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Building Capacity: Responding to SEA Consultation

Building Capacity: Responding to SEA Consultation. Lucia Susani Environmental Assessment Policy and Process Manager Environment Agency of England and Wales. Responding to SEA Consultation. The Environment Agency’s role in SEA Tools to increase internal capacity

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Building Capacity: Responding to SEA Consultation

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  1. Building Capacity: Responding to SEA Consultation Lucia Susani Environmental Assessment Policy and Process Manager Environment Agency of England and Wales

  2. Responding to SEA Consultation • The Environment Agency’s role in SEA • Tools to increase internal capacity • Tools to develop external capacity • The experience to date • The way forward

  3. The leading public body protecting and improving the environment in England and Wales Largest environmental regulator in Europe (>11,000 staff) Protection of air, soil and water under one organisation 3 roles: operational, regulatory, advisory The Environment Agency: Who Are We?

  4. How are we structured? • Head Office - Bristol and London • 7 Regions and Wales • 26 Area Offices

  5. INTERNAL: Plan and Programme Maker EXTERNAL: Provider of Information Statutory Consultee The Environment Agency’s Roles in SEA

  6. Environment Agency Role in External SEA Provide opinion on significance of environmental effects SCREENING Provide baseline data, identify environmental priorities or problems BASELINE Identify significant issues, suggest objectives, review approach/alternatives SCOPING No Statutory role - assist process through meetings and influence ASSESSMENT & REPORTING CONSULTATION & DECISION MAKING Consulted on draft Strategy and Environmental Report Receive post-adoption statement and Final Plan or Programme; assist with monitoring. MONITORING

  7. The Legislation • Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive: 2001/42/EC • SEA Regulations (England): SI 2004 No. 1633 (21 July 2004) • Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (Sustainability Appraisal)

  8. Land Use and Spatial Plans: Regional Spatial Strategies Local Development Documents Local Development Plans (Wales) Minerals Plans Waste Plans Non-Planning: Regional Economic Strategies Transport Plans Onshore and Offshore Licensing Rounds Community Strategies Waste Strategy 2000 External SEA/SA Requirements

  9. Local Authorities in England/Wales Environment Agency Area offices Staff dealing with SEA (not full time!) SEA/SA documents received/area Total documents received to date 398 26 ~165 ~ 6-9 (max 20) ~150-200 Some Numbers “No. of documents seems to be increasing all the time”

  10. INTERNAL: Guidance and procedures Training Standard Objectives Data Packages EXTERNAL: Standards of Service SEA Liaison Group SEA website Do’s and Don’ts Our Capacity Building in SEA

  11. Available on Consultation Bodies websites: www.environment-agency.gov.uk/seaguidelines

  12. Consultation: Key Topics for the Environment Agency

  13. Groundwater Protection

  14. Objectives for consultation responses • Protection from Flood Risk • Address impacts of Climate Change • Waste management: reduce, re-use, recycle • Opportunities for environmental enhancement • Protection of water resources/water quality • Promote sustainable construction • Re-use of brownfield land • Increase energy efficiency

  15. Towards better SEAs • Need for iterative process with plan • Avoid retrospective SEAs • Clear audit trail to decision-making • Documents need to be more strategic • Need for assessment of cumulative effects • Choice of objectives and indicators • Pre-SEA meetings with plan makers helpful • Joint meetings with other consultees helpful

  16. Available Guidance:www.environment-agency.gov.uk/seaguidelines

  17. The SEA Website - Usage

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