The regional context

Space4trees is part of the Integrated Regional Strategy (IRS) - the East Midlands’ sustainable development framework, and it makes important connections with the priorities and objectives of other IRS strategy documents including:

- The Regional Economic Strategy which provides the blueprint for public, private and voluntary sector economic development to 2010.

- The Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS8) which provides the broad development strategy for the region up to 2021.

- Regional Social Strategies in key areas such as public health, culture, community safety and social inclusion.

- The Regional Environment Strategy which provides the framework for all regional environmental policy and actions.

Space4trees is an integrated strand of the Regional Environment Strategy and will, over time, effectively become its woodland and forestry section sitting alongside ‘sister strategies’ such as the Regional Biodiversity Strategy.

Sustainability appraisal

Sustainability appraisal is central to the process of policy development in the IRS. Its purpose is to ensure that new and existing policy and priorities are compatible and that actions are assessed in terms of their economic, social and environmental benefits and impacts.

In the East Midlands the Regional Assembly and its partners have developed a comprehensive sustainabilty appraisal tool (EMIT) to aid this review process. Using EMIT, in the first instance as a planning tool, has ensured that all the appropriate policy links to Space4trees have been considered.