Page 20 - Ickford NP Basic Conditions Statement

20 VISION FOR ICKFORD : ICKFORD NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN : BASIC CONDITIONS STATEMENT

1. Introduction

1.1 This screening statement considers whether the contents of the Ickford Neighbourhood Plan
requires a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in accordance with the European Directive
2001/42/EC and associated Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations
2004.

1.2 The screening process is based upon consideration of standard criteria to determine whether the
ƉůĂŶ ŝƐ ůŝŬĞůLJ ƚŽ ŚĂǀĞ ͞ƐŝŐŶŝĨŝĐĂŶƚ ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚĂů ĞĨĨĞĐƚƐ͘͟ dŚĞ ƌĞƐƵůƚ ŽĨ s ͛Ɛ ƐĐƌĞĞŶŝŶŐ ƉƌŽĐĞƐƐ ŝƐ
detailed in this Screening Statement.

1.3 The legislative background set out below outlines the regulations that require the need for this
screening exercise. Section 4, provides a screening assessment of the likely significant
environmental effects of the policies in the Ickford Neighbourhood Plan and the need for a full
Strategic Environmental Assessment.

2. Legislative Background

2.1 The basis for Strategic Environmental Assessments and Sustainability Appraisal legislation is
European Directive 2001/42/EC and was transposed into English law by the Environmental
Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004, or SEA Regulations. Detailed Guidance
ŽĨ ƚŚĞƐĞ ƌĞŐƵůĂƚŝŽŶƐ ĐĂŶ ďĞ ĨŽƵŶĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ 'ŽǀĞƌŶŵĞŶƚ ƉƵďůŝĐĂƚŝŽŶ ͚ WƌĂĐƚŝĐĂů 'ƵŝĚĞ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ
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Strategic Environmental Assessment ŝƌĞĐƚŝǀĞ͛ .

2.2 The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 required Local Authorities to produce
Sustainability Appraisals (SA) for all local development documents to meet the requirement of the
EU Directive on SEA. It is considered best practice to incorporate requirements of the SEA
Directive into an SA.

2.3 Although a Sustainability Appraisal is not a requirement for a Neighbourhood Plan, part of
ŵĞĞƚŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ͚ ĂƐŝĐ ŽŶĚŝƚŝŽŶƐ͛ ǁŚŝĐŚ ƚŚĞ ƉůĂŶ ŝƐ ĞdžĂŵŝŶĞĚ ŽŶ͕ ŝƐ ƚŽ ƐŚŽǁ ŚŽǁ ƚŚĞ ƉůĂŶ ĂĐŚŝĞǀĞƐ
sustainable development. The Sustainability Appraisal process is an established method and a
well recognised ͚ďĞƐƚ ƉƌĂĐƚŝĐĞ͛ ŵĞƚŚŽĚ for doing this. It is therefore advised, where an SEA is
identified as a requirement, an SA should be incorporated with SEA, at a level of detail that is
appropriate to the content of the Neighbourhood Plan.

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͚ WƌĂĐƚŝĐĂů 'ƵŝĚĞ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ^ƚƌĂƚĞŐŝĐ ŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚĂů ƐƐĞƐƐŵĞŶƚ ŝƌĞĐƚŝǀĞ͛ https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/strategic-
environmental-assessment-directive-guidance (ODPM 2005)

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VISION FOR ICKFORD – NEIGHBOURHOOD DEVELOPMENT PLAN
www.visionforickford.co.uk