Infrastructure Strategy: strategic environmental assessment

8. Next Steps

8.5 Plan Finalisation

8.5.3 The Environmental Report is being consulted on alongside the draft version of the Infrastructure Strategy.

8.5.4 Following the completion of the consultation period, comments will be reviewed and analysed. The updated proposals will then be developed prior to adoption. Any changes arising to the proposals will need to be assessed as part of the SEA process.

8.5.5 Part 3 of the 2005 Act requires that a ‘statement’ be made available to accompany the proposals, as soon as possible after their adoption. To meet these requirements, a Post Adoption Statement will be published with the adopted proposals. The Post Adoption Statement will set out:

• the reasons for choosing the preferred proposals in light of other reasonable alternatives;
• how environmental considerations were integrated into the proposals’ development process;
• how consultation responses were taken into account; and
• the measures decided for monitoring the significant effects of the proposal.

8.6 Consultation Questions

8.6.3 Public and stakeholder consultation is a key component of the SEA process. In line with the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005, the Environmental Report is made available for public consultation alongside the draft plan.

8.6.4 The Environmental Report has been published for consultation to allow stakeholders, interested parties, and members of the public to provide views on the findings of the assessment and the environmental implications of the Scottish Infrastructure Strategy.

8.6.5 Respondents are invited to comment on the content of the Environmental Report, including:

• Whether the environmental baseline is clearly presented and considers all relevant environmental topics;
• Whether the likely significant environmental effects of the Strategy have been appropriately identified and described;
• Whether the reasonable alternatives considered are suitably defined and assessed;
• Whether the proposed mitigation and enhancement measures are appropriate and sufficient;
• Whether the proposed monitoring measures are adequate and proportionate; and
• Whether there are any additional environmental issues, datasets, or considerations that should be reflected in the assessment.