Approach to the Assessment

6.1 Assessment Overview

6.1.1

The assessment process will ensure that the SEA influences each stage of the A96 Corridor Review and the selection of preferred transport options. It will facilitate the identification and assessment of reasonable alternatives at an early stage. It will identify any significant environmental effects early enough to effectively avoid or mitigate them.

6.1.2

The assessment of the preferred transport options will take place once any comments from the SEA Scoping Report consultation or from the ESG have been received and any proposed changes to the methodology have been made where necessary.

6.1.3

The SEA process will primarily follow Scottish Government (2013) SEA Guidance and guidance for specific environmental topics, where relevant (refer to Section 6.4). The SEA will broadly align with the SEA being produced for STPR2. The objectives of the NTS2 and STPR2 will be closely considered, as discussed in Chapter 3: Legislative and Policy Context.

6.2 Constraints and Opportunities Mapping

6.2.1

Project Mapper, a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tool developed by Jacobs, is an interactive mapping tool which shows significant environmental constraints, such as designated sites and cultural heritage assets. The data which feed into the map are gathered from publicly available sources (as outlined in Chapter 4) and through consultation with the Consultation Authorities and other members of the ESG. Project Mapper will be used to determine where environmental constraints are present in relation to the transport options and where there may be opportunities for enhancement. The constraints and opportunities identified fall within a 15km wide corridor (7.5km either side of the existing A96) that was used for the previous SEA, as described in Sections 1.4 and 4.1. 

6.3 SEA Objectives

6.3.1

The SEA will utilise a set of SEA objectives that cover each of the environmental topics scoped into the assessment, as outlined below. The SEA objectives were developed on a national basis for the STPR2 SEA. These objectives have been further developed for the A96 Corridor Review SEA, following a comprehensive review of the baseline issues and policy requirements.

The SEA Topics and Objectives include the following:

  • Climatic Factors
    • Reduce emissions from Scotland’s transport sector by reducing the need to travel and encouraging modal shift and help meet Scotland’s wider targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
    • Adapt the transport network to the predicted effects of climate change.
  • Air Quality
    • Reduce all forms of transport-related air pollution and improve air quality.
  • Population and Human Health
    • Improve quality of life and human health and increase sustainable access to essential services, employment and the natural environment;
    • Reduce noise and vibration associated with the transport network;
    • Promote, invest in, build and maintain infrastructure to support the development of high-quality places;
    • Improve safety on the transport network.
  • Material Assets
    • Promote and improve the sustainable use of the transport network;
    • Reduce use of natural resources.
  • Water Environment
    • Protect, maintain and improve the quality of water bodies, wetlands and the marine environment from any direct or indirect impacts from the project, and protect against the risk of flooding.
  • Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna
    • Protect, maintain and enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services, avoiding damage to or loss of designated and undesignated wildlife or geological sites.
  • Soils
    • Safeguard and improve soil quality and geological resources in Scotland, particularly high value agricultural land, protected geological sites and carbon-rich soil.
  • Cultural Heritage
    • Protect and enhance (where appropriate) historic and archaeological sites and other culturally and historically important features and their settings.
  • Landscape and Visual Amenity
    • Safeguard and enhance the character and diversity of the Scottish landscape and areas of valuable landscape.

6.3.2

SEA Guidance and specific environmental topic guidance identified in Section 6.4 will be used in conjunction with the SEA objectives to assess the transport options. The assessment will be summarised for each SEA topic with a colour-coded scoring of each transport option, as shown in Figure 6.1. This will be accompanied by a narrative that provides the rationale to the scoring. The scoring criteria will be refined as the SEA and A96 Corridor Review process progresses.

Score

Significant positive effect

The proposed option will have a significant cumulative or isolated positive, or continually improving, environmental effect.

Symbol: ++

Minor positive effect

The proposed option will have a minor cumulative or isolated positive effect.

Symbol: +

Insignificant or no effects

The proposed option is related to but does not have any effect on the achievement of the SEA objective.

