Shoreline Management Plans – A plan providing a large-scale assessment of the risk to people and to the developed, historic and natural environment associated with coastal processes.

Site Investigation Information – Includes a risk assessment of land potentially affected by contamination, or ground stability and slope stability reports, as appropriate. The minimum information that should be provided by an applicant is the report of a desk study and site reconnaissance.

Site of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI) – Original Sussex name for a Local Wildlife Site.

Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) – Sites designated by Natural England under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 that cover the most significant sites for the conservation of wildlife (species & habitats) and/or geology.

South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) – Organisation responsible for promoting the purposes of the National Park and the interest of the people who live and work within it. They have statutory purposes and socio-economic responsibilities specifies in the Environment Act 1995.

Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) – Areas given special protection under the European Union’s Habitats Directive as sites of value for species, plants and habitats. Together with SPAs, they form part of the Natura 2000 system.

Special Protection Areas (SPA) – Areas which have been identified as being of international importance for the breeding, feeding, wintering or the migration of rare and vulnerable species of birds found within European Union countries. They are European designated sites, classified under the Birds Directive.

Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) – Sets out how, when and where the council will consult with local and statutory stakeholders in both the process of producing a local plan and in carrying out their development control function. A SCI is no longer considered a development plan document and is therefore not subject to examination.

Stepping Stones – Pockets of habitat that, while not necessarily connected, facilitate the movement of species across otherwise inhospitable landscapes.

Strategic Environmental Assessment – A procedure (set out in the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004) which requires the formal environmental assessment of certain plans and programmes which are likely to have significant effects on the environment.

Supplementary Planning Documents – Documents which add further detail to the policies in the Local Plan. They can be used to provide further guidance for development on specific sites, or on particular issues, such as design. Supplementary planning documents are capable of being a material consideration in planning decisions but are not part of the development plan.

Surface Water Management Plans (SWaMP) – A plan which outlines the preferred surface water management strategy in a given location. Plans are informed by stakeholders such as local authorities, internal drainage boards and the Environment Agency, who investigate local flooding issues and identify options to mitigate and manage for them.

Sustainability Appraisal – An appraisal of the economic, environmental and social effects of a local plan to allow decisions to be made that accord with the NPPF’s definition of sustainable development.

Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre (SxBRC) – Our local recording centre which collects, manages and disseminates biodiversity data for East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton and Hove.

Sussex Wildlife Trust – Largest conservation charity dedicated to conserving the natural heritage of Sussex.

Sustainable Transport Modes – Any efficient, safe and accessible means of transport with overall low impact on the environment, including walking and cycling, low and ultra low emission vehicles, car sharing and public transport.

The Wildlife Trusts (TWT) – A charity made up of 47 individual Wildlife Trusts covering the whole of the UK, that are working to create an environment rich in wildlife for everyone.

Transport Assessment – A comprehensive and systematic process that sets out transport issues relating to a proposed development. It identifies what measures will be required to improve accessibility and safety for all modes of travel, particularly for alternatives to the car such as walking, cycling and public transport and what measures will need to be taken to deal with the anticipated transport impacts of the development.

Transport Statement – A simplified version of a transport assessment where it is agreed the transport issues arising out of development proposals are limited and a full transport assessment is not required.

Travel Plan – A long-term management strategy for an organisation or site that seeks to deliver sustainable transport objectives through action and is articulated in a document that is regularly reviewed.

Tree Preservation Order (TPO) – a legally enforceable order made by the Local Planning Authority to protect trees and woodland in the interests of public amenity.

UK Environmental Law Association (UKELA) – A forum which aims to make the law work for a better environment and to improve understanding and awareness of environmental law.

UK post-2010 Biodiversity Framework – Document that covers the period 2011 - 2020 and forms the UK government’s response to the new strategic plan of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity published in 2010. This replaces the UK Biodiversity Action Plan and focus on how to deliver the outcomes set out in the government’s Biodiversity 2020 strategy.

Urban Sprawl – The uncontrolled expansion of cities and their suburbs into rural areas.

Village Design Statement (VDS) – A document that describes the distinctive character of a village and helps influence decisions on design and development. It focuses on how planned development should be carried out so that it is sensitive to its setting and contributes to the conservation and enhancement of the local area.

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) – Legislation that forms the principle mechanism of wildlife protection in Great Britain. It is divided into four parts which cover areas such as the protection of wildlife, the countryside and national parks, designation of protected areas and public rights of way.

Wildlife Corridor – Areas of habitat connecting wildlife populations.

Windfall Sites – Sites which have not been specifically identified as available in the Local Plan process. They normally comprise previously-developed sites that have unexpectedly become available.

World Heritage Site – An ICOMOS designation for places of international importance of the conservation of our cultural and national heritage.