Practitioner views of SEA effectiveness in UK

21st September 2011

Josh FothergillIEMA

Environmental professionals at the heart of change

Outline

• Context – The 3 steps of SEA’s development in the UK up to September 2011.

• Practitioner views – Summer 2011• How can SEA get more effective in:• England• Scotland• Wales• Northern Ireland

• Summary

• The UK implemented Directive 2001/42/EC in 2004 as required.

• However, devolution led to 4 sets of SEA Regulations for each of the UK’s nations:– England– Scotland– Wales– Northern Ireland

Step 1: Implement the Directive

2004 - 2007• By 2005 numerous pieces of SEA guidance had been

developed.• Government led a series of training courses for local

authorities responsible for majority of SEA.• National SEA conferences were held.• Numerous training courses developed.• SEA websites created and kept up-to-date.• Informal networks created between SEA practitioners.

Step 2: Implementing SEA in practice

2005 onwards:• Devolution (since 1999) provides Scotland with

powers to make own environmental legislation.• Scottish Government recognise potential of SEA as

key tool to deliver sustainable development.• Environmental Assessment Scotland Act 2005– Expands application of SEA beyond Directive– Creates a single portal for SEA information (the Gateway)

• 2006 SEA Tool Kit created to guide Scottish SEA

Step 2a: Scotland goes further

Lack of SEA leadership leads to stalled development- Govt sponsored review of SEA effectiveness in England

(Mar 10) identifies need for improvements:- Government fails to implement new action in response - Response simply refers practitioners to 2005 guidance.

- SEA of major national plans lack commitment:- Energy National Policy Statements delayed due to ineffective SEA- Revocation of regional planning only undergoes SEA after

numerous court cases- SEA conferences stop and training courses decline.

Step 3: Stagnation? England 08-11

Continued support for SEA at highest levels• 2008 onwards National SEA Conference begins:– Brings practitioners together to share experience and

discuss good and bad points in practice.

• 2010 Government SEA team expands to:– provide greater advice and direction to practice.– Ensure Scottish Govt plans & policies have effective SEA

• July 2011 – Review of SEA practice (Session 1.4)• 2011: Govt & practitioners work together to review

and update SEA Toolkit.• A Community of SEA Practice begins???

Step 3: Scotland – SEA advances

A common theme regularly occurs when discussing the development of SEA with Government or practitioners:

SEA will improve over timeBut – How will this occur and who will lead it?• Practitioners will clearly have a key role in this.• As such their views - optimistic / pessimistic – on

the future success of SEA will influence whether SEA does improve.

UK practitioner views of SEA

July – August 2010• 14 workshops across UK’s 4 nations.• Nearly 200 delegates took part in discussions.• Researched asked 2 questions:1.How do you feel SEA is going?– Going well– Unclear– Going Badly

2.What is your reasoning behind this view?

IEMA research: UK Perceptions of SEA

UK Practitioner PerceptionsIEMA’s FindingsGreen = Respondents perceivedSEA as going well

Red = Respondents perceived SEA as going badly

Green & Blue =respondents

uncertainabout SEA’s future,

but hope for improvement

England (Outside London) & Wales• All 8 workshops indicated SEA often no more than Tick box

exercise or had become a Paper-chase London Workshops• A belief that SEA had improved consideration of the

environment in the plans.Scotland• Lots of positive comments on SEA influencing alternatives

and altering plans, but clear that SEA could still be a paper-chase if it lacked integration and backing by those leading plan-making.

Practitioner Views

• SEA has moved beyond its initial phase and appears to have avoided stagnation.

• Greater effectiveness will grow out of:– Further developing a Community of SEA Practice to

share experience and work between Govt, statutory bodies, plan-makers and practitioners to resolve difficulties.

– Leadership in SEA not only from Government, but also between plan-makers,

How can SEA be more effective?In Scotland....

• On a broad scale SEA practice has begun to stagnate• BUT – there are very good practitioners, good examples

of practice and a desire to improve SEA.• However, SEA effectiveness will only improve if:– Greater commitment to SEA is shown by central Government

via its effective application to national plans and policies.– A nexus can be found around which practitioners can create

opportunities to generate an informal community of SEA practice.

How can SEA be more effective?In England....

• Devolution provides Wales with a choice regarding the future of SEA and its effectiveness, it can:

• Continue to follow England’s approach & stagnate• Follow Scotland’s approach towards effective SEA• Develop its own model based on leadership and

integration

How can SEA be more effective?In Wales....

• A very centralised approach to plan-making provides the context for rapid development of effective SEA

• SEA skills and knowledge harder to develop and retain due to small size of SEA market.

• Need to develop greater SEA knowledge management and sharing:– Between practitioners in Northern Ireland.– With Irish SEA practitioners - trans-boundary context .– With Scotland via academic research links SNIFFER.

How can SEA be more effective?In Northern Ireland....

• Think positively about SEA – if practitioners have little belief in the tools effectiveness how do we influence others to ensure it improves.

• Act positively in undertaking SEA – in UK SEA practice persistent, passionate and knowledgeable SEA practitioners will continue to be the most effective force for improving SEA.

• Network and share experiences – the need to create, develop and link groups of practitioners is essential if SEA is to improve over time.

Summary: Effective SEA in the UK Practitioners must....