SUPPORT AND SUBMISSION ARRANGEMENTS
81. The Scottish Government is available to provide advice, support and guidance to local authorities and partners involved in the development of the local housing strategy. Contact details are as follows:
Lothian, Borders and Fife (0131 313 3700)
Donald Bain
South West (01698 420 042)
Pauline Gilroy
Glasgow (0141 226 4611)
Lisa Bullen
Grampian (01244 332978)
Elaine Crawford
Highlands and Islands (01463 711272)
Ralph Throp
Tayside & Forth Valley (01382 427500)
Gordon Paterson
Argyll and Clyde (0141 889 8896)
Stephen Youd
82. Three paper copies of the local housing strategy and a copy in electronic format should be sent to the contact above.
Strategic Environmental Assessment ( SEA)
83. In Scotland the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 extended the statutory obligations of Strategic Environmental Assessment ( SEA) 19 to all public plans, programmes and strategies.
84. SEA is a key component of sustainable development, establishing important methods for protecting the environment and extending opportunities for participation in public policy decision-making.
85. It is for the each individual 'responsible authority' to make a judgement on whether their qualifying plan, programme or strategy is likely to have any significant environmental effects. However, this judgement can be complex and is not always straightforward due to a number of either direct or indirect factors, such as timing. It is therefore recommended that local authorities seek independent legal advice where in doubt, or at least initially discuss the matter with the SEA Gateway before undertaking any pre-screening, screening or SEA.
86. The SEA Gateway can be contacted via e-mail at SEA.Gateway@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Further guidance
87. Further guidance will be issued on a number of areas, which will help local authorities prepare their Local Housing Strategies. This includes the publication of more detailed guidance on fuel poverty obligations in Summer 2008; on meeting the requirements of the 2006 Act in Autumn 2008 and on preventing homelessness by Spring 2009.
88. We will be working through the approach to provision of any interim statements on meeting fuel poverty targets and 2012 homelessness targets with COSLA and further advice will follow.