Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of plans & programmes is a mandatory requirement arising from the European SEA Directive; Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a similar mandatory requirement for certain development projects. Cumulative Effects Assessment (CEA) is an integral element of both processes as assessing the likely significant effect of proposals moves from the strategic to the more detailed project level.
Enfusion has extensive and wide experience of undertaking SEAs at all levels and in all sectors throughout the UK; we have also developed methods and prepared Guidance. We have diverse experience of project level EIAs, with a particular expertise for compliance review of Environmental Statements.
Our expertise and the services we provide include:
- SEA of plans at national and local levels, including national policy statements (UK), Local Development Frameworks (England), LDPs (Wales), and development frameworks/plans (Scotland)
SEA of sectoral plans, including wastes & minerals, transport, water, energy - CEA Cumulative Effects Assessment
- Independent Compliance Reviews – SEA & EIA
- EIA – preparation of Health chapters for Environmental Statements
- Development of methods, bespoke toolkits & preparation of guidance
- Training courses & materials
- Consultation, engagement & participation
Examples of Projects:
PROJECT: SEA & HRA SCREENING of THE CHARLBURY NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN (CNP 2031) for West Oxfordshire District Council
Independent SEA & HRA screening and assessment with screening decision for WODC & thus to inform preparation of the Charlbury Neighbourhood Plan. Examination likely in 2021.
PROJECT: Health Impact Assessment chapters in various Environmental Statements supporting applications for Major Development Sites in Manchester & Liverpool City locations for Avison Young UK.
Health Impact Assessments appropriate as a chapter of Environmental Statements for Major Housing/Mixed-Use Developments – incorporating the findings from other chapters with the embedded mitigation provided though scheme design to clearly demonstrate the health & well-being characteristics of the projects.
PROJECT: INDEPENDENT REVIEW of THE SEA & HRA of THE MARINE SCOTLAND SECTORAL OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY PLAN – for ABPmer for Marine Scotland
Independent review, critical friend, & preparation of formal Notes to accompany the SEA & HRA Reports prepared by ABPmer (2018-2019).
PROJECT: SEA SCREENING of THE BELPER NEIGHHBOURHOOD PLAN (NP4B) 2033
Independent SEA screening for Amber Valley Borough Council.
PROJECT: SEA of THE WINTERBOURNES NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN (WNP) 2026
SEA & preparation of the Environmental Report for the Winterbourne Parish Council. Submitted late 2019, formal consultation by Wiltshire Council 2020
https://www.winterbourneparishcouncil.com/planning/winterbourne-parish-council-neighbourhood-plan-documents.php
PROJECT: SEA of the KNOWLEDGE QUARTER GATEWAY SPD in association with Avison Young (previously GVA HOW Planning) on behalf of Liverpool City Council
Preparation of SEA scoping, assessment & Environmental Reports for the Spatial Regeneration Framework for the key Gateway area of the Knowledge Quarter for Liverpool city centre https://www.kqliverpool.co.uk/
PROJECT: EIAs OF LOW CARBON LOCAL DEVELOPMENT ORDERS (LDOs)
Swindon Borough Council
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and preparation of Environmental Statements for Solar, Electric Car and Micro-Generation LDOs for Swindon Council, taking a lead on renewables and low carbon energy planning.
PROJECT: SEA of the Cornwall AONB Management Plan Review
Cornwall AONB Partnership
SEA/SA of the Management Plan Review for this unique AONB that comprises Strategic Themes, Policies and eleven Local Area Chapters recognising different geology & landscape characteristics.
PROJECT: SEA OF NORTH CLAINES NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN
North Claines Parish Council on behalf of Wychavon District Council
Environmental Protection Agency, Ireland
Preparation of guidance on CEA for plan makers and SEA/Habitats Directive Assessment practitioners to reflect current and emerging best practice; focus is on the key cumulative effects for Ireland – climate change, biodiversity, and sustainable water management.
PROJECT: GOOD PRACTICE GUIDANCE FOR STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (SEA)
Environment Agency
Preparation of high quality guidance to explain and promote the role of the Agency in the SEA process; informing plan makers regarding the means by which, and when, to engage with the Agency as a Statutory Consultee; dissemination of good practice approaches by means of a summary document linked to a web-based resource; promoting links with other strategic planning, especially the River Basin Management Planning required by the Water Framework Directive.
PROJECT: STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (SEA) and HRA Screening of LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN 3
Swindon Borough Council
Compliance review and revision/updating of SEA Scoping Report together with HRA screening; workshop with transport and planning teams to identify reasonable alternatives to implementing the objectives of LTP3; assessment and preparation of Environmental Report for this urban area and its key siting in the M4 and Thames Corridors.
PROJECT: FEASIBILITY for TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS in MALTA
Malta Transport Authority (ADT)
Team:
Enfusion: planning, land use, social impacts & consultation, cumulative effects, Sustainability Assessment
BCEOM: engineering design, project management, economic assessment
AIS Environmental: coordination in Malta
NPA: Lead EIA coordination, ecology, landscape & visual assessment
SLR Consulting: air quality, noise, water quality, Contaminated Land
EU-funded transport feasibility study to upgrade Routes 1&10, including assessment of route options in rural and urban areas, as part of the Trans-European Network Transport TEN-T for this island community characterised by a unique cultural and natural heritage, with economic reliance on tourism and major congestion of the current road transport system.
PROJECT: STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (SEA) of RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT PLANS (RBMPs) in SOUTH EAST & SOUTH WEST
Environment Agency
Prediction and evaluation of the effects of the regional measures; identification of regionally specific impacts arising out of the nationally applied measures; identification of opportunities to enhance positive & mitigate likely significant negative effects; assessment of cumulative effects of the Programme of Measures; development of an outline SEA Monitoring Programme; preparation of Environmental Report.
After consultation, preparation of SEA Statements to accompany adopted RBMPs.
PROJECT: SIA OF LANDFILL SITES AND WASTE COMPOSTING FACILITIES in MALTA
SLR Consulting for WasteServ Malta Ltd
Design of social impact assessment framework and questionnaires for public attitude surveys; analysis and preparation of socio-economic impact assessment as part of EIAs for landfill sites and a proposed Waste Composting Facility for this island community with constraints of land use, together with a rich cultural heritage and the importance of tourism to the economy.
PROJECT: SEA OF WEST EDINBURGH DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK REVIEW
Scottish Executive
Team:
Enfusion: development of SEA framework & methods; scoping workshop, land use, socio-economic factors, health, cumulative effects
SisTech & MWH: project management, technical specialists, preparation of Environmental Report
Strategic assessment of development options; key issues and opportunities associated with airport proposals – congestion & access, rail link, economic development options for land near to airport, flood risk management in the Gogar & Almond Burn catchments, national gateway for Scotland.