Symbol: 0

Uncertain effect

The proposed option has an uncertain relationship to the SEA topic, or the relationship is dependent on the way in which the aspect is managed. In addition, insufficient information may be available to enable an assessment to be made at this stage.

Symbol: ?

Minor negative effect

The proposed option will have a minor to moderate cumulative or isolated negative effect.

Symbol: -

Significant negative effect

The proposed option will have a significant cumulative or isolated negative effect. Avoidance or mitigation is therefore required.

Symbol: --

Figure 6.1: Scoring Criteria

6.3.3

Following the assessment, any potentially negative effects identified will be discussed with the project team to consider a reasonable alternative, and effective mitigation or enhancement recommendations. Recommendations will respond not only to direct impacts but also indirect, secondary and additive effects, collectively considered as cumulative effects (Scottish Government, 2013).

6.3.4

Cumulative effects will be considered at both intra-plan (the impact of a combination of options) and the inter-plan (the impact of the plan alongside other plans and policies). The inter-plan assessment will be undertaken towards the end of the assessment, when the preferred transport options are available to consider alongside relevant national level policy/strategy, including the National Planning Framework (NPF4) and the Scottish Government’s updated Climate Change Plan.

6.3.5

For the Environmental Report, SEA topic inter-relationships, as described in Section 4.11, will be explored in more detail in relation to the project’s SEA baseline data.

6.4 Topic-Specific Methodology

6.4.1

Detailed baseline information has been collated for each of the SEA topics and is presented in Appendix D of this SEA. The baseline data helps to identify key potential impacts as early in the strategic process as possible.

6.4.2

Details of the assessment approach and methods to be adopted for some of the SEA topics in the SEA are outlined in Figure 6.2. Where topics are not listed in Figure 6.2, the standard SEA guidance (Scottish Government, 2013), which covers all SEA topics, has been used.

Climatic Factors

Applicable guidance
  • DMRB LA 114 (National Highways, 2021)
  • Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 2080: Carbon Management in Infrastructure (BSI, 2016)
Assessment approach/ methodology proposed for SEA

Desk-based qualitative assessment to determine the potential impacts on climate mitigation and climate adaptation. A qualitative narrative will be used to answer the following assessment questions:

Will the option/proposal help to:

  • Contribute to achievement of Scotland’s CO2 emissions reduction target of net zero by 2045?
  • Promote and facilitate reduction of car kilometres travelled and modal shift to more sustainable transport options?
  • Promote the use of alternative fuel and/or electric vehicles?

A qualitative assessment of emissions arising during construction and operation from the option will be undertaken. Where traffic modelling allows, and road user GHG emissions data is available, a description of the road user emissions impact as a result of each option will be provided.

A qualitative narrative will be used to answer following assessment questions in relation to climate adaptation:

Will the option/proposal help to:

  • Help adapt the transport network to direct and indirect risks associated with climate change projections for Scotland?
  • Ensure the potential risks associated with climate change are considered through new transport network programmes?
  • Improve and extend green infrastructure networks as part of transport infrastructure provision to support adaptation to the potential effects of climate change?

The climate assessment will identify climate constraints to be considered in the transport option analysis.

Air quality

Applicable guidance
  • DMRB LA 105 (Highways England, 2019)
  • Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) Technical Guidance (TG16) (Defra, 2021)
  • STAG Technical Database - Section 7: Environment - Global and Local Air Quality, (Transport Scotland, 2015)
Assessment approach / methodology proposed for SEA

An air quality assessment will be undertaken using Defra’s Emission Factor Toolkit (EFT) version 11 (or the most up-to-date version at the time of the assessment) to estimate road traffic emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOX), particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. These emissions will be used to broadly assess areas where concentrations are more likely to increase or decrease, no dispersion modelling will be undertaken.

The air quality assessment of rail emissions is assumed to be scoped-out, based on Defra guidance of rail lines with heavy traffic of diesel passenger trains.

