HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT SCOTLAND

Transcription

1 HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT SCOTLAND DRAFT CORPORATE PLAN Strategic Environmental Assessment ER - Non-Technical Summary 31 August 2018

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3 CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 2. WHAT IS STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT? 3. CONTEXT 4. ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY 5. EFFECTS OF OUR PRIORITY ACTIONS 6. CONSIDERATION OF ALTERNATIVES 7. ASSESSMENT FINDINGS 8. SUMMARY OF THE EFFECTS OF OUR STRATEGIC OUTCOMES 9. CUMULATIVE EFFECTS 10. MITIGATION AND ENHANCEMENT 11. MONITORING 12. NEXT STEPS 13. CONSULTATION

4 1. Introduction Our first Corporate Plan ( ) looked at our priorities for the whole of Scotland. As the first Corporate Plan for a new body it focused on setting up the framework for the new body going forward, introducing the 5 Strategic Themes that will inform all of our work. These 5 themes continue to be the core expression of what Historic Environment Scotland does and informs everything we do. This is our second Corporate Plan and as well as continuing the 5 strategic themes of Lead, Understand, Protect, Value and Perform we are setting our vision for the plan period and the 5 outcomes we want to achieve. All of these play their part on delivering on Our Place in Time: The Historic Environment Strategy for Scotland which is the high level framework that sets out the 10 year vision for Scotland s historic environment. Plans that have the potential to have significant effects on the environment are to be subject to environmental assessment prior to their adoption. This is called strategic environmental assessment. We consider that our Corporate Plan has the potential to result in significant environmental effects and so have carried out an assessment to understand what these effects are. This document summarises the findings of our assessment and acts as the Non-Technical Summary of the full environmental report.

5 2. What is Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)? SEA is about considering the environmental implications of the plans we are making and decisions we take. It is an assessment process that helps to: integrate environmental factors into plan preparation and decision-making improve plans and enhance environmental protection increase public participation in decision making facilitate openness and transparency The key stages of SEA involve: Stage Activity Screening Determining whether the plan is likely to have significant environmental effects and whether an SEA is required. Scoping Deciding on the scope and level of detail for the assessment and the consultation period. This is done in liaison with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). Assessment, mitigation & enhancement Environmental Report Testing the contents of the plan as it is developed, identifying mitigation measures and looking at ways to enhance positive effects. Publishing an Environmental Report on the findings of the assessment and consulting on that report and the plan. Adoption & monitoring Providing information on the adopted plan, how consultation comments have been taken into account and methods for monitoring the significant environmental effects arising from its implementation. The assessment process is structured around SEA topic areas. These topic areas are the range of environmental issues which should be explored through the assessment. They include biodiversity, flora and fauna, population and human health, water, soil, air, climate, material assets, cultural heritage and landscape.

6 The Environmental Report: Describes the environmental and policy context of our Corporate Plan Describes the relevant aspects of the environmental baseline Explains how the environmental assessment was carried out and which parts of the plan were assessed Sets out the findings of the environmental assessment Discusses options for improving the positive effects and mitigating the negative effects of the plan where appropriate SEPA and SNH were consulted on the approach taken to the environmental assessment. Section 2.2 and Annex 2 of the full report demonstrate how their comments have been taken into account. 3. Context One of the early stages of the SEA process is to consider the relationship of the plan to other relevant policies, plans, strategies and environmental objectives. This allows key environmental issues to be identified for consideration during the plan preparation process. It is also important to identify both the plans and strategies that will influence the plan and those that will be influenced by the plan. Annex 1 of the full report sets out our review of the legislation, policies, plans and strategies that are considered to be of most direct relevance to the plan. We also considered, in consultation with SNH and SEPA, the scope of our assessment. We decided to focus upon four topics cultural heritage, climatic factors, population (including human health) and Landscape, taking on board the comments we received from SNH and SEPA. In order to help consider the effects of the draft plan we gathered information about relevant aspects of the environmental baseline. Because the plan will identify priorities for both our own estate and Scotland as a whole a national baseline was reviewed. Section 3 of the Environmental Report summarises the environmental baseline.

