Future of National Parks: strategic environmental assessment - environmental report

3. Scope of the SEA

What is the scope of the SEA?

SEA Scoping Report

3.1 The Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 requires that: "Before deciding on the scope and level of detail of the information to be included in the environmental report to be prepared in accordance with section 14; the responsible authority shall send to each consultation authority such sufficient details of the qualifying plan or programme as will enable the consultation authority to form a view on those matters." In Scotland, the consultation bodies are Historic Environment Scotland, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and Scottish Natural Heritage (NatureScot).

3.2 These authorities were consulted on the scope of the Future of National Parks proposals through initial scoping and screening undertaken in early 2023, and a Combined SEA Screening and Scoping Report was released to consultees in May 2023. Responses were received from Historic Environment Scotland and SEPA in May 2023, and from NatureScot in June 2023.

3.3 The Screening responses are detailed in Appendix A. The Scoping responses, and how these have been considered and addressed, are presented in Appendix B.

3.4 As per Schedule 3 of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005, a summary of the environmental baseline information and the relationship of the Future of National Parks proposals with other plans, programmes, and strategies is included in Appendix C and Appendix D (and presented in further detail within the Combined SEA Screening and Scoping Report).

Content of the Scoping Report

3.5 Developing the draft scope for the SEA as presented in the Scoping Report has involved the following steps:

• Exploring the policy context for the Future of National Parks proposals and SEA to summarise the key messages arising.
• Establishing the baseline for the SEA (i.e., the current and future situation in the area in the absence of the Future of National Parks proposals to help identify the likely significant effects of the proposals).
• Identifying particular problems or opportunities ('issues') that should be a particular focus of the SEA; and
• Considering this information, developing an SEA framework comprising SEA objectives and assessment questions, which can then be used as a guiding framework for the subsequent assessment.

3.6 Given the strategic and national level focus of the Future of National Parks proposals, all environmental topic areas have been scoped into the SEA (see Table 3.1 below).

3.7 For the purposes of the assessment, the air, water and soil topics have been amalgamated into one 'Environmental quality' topic heading. This is given the significant overlaps between the topics.

Key issues for The Future of National Parks in Scotland

3.8 Drawing on the review of the environmental context and baseline, the Combined SEA Screening and Scoping Report identified a range of environmental issues that should be a particular focus of SEA, ensuring it remains targeted on the most important issues. These key issues are presented below by SEA topic heading.

Biodiversity, flora and fauna, and geodiversity

• The abundance and distribution of Scotland's species has on average declined over recent decades.
• 78% of protected sites are in favourable or recovering condition while 22% of sites are in unfavourable condition.
• 11% of species have been classified as threatened with extinction from Great Britain and 133 (of those assessed) have already become extinct.
• The greatest drivers of change in biodiversity in Scotland are climate change, urbanisation, pollution, woodland management, fisheries, invasive non-native species, deer and other herbivore impacts, freshwater management and agricultural management.
• Aquaculture development, energy generation development, including on and offshore windfarms, can impact geodiversity assets. Geodiversity assets are also expected to be affected by climate change.
• Currently, 37% of Scotland's marine environment receives protection with 18.2% of terrestrial land protected for nature. There is a commitment to increase the area on land protected and managed for biodiversity to at least 30% by 2030. Options for delivering this commitment are currently being taken forward with stakeholders.

Climatic factors

• Changes in climate resulting in the loss of certain habitats and species, or changes in species range, migration and breeding. For example, through sea-level rise.
• Healthy ecosystems in National Parks are likely to play a key role in helping Scotland reach net zero. As such there is a need to recognise the contribution of habitats such as peatland, woodland and sea grasses to meeting climate mitigation targets.
• Climate change and biodiversity loss are twin crises that should be tackled together. Conserving, managing, and restoring ecosystems are key to success. For example, restoring river and wetland systems to their natural state and reconnecting them with their floodplains will support climate change resilience through natural flood management.
• In 2020, domestic transport was the largest source of net emissions. Degraded peatland also produces 10% of Scotland's carbon emissions and preventing these emissions is a vital part of the national drive to reach net zero by 2045.

