One of the “basic conditions” that will be tested by the independent examiner is whether the making of the Neighbourhood Plan is compatible with relevant legal European and UK obligations including Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Habitat Regulation Assessment (HRA).
Not all neighbourhood plans will require a SEA to be carried out. To decide if a SEA is required, a screening exercise is used to look at the proposals in a neighbourhood plan and see if significant effects are likely.
A Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) is also a requirement needed to be considered. The HRA process looks at the potential impact of a plan on what are termed ‘European sites‘. Within South Tyneside there are two European Sites; Durham Coast Special Area of Conservation and the Northumbria Coast Special Protection Area and Ramsar site. The HRA process involves consideration of potential effects of the plan on the identified European Sites
Our draft policies have been examined and both screenings concluded that the plan would no assessments were required. The full report is available to read here.