Biodiversity strategy and delivery plan: strategic environmental assessment

8. Next steps

8.1 This Environmental Report is being consulted on alongside the SBS Delivery Plan.

8.2 Following the completion of the consultation period in November 2023, comments will be reviewed and analysed. Any changes arising to the proposals will need to be assessed as part of the SEA process.

8.3 Part 3 of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 requires that a 'statement' be made available to accompany the proposals, as soon as possible after their adoption. The purpose of the SEA Adoption Statement is to outline how the SEA process has influenced and informed the proposals' development process and demonstrate how consultation on the SEA has been taken into account.

8.4 To meet these requirements, an SEA Adoption Statement will be published with the adopted Delivery Plan. The SEA Adoption Statement will set out: the reasons for choosing the preferred SBS & Delivery Plan in light of other reasonable alternatives; how environmental considerations were integrated into the SBS & Delivery Plan's development process; how consultation responses were taken into account; and the measures decided for monitoring the significant effects of the proposals.