Environment Agency seeks to ditch strategic assessment under next river basin plans

The Environment Agency is consulting until 14 May on its current view not to undertake a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the third cycle of River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs).

The proposal applies to the seven river basin districts in England (Anglian, Humber, Northumbria, North West, South East, South West and Thames) as well as for the cross border Severn RBMP which the EA leads on.

The Agency explained that third cycle updates to the RBMPs are unlikely to have significant new environmental effects and can be “considered as a minor modification to the second cycle RBMPs published in 2016”. It said the most significant change would derive from the Water Industry National Environment Programme schemes agreed at PR19, involving an 8% increase in investment – notably to deliver water quality improvements associated with phosphorus discharge limits. But as phosphorus has been identified and assessed in previous RBMP rounds and measures are beneficial to the environment, this does not constitute a significant change that requires a further SEA.

Natural Resources Wales will decide on the need for a SEA for the cross border Dee RBMP and SEPA will decide of the need for a SEA for the Solway Tweed cross border RBMP.

The EA has now started its review and update of the third cycle RBMPs which will outline the changes that have taken place since the second cycle and what is proposed from 2021 onwards. They will undergo formal six month consultation later this year before being finalised and approved by the secretary of state.

The SEA process ensures that environmental issues are considered during the development of plans and programmes and was carried out for both the first (2009) and second (2016) cycles.