SEA PRE SCREENING REPORT (COVER NOTE ) PART 1. An SEA Pre Screening Report is attached for the plan, programme or strategy (PPS) entitled:

SEA PRE‐SCREENING REPORT  (COVER NOTE ) 

PART 1 

To: 

[email protected] 

or

SEA

Gateway

Scottish

Executive

Area

1

H

(Bridge)

Victoria

Quay

Edinburgh

EH6

6QQ

PART 2 

An

SEA

Pre

Screening

Report

is

attached

for

the

plan,

programme

or

strategy

(PPS)

entitled:

The

Responsible

Authority

is:

Building Standards Technical Handbook - Section 7 - Sustainability

Scottish Government, Building Standards Division, Directorate for the Built Environment

Contact

Details:

Fraser Walsh

Senior Architect, Building Standards Professional

Building Standards Division Denholm House

Almondvale Business Park Livingston EH54 6GA 01506 600415

[email protected]

SEA PRE‐SCREENING REPORT ‐ KEY FACTS 

Responsible

Authority

Title

of

PPS

Purpose

of

PPS

What

prompted

the

PPS

(e.g.

a

legislative,

regulatory

or

administrative

provision)

Subject

(e.g.

transport)

Period

covered

by

PPS

Frequency

of

updates

Area

covered

by

PPS

(e.g.

geographical

area

–

it

is

good

practice

to

attach

a

map)

Summary

of

nature/

content

of

PPS

Are

there

any

proposed

YES,

there

will

be

NO

PPS

objectives?

Copy

of

objectives

attached

YES

NO

Date

X

2nd November 2010. 

Building Standards Division has defined upper levels of sustainability, creating benchmarks verifiable via via the building standards system that applies throughout Scotland. Developers who choose to demonstrate their 'green' credentials can be recognised for achievement higher than the minimum mandatory standards. The system could link with local authorities’ development plans to give local authorities a route to achieve their obligations under Section 72 of The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. An objective is to encourage consistency between local authorities in supplementary planning guidance on sustainable construction.

All new building work undertaken in Scotland.

Sustainability will be reviewed in line with the changes to the Building Standards regulations, but definitions of levels fixed. Revisions will be growth and additions rather than redefining levels.

2011 - 2013 Built Environment

The Building (Scotland) Act 2003 allows Ministers to regulate for the purpose of furthering the achievement of sustainable development. This continues to be achieved by strengthening the energy standards for all new dwellings and the standards already include many wider features of sustainability. This step would provide aspirational optional upper levels. Sustainability labelling rewards meeting 2010 standards and gives additional recognition to developers who opt to reach aspirational higher levels that include aspects of resource use and human well being. It supports the Government’s Greener Scotland agenda via a reduction in energy demand.

It is proposed to develop a system for the sustainability labelling of new buildings as part of the Scottish building standards system. The intention is to require that new buildings must be designed and constructed to achieve a specified level of sustainability and that a statement of the level of sustainability achieved is affixed to the building.

Building Standards Technical Handbook - Section 7 - Sustainability

SEA PRE SCREENING REPORT 

TITLE OF PPS   

RESPONSIBLE AUTHORITY 

Criteria

for

determining

no

or

minimal

effects

on

the

environment

Likely

to

have

no

or

minimal

environmental

effects

Summary

of

significant

environmental

effects

(negative

and

positive)

1(a)

the

degree

to

which

the

PPS

sets

a

framework

for

projects

and

other

activities,

either

with

regard

to

the

location,

nature,

size

and

operating

conditions

or

by

allocating

resources

x

1(b)

the

degree

to

which

the

PPS

influences

other

PPS

including

those

in

a

hierarchy

x

1(c)

the

relevance

of

the

PPS

for

the

integration

of

environmental

considerations

in

particular

with

a

view

to

promoting

sustainable

development.

x

Criteria

for

determining

no

or

minimal

effects

on

the

environment

Likely

to

have

no

or

minimal

environmental

effects

Summary

of

significant

environmental

effects

(negative

and

positive)

1(d)

environmental

problems

relevant

to

the

PPS

x

1(e)

the

relevance

of

the

PPS

for

the

implementation

of

Community

legislation

on

the

environment

(for

example,

PPS

linked

to

waste

management

or

water

protection)

x

2

(a)

the

probability,

duration,

frequency

and

reversibility

of

the

effects

x

2

(b)

the

cumulative

nature

of

the

effects

_x

2

(c)

transboundary

nature

of

the

effects

(i.e.

environmental

effects

on

other

EU

Member

States)

x

Building Standards Technical Handbook - Section 7 - Sustainability

2

(d)

the

risks

to

human

health

or

the

environment

(for

example,

due

to

accidents)

x

Criteria

for

determining

no

or

minimal

effects

on

the

environment

Likely

to

have

no

or

minimal

environmental

effects?

Summary

of

significant

environmental

effects

(negative

and

positive)

2

(e)

the

magnitude

and

spatial

extent

of

the

effects

(geographical

area

and

size

of

the

population

likely

to

be

affected)

x

2

(f)

the

value

and

vulnerability

of

the

area

likely

to

be

affected

due

to

‐ 

(i)

special

natural

characteristics

or

cultural

heritage;

(ii)

exceeded

environmental

quality

standards

or

limit

values;

or

(iii)

intensive

land

‐

use.

x

2

(g)

the

effects

on

areas

or

landscapes

which

have

a

recognised

national,

Community

or

international

protection

status

x

The Building (Scotland) Act 2003 allows Ministers to regulate for the purpose of furthering the

achievement of sustainable development. Recognising the achievement of meeting the 2010 energy

standards (comparable with the best in Europe) and voluntarily opting to meet higher levels that

include energy and carbon emissions targets, including issues such as water efficiency, and flexibility

in design.

The Building Standards Division’s proposed sustainability labelling system will define upper levels of

sustainability, creating benchmarks verifiable via the system of building warrant applications. The

recognised minimum benchmark level is defined by compliance with the existing mandatory 2010

Building Standards. BSD have previously undertaken and will continue to undertake a Strategic

Environmental Assessment as and when amendments to the mandatory standards are made.

The voluntary nature of exceeding these recognised minimum standards will mean that the

sustainability proposals will have no further un-assessed environmental impact as the only physical

impact will be the affixing of a label to a newly constructed building. Meeting optional upper levels

will provide positive benefits to environmental impact by reductions in resource us, carbon dioxide

emissions and the enhancement of occupant well-being.

The reviews and proposals of the existing standards that define the minimum levels for new buildings

to meet were subject to full public consultation exercise in 2009 which can be sought at the Building

Standards website.

It is anticipated to apply initially the standard to newly constructed buildings. Upper levels covering a

range of aspects of sustainability will be available for domestic buildings. This range of aspects will

be extended to non-domestic buildings in due course but at the outset the only optional upper level

defined is for carbon dioxide emissions.