7 4. Assessment Methodology A framework has been used to help predict the environmental effects of the plan. This is shown below and allows questions to be asked whilst stepping through the requirements of SEA. This approach helps to make the assessment systematic and consistent. The environmental objectives come from our review of plans, programmes and strategies that we talked of above and the performance of our actions against these objectives is tested by a series of questions that help to focus the assessment. SEA Topic Historic Environment Population and Human Health Climatic Factors Environmental Objective Safeguard and where appropriate enhance the historic environment Promote access to the historic environment for recreation, understanding or enjoyment Reduce the causes of climate change and help to deliver adaptation to the effects of climate change How will our Corporate Plan affect? the safeguarding of designated and undesignated features of the historic environment elements of the historic environment which have been identified as at risk access to the historic environment understanding of the value of the historic environment celebration of the historic environment CO 2 and greenhouse gas emissions effective adaptation to the effects of climate change the use of resources and waste reduction Landscape Protect and enhance landscape character, local distinctiveness and scenic value the protection of landscape character, local distinctiveness and scenic value

8 5. Effects of our priority actions The priority actions included in the draft plan are organised under five strategic outcomes 1. The historic environment makes a real difference to more people s lives 2. The historic environment is looked after, protected and managed for the generations to come 3. The historic environment makes a broader contribution to the economy of Scotland and its people 4. The historic environment encourages approaches that are more inclusive and diverse and inspire creativity 5. The historic environment is cared for and championed by a high-performing organisation Not all of the priority actions identified will lead to significant environment effects on the ground. This is because some relate to the way in which we do business and the values that our staff uphold. Other effects may arise, not as specific tangible impacts, but as a result of the influence our plan is likely to have across the heritage sector. For completeness, all of the priority actions have been assessed and where there is no strong link or limited interaction this has been noted. 6. Consideration of alternatives The preparation of the plan is required by Historic Environment Scotland Act We therefore did not consider alternatives to having a plan instead we considered alternatives such as carrying forward commitments from our existing Corporate Plan or different approaches to the structure and level of detail to be set out in the plan.

9 7. Assessment findings We assessed all of our strategic priorities for environmental effects. The detailed findings of how these affect the environment are contained within Annex 3 of the full report and can be summarised as follows: The historic environment makes a real difference to more people s lives The historic environment is looked The historic environment makes a after, protected and managed for the broader contribution to the economy generations to come of Scotland and its people The historic environment encourages approaches that are more inclusive and diverse and inspire creativity The historic environment is cared for and championed by a high-performing organisation The social context running through the priority actions that support this outcome performs well across a number of environmental considerations. This is particularly evident in the assessment findings against the promotion of access to the historic environment for recreation, understanding and enjoyment. The commitments to an inclusive approach to our work and the broadening of the understanding of the impact of the historic environment on people s lives has the potential to foster the connection between people and their historic environment. This in turn should help in the protection and valuing of the historic environment for all. This focus should also aid in delivering wider benefits through supporting objectives in other areas such as community planning and local outcomes. As would be expected of an outcome that is focused on the protection of the historic environment it scores well in relation to the environment objectives around assets and place. This is particularly true in relation to the protection of the historic environment under our care. Much of the detail on how these priority actions will be delivered will be laid out in the Annual Operating plans so it is expected that the findings will influence the preparation of these plans. This may impact on the level of significance that can be attributed to the priority actions at this level with greater significance of positive effects becoming apparent at that level. The assessment is also positive in terms of adapting and mitigating the effects of climate change. However, it is worth noting that the focus of the actions is particularly towards managing and mitigating and could be more explicit in such areas as embodied energy of existing building stock, renewable energy technologies and sustainability in its widest sense. The assessment scores the priority actions positively across the environmental objectives. This is largely down to the focus on investment in the historic environment, encouraging innovative technology in its protection and promotion and creating demand for skills in this area. While the plan talks of sustainable tourism in an economic and equality sense it will be important that this is balanced by mindfulness of the impact of growth in such sectors on historic environment resource. Significant positive effects are predicted particularly in the areas of science and technology and the potential of this area to provide the evidence and tools to address issues across a number of areas including climate change adaptation and mitigation and the appropriate methods of protection, maintenance and conservation of the historic environment. Where environmental effects have been identified the priority actions that support this outcome have scored positively. In particular, in the area of education and learning there are opportunities for positive effects through the promotion of tangible and intangible heritage as a resource for engagement and community participation and a wider sense of cultural wellbeing. Positive effects are also predicted from the opportunity to put emphasis on the sustainability agenda and its connection with the management of the historic environment resource. This strategic outcome has been assessed as having few environmental effects as its focus is on organisational and procedural matters. However, potential positive effects have been identified in relation to the sustainable use of resources. How we act in terms of responsible resource use and work in areas of waste reduction is likely to have a positive effect towards reducing our carbon footprint.

