Define: SEA
A systematic process for evaluating environmental consequences of proposed policy, plan or programmes in order to ensure they are fully included and appropriately addressed at the earliest appropriate stage of decision making on par with economic and social consequences.
- using findings of that evaluation, in publicly accountable decision making
- should take place in parallel with plan-making process
define: policies
An inspiration and guidance for action/ the government objectives and preferred means of achieving them
Define: plan or programme
Sets of related activities and expenditures which give rise to policies
Plan: set of coordinated and timed objectives for the implementation of policy
Programme: a set of projects in particular areas
Outline policy, plan and programmes in the construction of roads.
- Gov set policy (e.g. relative to congestion, stimulate growth)
- Local initiatives brought forward- national road programme develop
- Consideration of EIA usually only takes place of route selection.
What moves have been made towards SEA?
- Netherlands set up statutory SEA system 1987
- New Zealand have required SEA since 1991
- UK via changes to policy: SEA of the MOD strategic defence review and the DTIs proposal for future oil and gas production
- European Union Directive 2001- implemented 21st July 2004 (UK)
Why do we need SEA?
Because of the problems existing with the existing system of project EIA.
What are the problems with the current EIA system?
EIA is largely reactive and constrained.
- Project EIA react to proposals rather than anticipating them, so they cannot steer development towards environmental robust areas or away from Environmentally Sensitive Sites
- Project EIA fails to address cumulative impacts of several projects (in spite of the wording of EU directive).
- additive effects of several small projects- e.g. mineral extraction operations may not need an EIA, but the total impact of several projects will have significant impacts
- Interactive/ synergistic effects of several projects e.g. (sun and Nox + HC—-> smog)
- Induced impacts e.g. secondary infrastructure around airports or motorways
- Alternatives only receive limited attention at project level- often considered as an add on- because the alternatives will often be limited by choices made earlier at strategic level ( EIA usually well planned and irreversible)
-Timescales: project EIA is financially and temporally constrained- advanced planning should be less so.
> limits amount of baseline information that can be collected and quality of analysis undertaken e.g. having to do ecological assessment in winter months.
Public consultation- limited by time and money in project EIA, more immediately accountable if carried out by governments.
Why is SEA more proactive and should be less constrained?
- carried out earlier in decision
- Ensure alternatives better assessed early
- Cumulative impacts considered and secondary
- Develop consistently across public sector
- To anticipate adverse impacts and prevent them
- To save money and time at project level by dealing with issues in advances
- to be publically acountable
- intergrate principles such as sustainability into polocies
- to assess policies which do not have an overly environmental decision
How can SEA help promote sustainable development?
- Often intergrated into sustainable assessment/ appraisal
- Involves broadening scope of assessment to social and economic considerations but also potentially setting sustainable objectives and testing whether PPP will help achieve them.
What are the difficulties with SEA?
Difficult decision making at PPP level is often made incrementally- no clear time when environmental impacts can be assessed best: dynamic nature of policy means issues are likely to be redefined throughout the process
Why is SEA so complex?
- high level decisions lead to potentially huge numbers of lower tier decisions
- system boundaries: not always clear
- SEA is often started late into plan making process where decisions have already been made
- lack of information about both proposals and future environmental conditions- hard to quantify impacts
> political considerations - policy making is a political process. Decision makers will weigh up implications of a PPP environmental impacts in wider context of own interests.
- SEA does not make final decision- only informs
What are the scales of SEA?
- Temporal
- generational- perhaps decades
- decisional- weeks, months, years
(both at mercy of data getting out of date, policy changes, resources of finances running out)
How big is the area?
- Local authority
- County
- region
- Country
Are EIA and SEA fundamentally different?
see booklet
Describe the UK experience
1980s- ad hoc
1991- policy appraisal and the environment
> aimed at central gov
> set out procedures and techniques
> heavy emphasis on cost/benefit approach
> little requirement for public involvement
> sectoral approach leads to lack of integration
1992- planning guidance note
> Linked to local council dev. plans with the objective of SD
> Required local authorities to have regard for environmental considerations
> By 1996 180 appraisals of development plans carried out- quality variable.
