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SCOPE AND LEVEL OF DETAIL PROPOSED FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
Scoping in/out of SEA issues
In accordance with Schedule 2 of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 The Scottish Executive has considered whether the environmental effects (positive and negative) of the SPP14 are likely to be significant. A summary of our conclusions is given in Table 4.
Table 4 Scoping of SEA issues
SEA issues | Scoped in | Scoped out | Comments |
|---|
biodiversity, flora, fauna | X | | Primary topic area for policy to address. The SPP is likely to result in significant positive effects for Scotland's biodiversity, flora and fauna |
landscape | X | | Primary topic area for policy to address. The SPP is likely to result in significant positive effects for Scotland's landscapes. |
cultural heritage | X | | Significant benefits likely to arise in relation to conserving and enhancing (where appropriate) the cultural heritage value of landscapes and biodiversity resources. Less significant, but nevertheless relevant potential tensions between natural and cultural heritage conservation should also be explored in the assessment. |
population and human health | X | | Conservation of the natural environment likely to provide benefits in relation to quality of life generally. Relationship with increased community land ownership and access reform could usefully be explored within the SEA. Possible tensions with wider community aspirations, e.g. affordable housing provision, should be considered further. Although health effects are likely to be indirect, there is increasing evidence that the natural environment can provide significant benefits for community physical and mental health. |
soil | X | | The policy is likely to be affected by broader changes to the Scottish soil environment, and could itself have implications for soil protection aims. |
water | X | | The policy has the potential be affected by water quality and supplies, and could contribute to aims such as improving the ecological quality of the water environment. |
air | | X | The SPP has the potential to provide benefits for air quality, but these are not expected to be significant, and it is therefore proposed that this does not form a key part of the assessment. |
climatic factors | X | | SPP14 has the potential to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, depending on its content and implementation. Scope for achieving improvements to habitat networks, and the need for a flexible approach to conservation and enhancement could be considered further. |
material assets | X | | Positive effects on tourism should be explored as part of the assessment. The role of the policy in promoting the sustainable use of resources could also be explored further. |
As with the scoping of the SEA for SPP23 Historic Environment, we expect that most of the significant effects of SPP14 will be positive in relation to the Scottish environment. However, it is important that the SEA provides an opportunity to mitigate any potential (albeit probably minor) adverse environmental effects, and scope for policy enhancement should be discussed further as an integral part of the assessment. Key topic areas will include biodiversity and landscape, and the SPP will also have particular repercussions for cultural heritage, soil and water. Climate change is also an important issue to consider further within the strategic environmental assessment, to ensure as robust a policy as possible in light of current predictions and their impacts.
Definition and assessment of alternatives
We would suggest that one alternative to the policy that merits assessment would be a continuation of the current situation ( i.e. retaining NPPG14 in its current state). As with our approach to the SEA of SPP23, and given the nature of the policy alternatives, it is proposed that this alternative is broadly assessed alongside the preferred option (the draft SPP), with no systematic tabulation or comprehensive elaboration of the findings relating to the former scenario. Instead, the review of alternatives will simply highlight any key differences in impacts as and where they arise.
We would welcome comments on the appropriateness of this approach to the assessment of this simple alternative to SPP14
Framework for assessing environmental effects
Proposed Objectives
It is proposed that, in the interests of good practice, a set of objectives (' SEA objectives') is defined and used to test the alternatives and ultimately the preferred content of SPP14.
As with the proposed approach to the SEA of SPP23, we have revisited the core SEA objectives that are being applied to the assessment of the National Planning Framework, and have devised a set of tailored criteria that we believe can be used to help focus the assessment.
Table 5 below sets out the proposed objectives and associated secondary criteria.
We would welcome comments on the appropriateness of this approach.
Table 5 Proposed SEA Objectives and Secondary Criteria to apply in the SEA of SPP14
Proposed SEA Objectives | Criteria for tailoring the assessment of SPP14 |
|---|
Protects or enhances biodiversity, flora or fauna | Supports the delivery of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, including protection of priority habitats and / or priority species and conservation and enhancement on a broader scale |
Helps to reduce the overall decline in the area of semi natural habitats in Scotland |
Safeguards and enhances sites that have been designated for protection as a result of their biodiversity value, helping to ensure that 95% of designated sites are in favourable condition by 2010 |
Addresses the impacts of climate change on biodiversity, including by expanding and enhancing habitat core areas and networks and improving connectivity |
Protects and enhances the character, diversity and special qualities of Scotland's landscapes. | Protects and enhances the landscape setting of existing settlements and historic environment sites |
Protects and enhances the quality, cultural and scenic value and distinctiveness of designated and non designated landscapes, including by avoiding inappropriate development |
Achieves sustainable management of change in vulnerable landscapes |
Promotes human health, safeguards or enhances the living environments of people or communities | Promotes increased understanding and / or enjoyment of the natural heritage |
Contributes to the environmental justice agenda |
Strikes a sustainable balance between community aspirations for development ( e.g. affordable housing) and natural heritage conservation. |
Improves / expands networks of greenspace within existing areas and / or in regeneration priority areas |
Promotes the development of a sustainable settlement pattern and physical infrastructure | Promotes settlement expansion that protects the existing character of settlements and reflects their current and future capacity to accommodate change |
Ensures land and infrastructure required for settlement expansion does not significantly adversely affect natural heritage |
Reduces energy consumption and / or CO2 emissions | Contributes to air quality / emissions reductions targets |
Reduces water pollution or enhances water quality | Improves the ecological status of water bodies |
Delivers sustainable water supply systems that do not adversely affect natural heritage interests. |
Delivers sustainable drainage systems that provide natural heritage benefits |
Delivers sustainable flood management solutions that provide natural heritage benefits |
Protects and enhances the quality of soils | Achieve ecological enhancement through improving the stability or condition of soil |
Encourages efficient use of land and resources | Discourages loss of natural heritage and landscape resources Encourages environmental enhancement of vacant and derelict land Increases carbon sequestration in a sustainable way |
The assessment of each proposal and policy within SPP14 will be undertaken using the following framework:
SPP policy / proposal |
|---|
| Overall effect (summary symbol) | Initial characterisation of effect, including timescale (short, medium, long term), permanent or temporary | Comments on secondary, cumulative, synergistic effects | Comments - including proposals for amendment, mitigation or enhancement, reference to pertinent aspects of the baseline |
|---|
SEA objectives | | | | |
|---|
The summarised part of the assessment (overall effect) will be defined using the following symbols:
++ strong positive effect | ? unknown / insufficient evidence | - negative effect |
+ positive effect | 0 neutral | -- strong negative effect |
Given the role of SPPs in setting a framework for strategic and local level development plans, it is important to recognise that the assessment will focus on the strategic level of policy making. It will therefore be important to supplement any broad conclusions arising from the assessment with advice on the respective SEA of these lower level plans and policies.
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