SECTION 2: INTRODUCTION
2.1 Purpose of this environmental report and key facts
Strategic Environmental Assessment ( SEA) is a new requirement for public plans and strategies, arising from EU Directive 2001/42/EC which was adopted by the European Council and Parliament in 2001. The Environmental Assessment Act (Scotland) 2005 came into force on 20 February 2006. The Act repealed the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes (Scotland) Regulations 2004, which were in force prior to the Act. Responsible Authorities who had already started preparing plans and programmes on or before the 19 February 2006, are able to continue following the provision set out in the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes (Scotland) Regulations 2004.
There is not a legal requirement to undertake the SEA process in the context of the NTS on the following grounds:
- The provisions of the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes (Scotland) Regulations 2004 do not apply as the NTS is not required by legislative, regulatory or administrative provisions; and
- The first preparatory act for the NTS was undertaken prior to the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 being enacted.
However, we consider that the SEA process is extremely valuable to the overall development of the NTS. We have therefore chosen to apply the SEA process to the NTS on a voluntary basis.
SEA is a systematic method which extends the assessment of environmental impacts from individual projects to the wider perspective of plans and programmes. SEA is regarded as a policy-aiding rather than a policy-making tool which enables structured consideration of the environmental implications associated with the development of plans and programmes.
The key stages to the SEA process are:
Screening determine whether the plan/programme is likely to have significant environmental effects and whether an SEA is required;
Scoping decide on the scope and level of detail of the environmental report, and the consultation period for the report - this is done in consultation with Scottish Natural Heritage, Historic Scotland and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency;
Environmental publish an environmental report on the plan or programme
Report and its environmental effects, and consult on that report;
Adoption provide information on the adopted plan/programme, how consultation comments have been taken into account and methods for monitoring the significant environmental effects of the implementation of the plan/programme; and
Monitoring monitor significant environmental effects and taking appropriate remedial action for any unforeseen significant environmental effects.
2.2 SEA activities to date
Table 1 provides a summary of the position with the activities required by the SEA process in terms of the NTS.
Table 1 - SEA activities to date
SEA Action/Activity | When carried out | Notes
( e.g. comment on data availability, particular issues or any advice from the Consultation Authorities that has now been taken into account) |
|---|
Screening to determine whether the plan is likely to have significant environmental effects | October 2005 - November 2005 | The Screening Report was submitted to the Consultation Authorities in November 2005. On the basis of the information presented there was agreement that the SEA process should be applied to the NTS on a voluntary basis. |
Scoping the consultation periods and the level of detail to be included in the environmental report | November - December 2005 | The Scoping Report was submitted to the Consultation Authorities in December 2005. |
Outline and objectives of the plan | June 2004 | A commitment to develop a National Transport Strategy was detailed in the 2004 Transport White Paper - Scotland's Transport Future. The aim and objectives of the White Paper form the basis for the development of the strategy. |
Relationship with other plans, programmes and environmental objectives | October 2005 - March 2006 | Work undertaken in the development of the Scoping Report with further documents being added to original list presented in Scoping Report. |
Environmental baseline established | October 2005 -March 2006 | Further development to original environmental baseline presented in Scoping Report. |
Environmental problems identified | November 2005 - March 2006 | Additions made to original list presented in Scoping Report. |
Likely future of the area without the plan assessed | October 2005 - March 2006 | Further development to content presented in Scoping Report. |
Alternatives considered | August 2005 - ongoing | The consideration of potential policy options commenced during the drafting of the NTS Consultation Paper. This is very much an ongoing process with there being a potential for new policy options to arise from the public consultation on the Consultation Paper. |
Environmental assessment methods established | December 2005 - March 2006 | Revisions made to assessment framework for SEA. |
Selection of plan alternatives to be included in the environmental assessment | November 2005 - March 2006 | Alternatives adopted as per policy options presented in NTS Consultation Paper published in April 2006. |
Identification of environmental problems that may persist after implementation and mitigation methods | November 2005 - March 2006 | Further development to content of Scoping Report. |
Monitoring methods proposed | November 2005 - March 2006 | Given this SEA is based on a consultation paper it is difficult at this stage to identify monitoring methods when the actual content of the final NTS has still to be finalised. The intention is for the NTS to be reviewed on a four yearly basis with further details to be provided in the SEA post-adoption statement. |
Consultation timescales - Timescale for Consultation Authorities
- Timescale for public consultation
| January 2006 | Consultation Authorities in agreement with proposed 8 week consultation period presented in the Scoping Report. |
Notification/publicity action | April 2006 | Publication of the Environmental Report to be advertised in the following newspapers on 18 May 2006: The Scotsman
The Herald
Press and Journal
Dundee Courier |
The following text provides a more detailed summary of the position with some of the key stages to the SEA process in respect of the NTS Consultation Paper:
The Screening Report was sent to the Consultation Authorities in October 2005. On the basis of the information presented within the report there was agreement for the SEA process to be applied to the NTS on a voluntary basis.
The Scoping Report was issued to the Consultation Authorities on 16 December 2005 for a 5 week consultation period. Feedback on the report was received from the Consultation Authorities in January 2006 and their comments have been taken into consideration in the development of the Environmental Report.
As already highlighted, the SEA process requires that an Environmental Report is produced, outlining the assessment of the likely significant environmental effects arising from a particular plan, programme or policy. The basis of this document forms the Environmental Report on the NTS Consultation Paper. In summary this Environmental Report will:
- provide background information on the NTS and its SEA process;
- identify, describe and evaluate the likely significant effects of the NTS Consultation Paper and reasonable alternatives; and
- provide an early and effective opportunity for the Consultation Authorities and the public to offer views on any aspect of the Environmental Report.
It is important to highlight at this stage that the findings documented within this Environmental Report are based upon assessment of the policy ideas presented in the NTS Consultation Paper at publication in April 2006 and not firm policy commitments. It is recognised that this may potentially detract from the robustness of the Environmental Report, however it does provide an opportunity to highlight key issues for consideration within an environmental context. In accordance with the SEA process we have completed the Environmental Report during the development of the NTS and as publication of a draft strategy does not form part of the NTS process, this report has to be based on the consultation paper which contains policy ideas rather than fixed policy measures.
The early chapters to this Environmental Report include information which was presented in the Scoping Report, taking into consideration comments received from the Consultation Authorities and ongoing policy development within other departments of the Scottish Executive. This Environmental Report is being published during the consultation period on the NTS Consultation Paper and provides information on the likely significant environmental effects of the overarching objectives and different policy options proposed within the Consultation Paper.