A Local Development Plan (LDP) is a strategic document written by the Local Planning Authority, setting out how much development should take place in the area, what kinds of development are needed, and where new development should be built.

Our own back gardens are often the place where we encounter wildlife most regularly. Whether it's digging up worms or feeding the birds, we all benefit from being out in a garden and wildlife too can thrive in these little havens.

Planning is a devolved matter in Wales – meaning that Wales has its own primary planning legislation (the Planning (Wales) Act 2015), and that local planning authorities in Wales must comply with the plans and policies set by the Welsh Government.

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.

We are in the middle of a climate and nature emergency, and the two are inextricably linked. Climate change is driving nature’s decline, and the loss of wildlife and wild places leaves us ill-equipped to reduce carbon emissions and adapt to change.