Recommended strategic environmental assessment / sustainability appraisal and Habitats Regulations Assessments 2011

 

This year's lists are short.

 

The methodology for compiling this list was: Riki Therivel e-mailed several hundred people in early December 2011 asking for recommendations for good SEAs and HRAs, and compiled the responses.  No attempt was made to specify in advance what is meant by ‘good practice’, or to vet the recommendations.  Consultants were encouraged to – and indeed often did – recommend reports prepared by their consultancies.  The recommender’s name is shown in the final column.  Inclusion of reports in this list does not mean that they are necessarily legally compliant, or even that the section being recommended is compliant!

 

It is hoped that the reports will give readers ideas for carrying out good SEAs and inspiration for further improving the SEA and HRA processes.  Feel free to share them and use them however you want.  Please send any comments and/or your own recommendations to riki@levett-therivel.co.uk.  These lists, with active[1] web-links, are available on www.levett-therivel.co.uk/SEA11.htm. 

 

SA/SEA list

 

SA/SEA is particularly good because…

SA/SEA for

Web-link to SA/ environmental report

Recommended by…

It tackles a difficult type of masterplanning, whereby rather than committing to a large-scale project, the masterplan is a suite of options which may or may not be taken forward.

Dublin Ports Authority, Dublin Ports Masterplan

http://www.dublinport.ie/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/DPC%20SEA%20Draft%20ER.pdf

Jacobs

Clearly shows how the SEA has influenced the plan-making process

Clackmannanshire Local Development plan

http://www.clacksweb.org.uk/site/documents/environment/clackmannanshiredevelopmentplanmainissuesreportenvironmentalreportdecember2010/

 

http://www.clacksweb.org.uk/site/documents/environment/localdevelopmentplanmainissuesreport/

Máire Daly, Scottish Natural Heritage

This is a good example of a GIS-based approach to the appraisal of site allocations.

Lake District National Park Authority Allocations of Land DPD

http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/179535/sa_allocations_of_land_dpd_pref_options.pdf   

Land Use Consultants

The Core Strategy has recently been found sound.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Minerals and Waste Core Strategy DPD

http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/34DCCC56-EC18-4E25-809F-C6F5FC92778F/0/FinalCoreStrategySAReport141209.pdf

Land Use Consultants

Scopes out ‘air quality’ impacts; shows how scores changed in response to consultation; gives an example of an adoption statement; acts as an example of an SEA that is not simply of a plan or programme (i.e. shows the benefits of applying to other issues).

Lakes to Dales landscape designation project

http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/Images/L2DSEAReportb_tcm6-26243.pdf

Land Use Consultants

Rare examples of national SEA / strategic HRA.  These are new types of plans. The assessment therefore tried to capture potential impacts despite no specific spatial elements.

Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategies for England and Wales

link for England

https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/portal/ho/flood/fcerm/strategy?pointId=1287746273433

 

link for Wales http://wales.gov.uk/topics/environmentcountryside/epq/waterflooding/flooding/nationalstrategy/?lang=en

Jo Murphy, Environment Agency

Structured in a way that clearly demonstrates how all Annex 1 requirements are met, including the requirement to explain 'the reasons for selecting the alternatives dealt with' and the 'the way… objectives and any environmental considerations have been taken into account during [plan] preparation' (i.e. it 'tells the story' of how SA has influenced the development of the Proposed Submission Plan)

Shepway District Council Core Strategy

http://consult.shepway.gov.uk/file/1880867

Mark Fessey, URS

It is effective at combining SEA with Health Impact Assessment (HIA) and Equalities Impact Assessment (EqIA) into one Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA) Report

Newham Borough Council Local Implementation Plan No. 2 (Transport)

http://www.newham.gov.uk/parkingandtransport/transportplanning/localimplementationplan.htm

Jacobs

SEA statements

An SEA Statement that clearly fulfils all legal requirement

Oxford Core Strategy

http://www.oxford.gov.uk/Direct/CSSAandHRAAdoptionStatement.pdf

Riki Therivel, Levett-Therivel

Provides an assessment of the significant changes that have been made to the plan between the draft and final version.

Durham Local Transport Plan 3

http://content.durham.gov.uk/PDFRepository/SEA_LTP3Statement.pdf

Rob Gardner, TRL

 

 


AA/HRA list

 

AA/HRA is particularly good because…

AA/HRA for

Web-link to AA/HRA report

Recommended by…

The HRA report was prepared by Hampshire County Council officers with LUC providing critical friend advice and support as well as input to the HRA of potential mineral sites.  The approach taken has been particularly thorough, with Hampshire County Council having undertaken extensive consultation with Natural England on the methodology, and having made good use of internal ecological knowledge of the large number of Natura 2000 sites in and around Hampshire.

Hampshire Minerals & Waste Plan

http://consult.hants.gov.uk/portal/pdpp/publication_of_the_draft_hampshire_minerals_and_waste_plan?tab=files

LUC

·       Innovative and extensive use of GIS to assess individual and in combination effects of multiple sites on numerous Natura 2000 sites,

·       The understanding and desire of planning offices to get the most out of the process.

·      Collaborative iterative working between South Lakeland, the Consultants, NE, EA and United Utilities to find a practical sustainable solution – demonstrated through the meeting notes included in the Annexes

South Lakeland Land Allocation DPD

http://www.southlakeland.gov.uk/dirlist.asp?subfolder=%2FLocal+Development+Framework%2FDraft+Land+Allocation+Publication+18+01+2012%2F05+Appropriate+Assessment

Orlando Venn,

Treweek Environmental Consultants

 

 

 



[1] SA/SEA reports often have a fleeting e-life.  Working web-link does not mean active web-link!