Test the practicality of policies and proposals by consulting via established channels. (ibid: 153)

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