1. Building Capacity: Responding to SEA Consultation Lucia Susani Environmental Assessment Policy and Process Manager Environment Agency of England and Wales

2. Responding to SEA Consultation  The Environment Agency’s role in SEA  Tools to increase internal capacity  Tools to develop external capacity  The experience to date  The way forward

3. The Environment Agency: Who Are We?  The leading public body protecting and improving the environment in England and Wales  Largest environmental regulator in Europe (>11,000 staff)  Protection of air, soil and water under one organisation  3 roles: operational, regulatory, advisory

4. How are we structured?  Head Office - Bristol and London  7 Regions and Wales  26 Area Offices

5. The Environment Agency’s Roles in SEA INTERNAL:  Plan and Programme Maker EXTERNAL:  Provider of Information  Statutory Consultee

6. Environment Agency Role in External SEA SCREENING BASELINE ASSESSMENT & REPORTING CONSULTATION & DECISION MAKING MONITORING Provide opinion on significance of environmental effects Provide baseline data, identify environmental priorities or problems No Statutory role - assist process through meetings and influence Consulted on draft Strategy and Environmental Report Receive post-adoption statement and Final Plan or Programme; assist with monitoring. SCOPING Identify significant issues, suggest objectives, review approach/alternatives

7. The Legislation  Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive: 2001/42/EC  SEA Regulations (England): SI 2004 No. 1633 (21 July 2004)  Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (Sustainability Appraisal)

8. External SEA/SA Requirements Land Use and Spatial Plans:  Regional Spatial Strategies  Local Development Documents  Local Development Plans (Wales)  Minerals Plans  Waste Plans Non-Planning:  Regional Economic Strategies  Transport Plans  Onshore and Offshore Licensing Rounds  Community Strategies  Waste Strategy 2000

9. Some Numbers  Local Authorities in England/Wales  Environment Agency Area offices  Staff dealing with SEA (not full time!)  SEA/SA documents received/area  Total documents received to date  398  26  ~165  ~ 6-9 (max 20)  ~150-200 “No. of documents seems to be increasing all the time”

10. Our Capacity Building in SEA INTERNAL:  Guidance and procedures  Training  Standard Objectives  Data Packages EXTERNAL:  Standards of Service  SEA Liaison Group  SEA website  Do’s and Don’ts

11. Available on Consultation Bodies websites: www.environment-agency.gov.uk/seaguidelines

12. Consultation: Key Topics for the Environment Agency

15. Groundwater Protection

16. Objectives for consultation responses  Protection from Flood Risk  Address impacts of Climate Change  Waste management: reduce, re-use, recycle  Opportunities for environmental enhancement  Protection of water resources/water quality  Promote sustainable construction  Re-use of brownfield land  Increase energy efficiency

17. Towards better SEAs  Need for iterative process with plan  Avoid retrospective SEAs  Clear audit trail to decision-making  Documents need to be more strategic  Need for assessment of cumulative effects  Choice of objectives and indicators  Pre-SEA meetings with plan makers helpful  Joint meetings with other consultees helpful

18. Available Guidance: www.environment-agency.gov.uk/seaguidelines

19. The SEA Website - Usage