10 8. Summary of the Effects of our strategic outcomes Overall our assessment shows that the strategic outcomes and the priority actions that underpin them will generally have positive effects across those environmental topics that have been scoped into our assessment, many of which are likely to be significant. We have not identified any potentially negative effects at this level but we need to be mindful of balancing competing interests on the historic environment to ensure a sustainable future for the resource. The outputs of our assessment will inform the detailed delivery actions at the operating plan level stage. 9. Cumulative effects In considering the cumulative effects of the priority actions these are considered to be significantly positive for the historic environment. The high level aspirations set out for the plan period are focused on outcomes that aim to widen the understanding of the historic environment resource and the multiple benefits that it can bring across a number of areas. In this regard the cumulative effects of the benefits identified are predicted to have positive effects beyond the historic environment itself but rather the contribution it can make under environmental consideration such as Population, Human Health and Climatic Factors. We do not expect other environmental topics to be affected because our plan does not affect or interact with these in any significant way. 10. Mitigation and Enhancement No negative environmental effects have been identified through our assessment. However, there are areas where consideration should be given to approaches that would enhance positive effects and where care should be taken in delivery in order to ensure that a balance is found with competing asks of the historic environment. The openness of the priority actions are such that it is challenging to offer specific mitigation at this level. Instead, the focus should be on influencing the delivery mechanisms that will underpin the priority actions. Our assessment scores well in terms of climatic factors with content on adaptation and mitigation performing well. However, more could be said in relation to reducing our contribution to the causes of climate change through such measures as waste reduction, support for renewable technologies and clearer definition of sustainability.

11 It is recommended that the production of the Annual Operating Plans takes cognisance of the findings identified with this assessment and seeks to address areas where environmental effects can be enhanced through the detailed actions in those plans. 11. Monitoring While no specific negative effects have been predicted through the assessment it will still be important to understand how the plan is affecting the environment once it is being implemented. This will help to identify any effects arising which were not predicted through the assessment and allow appropriate mitigation to be sought. Monitoring of the plan will likely rely on the Key Performance Indicators (under development) and a series of indicators developed to measure both this plan and the Annual Operating Plan performance. We will ensure that environmental indicators and the issues identified in this assessment are factored into this process.

12 12. Next steps The public consultation period on our draft Corporate Plan and accompanying Environmental Report (ER) ends on 2 November A final version of our plan will be prepared following the consultation period to take into account comments made. All changes will be screened to consider if they raise significant environmental issues that have not already been considered in the environmental assessment. If the potential for significant environmental effects is identified, an assessment will be undertaken of their impact, and reported in the SEA Post Adoption Statement. This will be published along with the finalised plan. The SEA Post Adoption Statement, which will be published along with the final version of our plan, will show how the ER (and all the comments expressed on it) has been taken into account in the adopted Corporate Plan Consultation The Environmental Report accompanies the draft plan for a 9 week public consultation between 31 August and 2 November Any comments that you would like to make on either document are welcomed. A number of questions are listed in the Response Form which you are encouraged to use to help structure your response to the draft plan and this Environmental Report. With regards to the Environmental Report the main question to consider is: Do you agree with the results of our environmental assessment and have the key issues associated with the environmental implications of the draft plan been identified? Contact point for queries: Andrew Stevenson Senior Casework Officer Andrew.stevenson2@hes.scot Historic Environment Scotland

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