Water environment

Applicable guidance
  • Guidance on consideration of water in Strategic Environmental Assessment (LUPS-SEA-GU3) (SEPA 2019a)
  • Strategic Flood Risk Assessment: SEPA technical guidance to support development planning (SEPA 2015)
  • DMRB LA113 (Highways England et al. 2020d)
Assessment approach / methodology proposed for SEA

Desk-based assessment to:

  • Identify and map fluvial, surface water and coastal flood risk areas.
  • Identify and provide a high-level assessment of the potential flood risk constraints likely to affect / be affected by the proposed options.
  • Identify WFD classified water bodies which may be affected by the proposed options, providing an indication and pressures which may affect current status.
  • Approximate the number of minor watercourses which may be affected by the proposed transport options.
  • Details on the status of any designated waters, such as bathing waters, drinking water protected areas, groundwater, nutrient sensitive areas, and water dependent areas.

This will identify any such constraints to be considered in the transport option analysis and provide an understanding of the key issues and potential impacts associated with the options.

The outputs from the flood risk elements will detail design and assessment criteria to assist in future stages of the process (DMRB Stages 2 and 3).

Biodiversity, flora and fauna

Applicable guidance
  • Guidelines for Ecological Impact Assessment in the UK and Ireland: Terrestrial, Freshwater, Coastal and Marine (CIEEM, 2018)
  • DMRB LD118 (Highways England et al., 2020a)
  • DMRB LA104 (Highways England et al., 2020b)
  • DMRB LA 108 (Highways England et al., 2020c)
  • Communication from the Commission on the
  • Precautionary Principle (European Commission, 2000)
  • Assessment of plans and projects significantly affecting Natura 2000 sites: Methodological guidance on the provisions of Article 6(3) and (4) of the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC (European Commission, 2001)
  • Guidance document on Article 6(4) of the 'Habitats Directive' 92/43/EEC. Clarification of the Concepts of: Alternative Solutions, Imperative Reasons of Overriding Public Interest, Compensatory Measures, Overall Coherence, Opinion of the Commission (European Commission, 2007)
  • Managing Natura 2000 sites: The provisions of Article 6 of the 'Habitats' Directive 92/43/EEC (European Commission, 2019)
Assessment approach / methodology proposed for SEA

A high-level desk-based assessment will be conducted to identify potential effects of transport options on habitats and protected species.

A separate strategic HRA will be conducted to identify any likely significant effects on European designated sites and Ramsar wetlands.

Both assessments will identify biodiversity constraints and opportunities to be considered in the transport option analysis.

Cultural Heritage

Applicable guidance
  • Historic Environment Policy for Scotland (HES, 2019)
  • HES Managing Change in the Historic Environment guidance notes
Assessment approach / methodology proposed for SEA

The SEA will consider the content of the Historic Environment Policy report and its six principal policies in the cultural heritage baseline and assessment of transport options.

The HES ‘Managing Change…’ series of guidance notes will be used to assess impacts on specific heritage assets where applicable.

The approach proposed for cultural heritage in the SEA comprises the following key tasks:

  • Constraints-led analysis of a 15km buffer area, using an interactive mapping tool in conjunction with a list of heritage designations already provided by HES.
  • Use of a SEA objective for cultural heritage (refer to Section 6.3), supported by underlying ‘guide’ questions to assess the transport options.
  • Identify any dense grouping of non-designated sites and areas to form ‘key hotspots’ for cultural heritage assessment to be undertaken on a qualitative basis where it clearly informs transport option comparisons.
  • Commentary on the potential for significant effects on cultural heritage (both direct and indirect) from development of any transport options.
  • Existing Landscape Character Assessments, as described in the Landscape and Visual Amenity baseline, will be used to inform any potential impacts on historic landscape.
  • Consideration of any avoidance, mitigation and enhancement opportunities for cultural heritage assets.

