Stirling Council Determination Noice and Statement of Reasons

Stirling Council has determined in accordance with Section 8(1) of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 that a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) will not be required for the following document:

Regional Energy Masterplan (REM)

As of the 31st May, 2023.

This notice is hereby known as ‘The Determination’.

In accordance with Section 10(2) of the Act, copies of the determination and screening report can be obtained on request from:

Sustainable Development

Stirling Council

Teith House

Stirling

FK7 7QA

(01786) 233451

sustainability@stirling.gov.uk

Or viewed at: https://www.stirling.gov.uk/environment-pollution-and-pest-control/climate-action-and-sustainability/sustainable-energy/

Or seen in the local newspaper, Stirling Observer, where a notice has been placed.

These have been made available within 14 days of the determination being made.

In accordance with Section 10(1) of the Act, Stirling Council has sent this formal determination and statement of reasons (prepared in accordance with Section 8(2)(b)) to the consultation authorities (Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Historic Environment Scotland (HES), and NatureScot (NS)) within 28 days of the determination being made.

Introduction

This paper sets out the reasons for Stirling Council not carrying out a SEA on the Regional Energy Masterplan. This paper should be read in conjunction with the determination notice for the aforementioned document.

Determination

It has been determined by the Stirling Council, following advice from the Strategic Environmental Assessment Consultation Authorities (SEPA, HES and NS) that a Strategic Environmental Assessment is not required for the Regional Energy Masterplan. The individual consultation authorities were consulted in accordance with Section 9(1), (2) of the Act, with the Council submitting an SEA screening report summarising its views.

The Strategic Environmental Report for the Climate and Nature Emergency (CaNE) Plan referred to below can be viewed online at: Scottish Environment Assessment Gateway - Search (strategicenvironmentalassessment.gov.scot) with Case Number: 01268.

Statement of Reasons

This section sets out why the Council has determined that the Regional Energy Masterplan will not be subject to SEA. The reasons are collated from information gathered during the screening process for the SEA and the responses to the screening from the consultation authorities.

The reasons for not carrying out a full SEA can be summarised as follows;

• The Council’s assessment of the likely environmental effects, which it considered were not significant above and beyond the effects already identified and assessed via the CaNE Plan SEA:

The SEA of the CaNE Plan provided a strategic level assessment of the potential environmental impacts of a number of policies and projects, including a REM. Within a hierarchy of plans, the REM will provide a more focussed assessment of potential project sites in a prioritised delivery plan but these will each require a more detailed feasibility study before proceeding. The REM thus remains a strategic document to which the CaNE Plan SEA still applies. To remain proportionate, any further detailed assessments of environmental impact are best carried out on a site by site basis following completion of the REM, to determine the exact nature of projects at specific sites. As described in the CaNE Plan SEA Environmental Report, potential limited adverse impacts on the environment can be mitigated by advance site investigation, sensitive installations, and use of technology appropriate to each location.

• The response from the Consultation Authorities indicating that they do not anticipate any significant environmental effects, over and above those already identified and assessed as part of the SEA for the CaNE Plan.

The Council will now progress with the production of the Regional Energy Masterplan.