Welcome. The Sustainable Development Scorecard is a means of assessing a development's contribution to the social, economic and environmental pillars of sustainable development, as defined by the National Planning Policy Framework.

Help
  • Text size

  • A A

Principles

Principles and terms of use

Throughout the process of creating the Sustainable Development Scorecard, the Commission evolved a list of key principles which the Scorecard abides to.

  • The Sustainable Development Scorecard is free to use;
  • The Sustainable Development Scorecard is a generalist’s tool, accessible to all;
  • The Sustainable Development Scorecard has been kept simple in order to ensure it is not perceived as an unwanted imposition;
  • The Sustainable Development Scorecard aims to steer best practice. As such, it is encouraged that the Scorecard be used as early on as possible in the design and planning process;
  • The NPPF is the baseline for the Sustainable Development Scorecard assessment process;
  • The Sustainable Development Scorecard is structured around the NPPF’s pillars of environmental, social and economic sustainability;
  • The weighting attributed to the NPPF’s three pillars is equal and balanced;
  • The weighting attributed to the Sustainable Development Scorecard statements may not be equal, as there may not be an equal number of statements per pillar;
  • The Sustainable Development Scorecard focusses on to what extent the three pillars of sustainable development are equally weighted;
  • No pass/fail criteria is provided at the end of the assessment process, to encourage the continuous improvement of sustainability credentials;
  • Graphics and visual outputs will allow the Sustainable Development Scorecard to become more accessible; and
  • Given the great importance that is attributed to existing policy, Green Belt consideration is not included within the Sustainable Development Scorecard.

Terms of use

Iceni Projects, a company registered in England, Wales and Scotland, under company number 05359427 and with a registered office of Da Vinci House, 44 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH.
The Sustainable Development Scorecard is a tool, provided as a means for guidance only. Iceni Projects nor the Sustainable Development Commission accepts no duty of care or liability for any loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from acting as a result of any material published on this website or output determined by the Sustainable Development Scorecard.
The Sustainable Development Commission and its associated tool, the Sustainable Development Scorecard, has no affiliation to the now defunct UK Government independent advising body the Sustainable Development Commission.
We are committed to respecting privacy and to complying with all applicable data protection and privacy laws. Your Wayfinder inputs and associated Scorecard results will be kept on record by Iceni Projects for research purposes. Iceni Projects cannot  access any of the responses, notes or project details in order to protect commercial interests. Your results will not be able to be viewed by members of the general public.
Results may be shared with third parties but will only be used expressly in connection with the Sustainable Development Scorecard, personal details – specifically name, company, email address – will not be shared or disclosed outside of Iceni Projects.