The Core Strategy is one of a number of types of plans and programmes that may require a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), under European Directive 2001/42/EC (the SEA Directive). The purpose of the SEA is to find out whether the plan is likely to have significant detrimental effects and where this is the case, to decide what action should be taken.
The requirement for SEA applies to most land use plans, but there are exceptions. When work begins on preparing a plan, the authority preparing it must go through a “screening” process to find out whether or not a SEA is required. This involves consulting with English Heritage, the Environment Agency and Natural England, and considering the type of plan it is, the things it will cover and the sort of effects it could have.
The authority preparing the plan must then make a formal decision or “determination” stating whether or not a SEA is required. Once this decision has been made, the three statutory bodies must be notified and the authority must publicise its SEA Determination. If a SEA is required for a land use plan, normally this is done as part of the
Sustainability Appraisal, which also considers the environmental effects of plans along with their social and economic effects.
In the case of the Black Country Core Strategy, because four authorities are preparing it together, they have jointly consulted the three statutory bodies and they have also prepared a joint SEA Screening Statement. This indicates that they think a SEA is required for the Core Strategy, and explains the reasons why. However, to comply with the requirements of the legislation, each authority must confirm that this is their decision by making a formal SEA Determination.
To publicise its decision, each authority has posted a copy of its SEA Determination on this webpage. Copies of the SEA Determinations are available to download below, together with a copy of the SEA Screening Statement prepared jointly by the authorities. The authorities will also place paper copies of their SEA Determination and the SEA Screening Statement in the following venues for public inspection:
- Reception Area, 3 St. James’s Road, Dudley
- Reception Area, Development House, Lombard Street, West Bromwich
- First Stop Shop, Civic Centre, Darwall Street, Walsall
- 2nd Floor Reception Area, Civic Centre, St. Peter’s Square, Wolverhampton