Landscape and Visual Amenity

Applicable guidance
  • Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment 3rd Edition (GLVIA3) (Landscape Institute and IEMA, 2013)
  • Fitting Landscapes (Transport Scotland, 2014)
  • DMRB LA107 Landscape and Visual Effects (Highways England et al, 2020)
Assessment approach / methodology proposed for SEA

Desk-based assessment focusing on nationally and regionally important landscape and views, taking account of receptors’ susceptibility to change of the type proposed, value and magnitude of impact. The national Landscape Character Assessment of Scotland and a review of landscape designations will be used to help establish the potential for significant landscape and visual effects.

Figure 6.2: Assessment approach / methodology for selected SEA topics

6.5 SEA Environmental Report

6.5.1

Following the SEA assessments, relevant findings and recommendations will be recorded in summary form, for inclusion in the SEA Environmental Report, with assessment matrices provided in appendices to aid transparency.

6.5.2

In line with the requirements set out in the Environmental Assessment Act 2005, the Environmental Report will contain:

  1. An outline of the contents and main objectives of the A96 Corridor Review, and its relationship (if any) with other plans and programmes.
  2. The relevant aspects of the current state of the environment and the likely evolution thereof without implementation of the A96 Corridor Review.
  3. The environmental characteristics of areas likely to be significantly affected.
  4. Any existing environmental problems which are relevant to the A96 Corridor Review, including, in particular, those relating to any areas of a particular environmental importance, such as areas designated pursuant to Council Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds and Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild flora and fauna (as last amended by Council Directive 97/62/EC).
  5. The environmental protection objectives, established at International, Community or Member State level, which are relevant to the A96 Corridor Review and the way those objectives and any environmental considerations have been taken into account during its preparation.
  6. The likely significant effects on the environment, including:

(a) on issues such as - biodiversity; population; human health; fauna; flora; soil; water; air; climatic factors; material assets; cultural heritage, including architectural and archaeological heritage; landscape; and the inter-relationship between these issues;

(b) short, medium and long-term effects;

(c) permanent and temporary effects;

(d) positive and negative effects;

(e) secondary, cumulative and synergistic effects.

  1. The measures envisaged to prevent, reduce and as fully as possible offset any significant adverse effects on the environment of implementing the A96 Corridor Review (mitigation measures).
  2. An outline of the reasons for selecting the alternatives dealt with, and a description of how the assessment was undertaken including any difficulties (such as technical deficiencies or lack of expertise) encountered in compiling the required information.
  3. A description of monitoring measures envisaged, focusing on any significant environmental effects identified. A draft monitoring framework, including indicators, will be provided in the Environmental Report, but will be finalised in the Post Adoption Statement, as described in Section 1.5.
  4. A non-technical summary of the key findings of the SEA.

6.6 Approach to Mitigation and Monitoring

6.6.1

The environmental assessment will aim to prevent, reduce or offset any significant adverse effects as far as possible, before mitigation measures are proposed. Undertaking the SEA process alongside the A96 Corridor Review development process will help ensure that modifications can be made at the strategic level, via alternatives and identifying issues which can be addressed through other relevant PPS policies/strategies. Where location-specific mitigation requirements are identified, these will be described with appropriate recommendations for implementation at a project level.

6.6.2

In addition to mitigation measures, recommendations for enhancement opportunities will be provided wherever possible.

6.6.3

The mitigation measures and enhancement opportunities will consider:

  • the environmental baseline data provided in Appendix D;
  • the environmental requirements emerging from the PPS review, provided in Figure 3.1;
  • the SEA Objectives provided in Section 6.3;
  • feedback received from Transport Scotland’s online public consultation described in Section 5.3;
  • key issues and opportunities identified during the continuing development of the A96 Corridor Review, SEA and HRA;
  • ongoing feedback from the SEA Consultation Authorities.

6.6.4

A draft, high-level monitoring framework will be developed as part of the Environmental Report and will be finalised within the Post Adoption Statement. The monitoring framework will also be discussed and agreed with the SEA Consultation Authorities.