Environmental quality

• Air pollution can affect habitats and species. In this respect ecosystems are impacted by air pollution, particularly sulphur and nitrogen emissions, and ground-level ozone as it affects their ability to function and grow.
• Under section 83(1) of the Environment Act 1995, Local Authorities have a duty to designate any relevant areas where the air quality objectives are not (or are unlikely to be) being met as Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs). Currently, 36 AQMAs have been declared in Scotland; 34 are transport-related and the remaining two have been declared for industrial emissions.
• Emissions of the eight main air pollutants are lower in 2020 than they were in 2005. Ammonia, however, has remained at a steady level.
• The main sources of emissions are transport, domestic, agriculture, and industrial.
• Policies that improve air quality can potentially have multiple co-benefits for biodiversity, as well as population health, for addressing inequality and for mitigating and adapting to climate change.
• Water quality in most of Scotland is in good or better condition, however, some localised areas of concern remain.
• Pressures on the surface water environment include urbanisation, invasive non-native species, intensive agriculture/aquaculture and climate change.
• Groundwater quality and flow can be affected by diffuse pollution from rural sources, discharges from industries such as mining and quarrying, and agriculture irrigation.
• Water abstraction and storage can also place a burden on water resources, with demand growing.
• Airborne pollution can impact water bodies causing overgrowth of plants and algae and depleting oxygen levels.
• Climate change is expected to lead to increases in water scarcity, flood risk, and to increase the risk of non-native species spreading and becoming established in water environments.
• Approximately 80% of peatland is thought to be damaged.
• Climate change and loss of organic matter pose significant threats to Scottish soils, with both likely to affect soil function.
• Changes in land use and land management practices are also a key pressure on soil.
• Contaminated and vacant and derelict land can have a number of negative impacts on the environment, including on soil.

Cultural heritage

• Existing pressures affecting the historic environment, including development pressures, maintenance, land use, coastal erosion, and climate change.
• Tourism and recreational access can lead to pressures and opportunities for the historic environment.
• Climate change has the potential to affect cultural heritage and historic sites by accelerating decay, this may increase the pressure on natural assets needed to repair or maintain sites.
• The net zero agenda will drive a significant increase in demand for the retrofit of traditional and historic buildings.
• Communities, such as coastal communities, are intimately tied to the environment and biodiversity surrounding them - which provide a rich Scottish cultural heritage.
• Biodiversity driven land management changes such as increasing hedgerows, native and semi-ancient woodland expansion and reinstatement of field patterns could impact on landscape and cultural heritage.
• Scotland's Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) has an increased emphasis on retaining and reusing existing buildings and structures.

Landscape

• Regional and local landscapes are becoming less distinct due to more similarities in building form, settlement patterns, and agricultural practices.
• A move towards a monoculture has created a less diverse landscape of field types and hedgerows.
• Climate change is expected to lead to extensive landscape change across Scotland, including by land use change, changes in habitats, and through direct impacts on landscape components. The greatest changes are likely to occur in lowland and coastal areas where human population is highest.
• The coast and foreshore are under many pressures, particularly from climate change, rising sea levels and coastal erosion.
• Aquaculture development, energy generation development, including on and offshore windfarms, can impact landscape and seascape.
• Biodiversity driven land management changes such as increasing hedgerows, native and semi-ancient woodland expansion and reinstatement of field patterns could impact on Scotland's landscape.

Material assets

• Material assets is considered to comprise all natural and built assets in Scotland.
• Increasing demand for goods and services puts pressure on natural resources.
• Increasing use of recycled aggregate may mean a decrease in new extractions of primary resources, resulting in a reduction of negative impacts on habitats and species.
• Flooding poses the greatest long-term climate related risk to infrastructure performance, however, growing risks posed from heat, water scarcity and slope instability caused by severe weather could also prove significant.
• Expanding the area of Scotland's forests and woodlands can also contribute to reduced GHG emissions, and provide an important commercial natural resource, improve biodiversity, and provide spaces for people to enjoy.

Population and human health

• Projections forecast that the population will start to fall from around 2029 onwards. Most of the central belt and other urban areas are projected to grow in population. But it is projected that the population in almost half of the 32 local authorities will decline.
• Life expectancy is projected to increase.
• Climate change poses a wide range of potential effects on human health. It is expected that climate change's potential risks and benefits to population and health will not be evenly distributed.
• The quality of Scotland's parks and greenspaces has continued to decline. It also remains to be seen whether a recent increase in the use of green spaces^[9] will be sustained following the recovery from the Covid pandemic.
• Scientific research highlights the clear physical and emotional health benefits where enhanced green infrastructure encourages spending more time outdoors and exposure to nature. Studies show that spending time with nature reduces blood pressure, lowers body mass index, helps to tackle depression, and improves social cohesion.
• Derelict and vacant land can affect a community's health, environment, economy, and social cohesion.

SEA Framework

3.9 The key environmental issues for the Future of National Parks proposals, as set out above, have been translated into an SEA 'Framework' of objectives and assessment questions.

3.10 The SEA Framework, which has been tailored for the Future of National Parks proposals, provides a way in which the likely significant environmental effects of the proposals and alternatives can be identified and subsequently analysed based on a structured and consistent approach.

3.11 Whilst all topics have been scoped-in to the assessment (see Table 3.1, above), the SEA Framework and the assessment findings in this Environmental Report have been streamlined and presented under seven SEA topics to deliver a proportionate and effective assessment process. The accompanying objectives and assessment questions for each topic have been refined as appropriate in recognition of the high-level nature of the proposals at this stage.

3.12 The SEA Framework is presented below: Table 3.2 below.