The Sustainability Appraisal, Strategic Environmental Assessment (often called SA/SEA), and Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA) are tests of the Local Development Plan (or Strategic Development Plan). They look at the effects of the plan on the environment, social, economic and cultural well-being, as well as the use of the Welsh language. The SA/SEA and HRA process runs alongside the Local Development Plan process, and you can comment on the SA/SEA and HRA themselves.

A Local Development Plan must pass three ‘Tests of Soundness’ in order to be approved by the Planning Inspectorate and adopted by a local planning authority.

When wildlife could be harmed by development, local planning authorities should follow a step-wise approach to reduce that harm, known as the ‘mitigation hierarchy’. This is required in National Planning Policy.

A net benefit means that a development should leave biodiversity and ecosystems in a better state than before. This should ideally be provided by improving and creating habitats on site, and maintaining them in the long term.

If there is a development that significantly threatens wildlife, you may want to raise awareness and support by running a local campaign. Such campaigns can serve several purposes, such as encouraging more people to respond to the planning application and showing the level of concern to the developer and the planning authority.

A Place Plan is a document that sets out local level planning guidance. It sits below a Local Development Plan (LDP), linking to the LDP policies, and other local plans. They are usually written by local people or town or community councils and can be adopted by a local planning authority as Supplementary Planning Guidance.

Larger and more complex developments are usually decided by the planning committee. Each local planning authority will have its own rules as to which applications will be decided by the planning committee (called the scheme of delegation). You can find out if an application is going to be decided by committee by looking at the application information or by asking the case officer.