APPENDIX 2

LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN - STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT SCOPING REPORT CONSULTATION

The principal role of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Local transport Plan (LTP) is to ensure that the environmental impacts of the transport policies and consequent capital investment programmes are given proper consideration during the Plan development and implementation.

The first stage of this process was the production of a Scoping Report that sets the context for the Environment Report, identifies objectives, problems and opportunities and establishes a baseline of environmental data. The Scoping Report also develops alternatives to the main objectives and defines the overall scope of the SEA.

Hampshire County Council's Scoping Report for the SEA of the LTP, was issued in March 2005 for consultation. The consultation was sent to 30 external organisations, the Directors of all County Council Departments and a range of other internal individuals with a particular interest in environmental matters.

The consultation period ran until 9 May, although a number of responses that arrived shortly after this date have also been considered. In total 19 responses were received, with eight from external organisations including two of the four statutory consultees, English Nature and the Environment Agency. A detailed analysis of the responses has been undertaken which will help to shape both the LTP itself and the accompanying Environmental Report.

Overall the vast majority of the respondents supported the direction of the SEA outlined in the Scoping Report and considered it was both comprehensive and thorough and met the requirements of the SEA Guidance. Responses tended to focus on individual topic areas, although those consultees who commented on the options and objectives supported the approach being suggested. A commentary on all the responses will be included in the Environment Report, however the principal points raised were:

(i) The LTP should only assess factors which are likely to have a significant environmental effect, especially when setting objectives, targets and indicators.

(ii) Objectives should be SMART.

(iii) The level of data to be monitored needs to be manageable.

(iv) There is an over reliance placed on higher level plans and insufficient reference to the environmental objectives of LDFs and district level community strategies

(v) There is a lack of indicators for some of the objectives identified

(vi) Further explanation of the compatibility testing of the SEA Objectives is required

(vii) General support for the alternative LTP strategies identified, but with a need for more detailed evaluation of the different options.

(viii) A wider range of outcome targets need to be included, particularly for climate change and air quality.

(ix) Maps and keys need to be clearer.

(x) There is concern that the baseline information in the report lacks detail.

(xi) Biodiversity should be given greater emphasis.

(xii) Greater reference to the wider built environment, settlement character is needed.

(xiii) Consideration for identifying noise as a separate topic, rather than as part of material assets.

(xiv) There should be a greater focus on locally relevant targets.

(xv) LTP objectives should be tested against SEA objectives rather than the other way round.

(xvi) Incorporation of a behavioural change model into the Plan.

The next major stage of the SEA process will be the production of a draft Environmental Report, which will be published for further consultation, in parallel with the consultation on the Provisional LTP which will take place in September/October 2005. Feedback on the Provisional LTP and the Environment Report will then be fed into the final LTP in March 2006.

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