Advanced SEA: Learning from Experience, Looking Forward

Date TBC

This course forms part of the Climate-KIC executive education offering.

Background

The European Directive 2001/42/EC on "the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment", commonly known as the Strategic Environmental Assessment or SEA Directive, had to be implemented in European Member States by 2004, after a long gestation. From this date, SEAs have been formally required for certain plans and programmes which establish the framework for future development consent of projects listed in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive.

The implementation of the SEA Directive has major implications for those involved in plan-making, such as local authorities, government departments and agencies and utilities, as well as those with an interest in scrutinising plans produced by others, such as NGOs. Over the last seven years a body of experience of undertaking SEAs has built up and lessons for the future identified from practice in both the UK, the rest of Europe and internationally. This, along with emerging case law on SEA, will be drawn on throughout the course.  In addition, new types of plans and programmes are also emerging at different geographical scales to those where much of the experience has so far been gained.  Examples coming within the scope of the SEA Directive over recent years include UK national policy statements and proposals for new neighbourhood plans.

The Programme

Building on the success of the 3-day programme “Strategic Environmental Assessment: Implementation in Practice” which has run at least annually since 2004, Imperial College London and Collingwood Environmental Planning  (CEP) are presenting a more advanced 2-day programme to provide an update on the latest developments in SEA practice and explore in detail approaches to the implementation of the Directive's requirements.

The aim of this course is to provide an overview on the latest developments and emerging practice in SEA, including:

• The latest legal challenges and SEA case law, reviews and critques of SEA effectiveness;
• New and innovative assessment approaches, including for example the use of an ecosystem services approach within SEA;
• Challenges for public participation in SEA and the requirements of the Aarhus Convention;
• Key challenges and areas requiring further improvement, including for example the treatment of topics such as climate change and biodiversity within SEAs, which have been identified by the European Commission as being inadequate;
• The application of SEA at the more strategic levels and national scales, such as National Policy Statements in the UK, and at local levels such as neighbourhood plans, and the particular challenges these present;
• Long-term thinking in strategic assessment;
• The latest good practice examples.

Who Should Attend?

The course is aimed at both a UK and international audience including responsible authorities who are implementing the SEA Directive, be that through commissioning consultants to carry out SEA (including Sustainability Appraisals incorporating SEA of spatial plans in England and Wales) or by carrying out the assessments themselves, and consultees in the SEA process. It will also be relevant to government officials, academics, NGOs, postgraduate research students and consultants with an interest in the SEA process.

For this advanced course, it is expected that the participants will have reasonable knowledge of the Directive’s requirements and the basic principles of SEA practice. The course is aimed at both those that have already attended our 3-day SEA: Implementation in Practice course and those with other experience in SEA from practical, regulatory or academic perspectives.  It is also likely to be particularly useful for those facing new types of plans/programmes they have not had to assess before. 

A limited number of subsidised places are available for postgraduate research students. If you belong to this category and wish to attend the course please contact us before registering.

The course will cover the range of sectors detailed in the Directive (e.g. water, transport, waste, and planning). Case study work will be focused to reflect the interest of participants.

Teaching Approach

The course will take place over two consecutive days. Ensuring coherent progression through the course, the second day will build on the preceding day to provide the participants with a good update on the latest developments in SEA. To complement this, the course will use interactive teaching methods such as role plays, visual aids and discussion groups. In addition, case studies will be used to illustrate all aspects of the course, drawing on the most recent practical experience of undertaking SEAs.

The maximum number of participants on the course will be 24 with at least two trainers each day and guest speakers as appropriate. Participants will receive a workbook to follow during the course and supporting reference material in both hard copy and electronic format. The course will run from 9.00am to 5.00pm each day and at the start of the second day there will be an opportunity to review the previous day's material.

Each day will broadly take the following format:

• Introduction/review of the previous day (day 2)
• Lectures and plenary discussion
• Group work and structured activities
• Round up including tasks for the following day

The training will be delivered by members of Collingwood Environmental Planning Ltd, including Ric Eales, William Sheate, Clare Twigger-Ross and Owen White with guest speakers where appropriate.