Integrated Impact Assessment Scoping Report
Southend new Local Plan: Integrated Impact Assessment (Sustainability Appraisal) Scoping Report 2017 - Consultation
Southend-on-Sea City Council is commencing work on the production of the Southend new Local Plan, and is consulting with consultation bodies as defined by Regulation 4 of the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004 (namely, the Environment Agency, Natural England and Historic England) on its Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA) Scoping Report.
The Scoping Report consultation is undertaken in the pre-production stages of a Local Plan, and is designed to draw together information about Southend to establish a sustainability baseline and determine the key challenges for the area.
The IIA Scoping Report seeks to fulfil the requirement and duties for Sustainability Appraisal (SA), Equalities Impact Assessment (EqIA) and Health Impact Assessment (HIA), the approach being to fully integrate these components and issues to provide a single assessment process to inform the development of the new Local Plan. The information compiled in this report will form the foundations of the IIA (including Sustainability Appraisal) which will be used to test how the emerging new Local Plan aligns with sustainability objectives.
Sustainability Appraisal is undertaken to address the procedures prescribed by the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004 (the SEA Regulations) which transpose into national law the EU Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive. It also widens the scope of the assessment from focussing on environmental issues to further consider social and economic issues. Sustainability Appraisal is a legal requirement for Local Plan.
The Scoping Report will be available for consultation until Friday 8 December 2017. The responses received will be considered in detail as work on the Southend new Local Plan progresses.
In accordance with the Regulations, relevant consultation bodies have been consulted, however should you wish to make comment on the IIA Scoping Report, please send your response to ldf@southend.gov.uk or by post to the Business Intelligence Officer, Performance and Business Support, Department for Place, Southend-on-Sea City Council, PO Box 6, Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 6ER by 5pm Friday 8 December 2017.