Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is a legal process that helps councils understand the likely environmental effects of plans and programmes before they are adopted. For Local Plans, SEA helps assess how different planning options could affect the environment and supports more informed decision-making.

The SEA considers a wide range of issues, including:

• Biodiversity and nature
• Climate change
• Flood risk and water resources
• Air quality and pollution
• Historic buildings and heritage
• Landscape and townscape
• Health and wellbeing
• Transport and infrastructure

It also considers how these issues interact with each other and whether different approaches could lead to better environmental outcomes.

The Council is preparing a new Local Plan for Nottingham. The Local Plan will guide future development across the city and help determine planning applications.

Because Local Plans can influence where development takes place and how land is used, they are normally required to undergo Strategic Environmental Assessment. The SEA helps ensure environmental issues are considered from the earliest stages of plan preparation.

The SEA is not a separate exercise carried out at the end of the process. It informs the development of the Local Plan as it is prepared.

The SEA brings together evidence about Nottingham's environment and the challenges and opportunities facing the city. This includes:

• Nature conservation and biodiversity
• Housing and communities
• Health and wellbeing
• Climate change and energy
• Water resources and flood risk
• Air quality and pollution
• Historic environment and heritage
• Landscape, townscape and design
• Infrastructure and transport

The SEA helps identify where planning choices could have positive or negative environmental effects and where improvements or mitigation may be needed.

The SEA will be used throughout the preparation of the Local Plan.

• It will help the Council to:
• Develop and assess planning options
• Compare reasonable alternatives
• Identify potential environmental benefits and risks
• Consider ways to avoid or reduce negative impacts
• Improve policies and site allocations
• Monitor environmental effects over time

Where potential adverse effects are identified, the Council will consider whether changes can be made to the Local Plan before a preferred approach is selected.

The SEA follows a structured process:

Scoping

Gathering environmental information, identifying key issues and agreeing what the assessment should focus on. This is the current stage.

Assessment of Options and Alternatives

Testing different approaches and reasonable alternatives to understand their likely environmental effects.

Environmental Report

Preparing a detailed assessment of the likely significant effects of the draft Local Plan and the alternatives considered.

Consultation

Publishing the Environmental Report alongside the Local Plan so that organisations and the public can comment.

Adoption and Monitoring

Publishing a statement explaining how environmental considerations influenced the Local Plan and monitoring its effects over time.

The Council is currently consulting on the scope of the SEA. 

We welcome comments on:

• The environmental issues identified
• The evidence used
• The proposed SEA objectives
• The approach to assessing the Local Plan

Comments can be made using our online form Nottingham City Local Plan Review Scoping Consultation Form. Your comments will help shape the next stage of the assessment and the preparation of the Local Plan.