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SEA Gateway
William Carlin
0131 244 5094
William.carlin@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Elaine McCall
0131 244 1704
Elaine.mccall2@scotland.gsi.gov.uk


Scottish Government's role for SEA
Dr Fiona Simpson
0131 244 7547
Fiona.Simpson@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

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Policy Subjects - Environmental Assessment

Environmental Assessment

To ensure that the planning system protects and enhances Scotland's environment, we must understand the impact that plans, programmes and projects may have on it. This means assessing the potential effects that planning policies and development projects may have and disseminating this to a wide range of stakeholders, including the general public.

Only once we have the full picture of the effects of policies, and alternatives to them, can we deliver a planning system that makes a positive contribution to our unique natural and built environment.

The Directorate's involvement in environmental assessment focuses on three areas:

Latest

  • EIA Case law - advice to planning authorities (October 2009) - Contains advice on two recent court rulings which have implications for EIA in Scotland.

  • ADDENDUM TO CIRCULAR 8/2007: THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (SCOTLAND) REGULATIONS 1999 - updates guidance to take account of recent changes to planning legislation, including amendments to the Regulations made through the Environmental Impact Assessment (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2009 which came into force on August 3, 2009.
  • The Scottish Government's SEA team is being expanded over the coming months, to form a new SEA Unit. The Unit will provide an improved level of technical and procedural support to public sector colleagues who are involved in the SEA process.
  • The SEA Pathfinder Study of SEA practice in Scotland has now concluded and the Gateway is awaiting the final report from the consultants, outlining their findings. A database of Scottish SEA activity is currently in development and should go on-line by Spring 2009. Within the Directorate, we have also begun the process of updating Interim Planning Advice on the Environmental Assessment of Development Plans to reflect the planning modernisation agenda.
  • The SEA of Part 3 of the Scottish Planning Policy is being progressed. The SEAs of the National Planning Framework, SPP23 and the Consultation Paper on Permitted Development Rights for Microrenewables are all close to completion and the SEA of SPP3 has now been concluded.

Page updated: Monday, October 12, 2009