SEA Practical Guidance for
Practitioners on How to Take Account of Air, Water and Soil
UKCC09
April 2009
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Project funders/
partners: SNIFFER on behalf of the Northern Ireland
Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and
in partnership with the Environment Agency and Historic Scotland.
The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) European Directive
2001/42/EC requires that the likely effects of implementing a plan or
programme on various environmental topics are taken into
account. These include: Biodiversity; Population; Human
Health; Fauna; Flora; Soil; Water; Air; Climatic Factors; Material
Assets; Cultural Heritage and Landscape. This guidance was developed to
support SEA practitioners in Scotland and Northern Ireland on how to
take into account the potential environmental effects upon air, water
and soil of implementing a plan, programme or strategy.
The objectives of this guidance are to:
- Ensure that air, water and
soil are addressed effectively through the process of SEA;
- Make it clearer for SEA
practitioners in Scotland and Northern Ireland to consider air, water
and soil issues in an effective and resource efficient way;
- Add value to existing SEA
guidance published by Government Departments and devolved
administrations; and
- Promote good practice with
use of practical examples.
The guidance is aimed at organisations which are involved in
undertaking SEA and, where appropriate, other organisations engaged in
the SEA process. Although the guidance is consistent with the
SEA legislation as implemented across Scotland and Northern Ireland,
the guidance is also relevant to SEA legislation and guidance which
covers the rest of the UK.
Key words:
Strategic Environmental Assessment, SEA, Air, Soil, Water,
Environmental Receptors, Practical Guidance, Good Practice, Practical
Examples, Consideration of SEA Topics, SEA Directive, SEA legislation.
Copies
of this report are available from the Foundation, in electronic
format on CDRom at £20.00 + VAT or hard copy at £50.00, less 20% to FWR
members.
N.B.
The report is available for download from the SNIFFER Website