EU Directive 2001/42- assessment of plans and programmes on Environment
> applied to planning systems
> would apply to PPPs
Final version
- restricted to plans and programmes with town and country planning system and specifically names sectors (e.g. transport, energy, waste management, industry, telecoms, tourism, fisheries, agriculture)
Mainly aimed at local gov- also operated on EU polocies
> includes mandatory scoping, consulation review and monitoring
> Limited but a step in the right direction (not much on sustainability, carrying capacity in environments, monitoring of effects).
2004 SEA Directive
- the environmental assessment of plans and programmes regulations 2004
> refers to SEA/ sustainability appraisal
> SEA carried out on plans and programmes
> Sustainability appraisal- applied to local council plans
What are the stages of SEA?
1) setting context/ establishing baseline
2) establish scope of SEA and develop alternatives (consultation required with authorities)
3) Assess the effects of the Plan (including trans-boundary)
4) Consult (with public and authorities) on results
5) Monitor effects of implementing the plan
What are the principles of sustainable appraisal?
- Planning authorities must produce a full environmental appraisal of development plans
- extend appraisal so it covers all four SD objectives
- Based on four pillars:
1) social progress
2) Environmental protection
3) Prudent use of natural resources
4) Economic growth
What is a review of the process?
- Experience limited- 56% LPAs produce 1 report
- 19% delegated entirely to consultants (with mixed views on effectiveness)
- Best approach not always happening- expert opinion over data driven methods (e.g. GIS/ modelling)
- Mixed views on effectiveness on consultation; low response rate
- Costly- 70-80%
But…83% led to changes to plans
Test Valley Borough Council Local Plan 2006: describe the case
Plan submitted to a sustainability appraisal
- Overall aim of the local plan:
> provide a framework for making decisions about the borough which:
> Respects the environment
> Meets the need of community
> enhances quality of life
Each policy tested against 8 local plan objectives including in brief:
- concentrate development in and around existing settlements and protecting the countryside
- Protect and conserve natural and built environment including wildlife, landscapes and natural resources
- Avoid hazards meeting housing needs, reduce overall travels needs, enhance built environment, quality of life
What were the methods used?
- Public consultation (notices, exhibitions, consultees)
- Expert evaluation
What was the scoring?
Potentially very positive: significant contribution to acheiveing objectives positive negigible negative Severe: jeprodise objectives
What are strategic gaps? (SET 04)
- maintain areas of open and undeveloped land between settlements- in order to keep individual settlements seperate and distinct
- to provide clear and visual and physical breaks in an otherwise continuous built up area with a population of 1 million people
council will need to consider the need for development to be located with strategic gap
- developer expected to demonstrate why it could not be located elsewhere
- Council will not permit development that would physically or visually diminish strategic gaps
e.g. there will be a negligible impact on fields at Halterwood, Romsey
Scottish Marine renewables: describe the case
> commissioned by the scottish executive
- SEA to asses the enviro eggect of harnessing up to 10% of scotlands electricty generation needs from marine renewable energy sources by 2020
- will also help develop renewable policy and help developed with individual projects
potential for energy generation within study area (West coast of scotland, Pertland Firth, Orkney and Shetland) is considerable
- New technologies are being developed- tidal and wabe power
Cumulative environmental environmental impacts were assessed
What were the relevant environmental issues in SEA?
- Marine mammals
- Seals
- Cretaceans
- Otters
> common seals have 40% declines in study area since 2001
> black throated diver- amber list
>other sea bird declines
Fisheries
> declining traditional industry- still over 2000 fishing boats in scotland
> important employer in coastal towns
> Aquaculture also important
What were the issues with marine archaeology and coatsal landscape?
> coasts and seas of high cultural importance
wrecks of boats, ships, submarines and air craft
munitions
submerged settlements and historic landscapes
tourist resource - 3000 visitors each year dive on wrecks of german high seas fleet, scuttles in scapa flow Orkney
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Environmental Impact Assessment- Lecture 1.50
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Baseline and significance- EIA lecture 233
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Alternatives, Mitigation and Environmental Management Plans L332
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EIA- Law- the basics- Lecture 426
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EIA: Ecology, evaluations and baseline survey methods50
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culture27
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Landscape and visual assessment26
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Coastal project EIA27
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Dam construction15
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Measuring impacts and a UK perspective- Environmental impacts of hydropower14
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EIA and sustainable development20
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Strategic EIA25
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Quality in EIA28
