SEA IN THE CONTEXT OF LANDTUSE PLANNING

equired by the SEA directive. Similar requirements are set for the preparation of RegionalSpatial Strategies in Planning Policy Statement 11 (ODPM 2004b), where the section onSustainability Appraisal of Regional Spatial Strategies it is stated that an analysis of theeconomic and social impacts shall be included in the SA, and that this shall be carried out ona comparative level to that required by the SEA directive.6.2 The national SEA requirements6.2.1 The aims of Environmental Assessment of plans and programmes in EnglandThe Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004 (SI 2004No.1633) do not list explicit aims for introducing of SEA into the legal framework forplanning in the UK. The policy documents introducing SEA to the English planning systemstress that the SEA regulations reproduce, and do not add any further requirements than thecontents of the SEA directive 2001/42/EC and transposition follows in all main principlesthe contents of the directive. However, in certain aspects the contents of the directive havebeen adjusted in the legal introduction in the UK, notably by defining the institutional actorsinvolved in the SEA process, i.e. the authorities responsible for SEA (the ‘ResponsibleAuthorities’), the organisation to be consulted (the ‘Consultation Bodies’) and setting out timelimits and other arrangement for consulting and information the authorities and the public(ODPM 2005a).The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister’s (ODPM) guidance ‘A Practical Guide to theStrategic Environmental Assessment Directive (September 2005) offers advice on theimplementation of environmental assessment according to the SEA directive to the Englishplanning system. According to the ODPM’s guidance the directive brings a new emphasis onthe already established practice of environmental assessment for many types of plans andprogrammes in the UK in the following areas in particular:• Collecting and presenting baseline environmental information• Predicting the significant environmental effects of the plan and addressing them during itspreparation• Identifying strategic alternatives and their effects• Consulting the public and authorities with environmental responsibilities as a part of theassessment process• Monitoring the actual environmental effects of the plan during its implementation(ODPM, 2005:14, 2.9).6.2.2 Plans and programmes are covered by the directive (screening)In regulation 2 of SI 2004 No. 1633, an interpretation of ‘plans and programmes’ as referredto in the regulations is given, i.e. the regulations refer to mainland and offshore plans andprogrammes, including those co-financed by the European Community, as well as anymodifications to them, which (a) are subject to preparation or adoption by an authority atnational, regional or local level; b) are prepared by an authority for adoption, through alegislative procedure by Parliament or Government; and, in either case, or (c) are required bylegislative, regulatory or administrative provisions.The screening requirements for plans and programmes covered by the regulations SI2004 No. 1633 are listed in regulations 9 and 10. There it is stated that the responsibleauthority shall determine whether or not a plan, programme or modification of a description80