Friends of Epping Forest
From ESSEX PROTECTOR CPRESSEX Newsletter (Environment Report)

A STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (SEA) FOR THE EAST OF ENGLAND PLAN
Helen Clothier explains the background and summarises the conclusions:

What is a Strategic Environmental Assessment?
A SEA is a way of testing a plan to see what effect the proposals, if carried out, would have on the environment.
The objective is to give a high level of protection to the environment and to make sure environmental matters are given
full consideration. If the environment would be severely affected by the proposals or policies then these should be altered.
The word 'environment' here is used in the widest sense, including the likely impact on water and energy supplies as well as
the more obvious impacts on the countryside and increased traffic congestion.

Why do we have to have a SEA?
European Directive 2001/42/EC states that a wide range of plans, including strategic planning documents, must have a SEA.
From the CPREssex point of view this is a good thing. It helps to bring environmental matters to the fore. However, unless it
 is done properly it may not be effective. The Assessment should be applied throughout the preparation of the document, from
first draft to final document. Unfortunately in the case of the East of England Plan this has not been done as the Directive
has only just been introduced.

Where is the SEA most critical of the East of England Plan?
The basic challenge underlying the whole RSS is that the rate and intensity of economic and housing development which the
region faces is intrinsically damaging to the environment and threatening to many aspects of quality of life.' (page 69 of
the full Report). CPREssex considers that this statement questions the whole ethos of the Plan and in particular the Growth
Areas in the London-Peterborough corridor and Thames Gateway.
It is not only the location of the new development, but also the rate at which it is to be built that will damage the countryside
and other aspects of our environment. We question whether account has been taken of the environmental capacity of these areas
- are they capable of absorbing this amount and rate of change without serious damage? It appears that the SEA thinks not.

The SEA says that the scale of development is likely to have serious negative impacts on water supply, biodiversity,
tranquillity, air quality, recreational access and congestion. It will also be hard to avoid increased flood risk, erosion of
the quality and distinctiveness of settlements and the built environment and landscapes. This list looks like a list of those
things that CPREssex thinks are important for our quality of life. Lets consider just three of them...

Water supply and Flood Risk
Essex already imports a high proportion of its water supply in the summer. Where will the additional supply come from for the
population growth? Will it involve new storage reservoirs and what effect will importing water have on the environment of
the area from which it is extracted? While we may face difficulties with water supply we also face increased flood risk
caused not only by climate change but also by more urbanisation (and thus more water running off concrete surfaces), a
sinking coastline and an increased reluctance by those responsible to maintain our coastal defenses.

Tranquillity
As well as economic, housing and other associated developments the Plan includes the expansion of Stansted Airport and ports
at Shellhaven (now called London Gateway) and Bath-side Bay (Harwich). Will there be anywhere in Essex that is tranquil when
even more people fly from Stansted Airport and the development of the airport and ports increases traffic across our County?