Local Economic and Community Plans LECP | Guidelines 2021
Consideration of cross cutting priorities In addition to ensuring consistency with the RSES as well as the City and County Development Plan full consideration should also be given to assessing the potential impact of the plan on a number of cross cutting/horizontal priorities, also known as proofing. These should include Sustainability including Climate Change Equality Poverty Rurality Age Disability Described as proofing, the process of consideration of these priorities is particularly important in the context of the delivery of community-based interventions. The process of proofing the community elements of the LECP can be a difficult and time-consuming task. However the range of issues to be addressed in a community context warrants full consideration of all variables that can affect or be impacted by the outcomes. A very clear example of this is the need to ensure that the LECP is in line with the National Disability Strategy in order to support sustainable and impactful interventions when considering people with disabilities. Similarly, LCDCs must ensure that the community elements of the LECP meet any proofing obligations set out in national policy in relation to other relevant policy areas. A list of potential policy and strategies is provided in Appendix 6. It is recommended, therefore, that the following stages be included in a process that assesses any potential impact of the LECP objectives on these cross cutting priorities;
Screening: This part of the process should identify those elements of the LECP that are likely to have a significant impact on the various priority areas. Only those that are likely to have such an impact should be included in the assessment. A two-stage screening process (or at intervals during the plan development process) which could include initial screening at an early stage of the LECP followed at a later stage by more comprehensive screening when more concrete and specific outcomes etc. had been identified by the Plan. Basic review of ongoing policy/strategy/ priority considerations should form part of the ongoing implementation plan process to ensure that any emerging needs are considered as part of LECP implementation. Scoping : Identify the relevant issues arising, using the indicators associated with each objective. Assessment : The assessment should identify the likely direction and scale of the impact – positive, neutral or negative and minor, medium or major, without seeking undue accuracy. Review and mitigation: The reconsideration of an approach or the introduction of mitigation measures in the event of negative impacts. Ideally, the assessment should be included in the consultation process so that the views of those likely to be impacted on can be incorporated into the outcome, and where appropriate, integrated with any SEA and/or Appropriate Assessment under Article 6 of the Habitats Directive undertaken. Ongoing Review: Where a significant impact is identified but it is determined that it would be appropriate to go ahead with or without mitigation, the issues of concern should be specifically monitored, and corrective action taken if the impacts indicate it.
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