SEA and HRA of the Third Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Local Transport Plans

Client: Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council and Southampton City Council

Project: SEA and HRA of the Third Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Local Transport Plans

Work began in February 2010 on the Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council and Southampton City Council Strategic Environmental Assessments of the third Local Transport Plans (LTP3s), which will cover the period from 2011 to 2031.

Whilst individual SEA and HRA reports were prepared for Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton to mirror the development of their distinct LTP3s, a number of efficiencies were gained through the assessment processes. This included through the preparation of concurrent appraisals; shared information provision between the three authorities; joint options assessment; similar reporting; and project meetings involving all three Authorities as a single client team. In addition to achieving efficiencies between the assessment processes, this approach enabled cross-boundary environmental issues to be discussed and addressed by the development of the LTP3s and a common approach to be established.

This was particularly helpful in ensuring that potential effects of the three LTP3s on the many sensitive and high quality environmental assets in and around the three authority areas, including a significant number of internationally and nationally designated biodiversity sites, two national parks and a wealth of historic environment and landscape and townscape assets, could be proactively addressed. Similarly, the complementary approach to the three SEAs and HRAs also helped ensure that cross boundary socio-economic issues, including linked to deprivation issues, environmental quality, accessibility and the effect of transport on the quality of local neighbourhoods could be fully considered.

Through taking such an approach, our team was able to help ensure that a range of efficiencies were gained by carrying out separate, but interlinked SEA and HRA processes, whilst at the same time ensuring that the potential environmental and socio-economic benefits of the three LTP3s were fully maximised through their development processes.

Following the successful completion of the assessments for the strategy elements of the LTP3s, we were commissioned to carry out the SEAs and HRAs for the first Implementation Plans for the three authorities. The LTP3s and accompanying Implementation Plans for Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton were subsequently adopted in April and May 2011.