Memorandum by the Environment Agency (RG
101)
We welcome the opportunity to respond to the
questions raised during oral evidence. Our response to each of
the questions raised is given below.
What formal mechanisms exist for the Environment
Agency to be consulted on strategy development and policy implementation
by the Government Offices for the Regions, the RDAs and the Regional
Assemblies (as appropriate)?
The statutory mechanisms for which we are a
consultee are:
— Planning & Compulsory Purchase
Act 2004—Regional Spatial Strategies that incorporate the
Regional Transport Strategy and Regional Waste Strategy.
— Regional Development Agencies Act
1998—Regional Economic Strategy.
— The Environmental Assessment of Plans
and Programmes Regulations 2004—Strategic Environmental
Assessments.
We are also involved, on a non-statutory basis,
in a range of other regional plans and policies (see below).
How is the Environment Agency involved informally
in strategy development and policy implementation at the regional
level?
Our support for regional organisations includes
participation on a wide range of regional fora on topics including
sustainable development, rural issues, biodiversity and climate
change. We have seconded some of our staff to Regional Assemblies
(RAs), Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) and Government Offices
(GOs) to assist on regional spatial strategy policies; regional
waste strategies; sustainable development frameworks, sustainability
appraisal techniques, and; EC Structural Fund programmes.
We are consulted on a non-statutory basis on
a range of regional strategies including Regional Housing Strategies,
Integrated Regional Frameworks and Regional Rural Delivery Frameworks.
We are also proactive partners in a number of regional initiatives
across the country, for example helping to deliver sustainable
communities in the Thames Gateway, Milton Keynes & South Midlands
and Market Renewal initiatives in the North.
The Environment Agency is also active in engaging
regional partners in its own regional strategies and we consult
RAs, RDAs and GOs on topics such as Water Resource Strategies
and, in the future will be engaging the same organisations in
River Basin Management Plans. We also liaise with regional organisations
on other strategies that we regulate such as Water Company Water
Resource Plans.
Can the Agency give examples where its input at
the regional level has resulted in a change of strategy or implementation?
Through our expert advice on environmental issues,
membership of regional fora, and being a national organisation
that works across regional and local government administrative
boundaries, we are helping to improve the environmental dimension
of regional strategy and policy development and implementation.
The Environment Agency established Regional
Strategic Units in 2002 to specifically engage externally with
regional organisations. We are extensively involved in working
in a partnership approach with the RAs, RDAs and GOs. Environment
Agency Regional Directors and senior managers either chair or
sit on a wide range of regional fora, such as regional Environment
Panels, Environmental Technical Advisory Groups, Waste Technical
Advisory Groups, Natural Resource and Climate Change Advisory
Groups, etc.
Specific examples where our input has influenced
strategy and policies include:
— Working with North East and the Yorkshire
& Humber RAs on assisting local authorities develop Strategic
Flood Risk Assessments.
— Securing flood risk targets in the
Yorkshire & Humber RES, leading to increased awareness of
flood risk and a £3 million contribution to a coastal managed
realignment project around the Humber.
— Undertaking a risk assessment of
the potential for expansion at all large sewage works in the East
Midlands, resulting in the RA supporting a recommendation in the
draft RSS that ODPM growth points at high risk should carry out
a water cycle study.
— In the East of England, because of
the potential scarcity of water supplies, securing targets for
water efficiency in emerging regional policies. This is now being
taken forward by local authorities in their Local Development
Frameworks and we hope to see it incorporated in the East of England
Plan (RSS).
— In liaison with water companies,
we analysed and projected water resource availability and sewage
treatment capacity across the South East against projected housing
growth. This work has informed the South East of England RA's
RSS at the regional and sub-regional level.
— We led the establishment of the Sustainable
Consumption and Production network (www.scpnet.org.uk) involving
RDAs, RAs and regional observatories. The network aims to build
the capacity of the regions to use evidence to promote sustainable
consumption and production in the region. It builds on a previous
R&D project (www.reward-uk.org) which developed a model to
assist in understanding the links between regional economic strategies
and environmental pressures.
— The data we collect and analyse is
summarised and published annually in our regional State of the
Environment reports. These have proved to be key regional information
resources and reference documents, informing a wide range of strategies
such as Regional Spatial Strategies, Regional Economic Strategies
and Regional Sustainability Frameworks.
Would the Environment Agency welcome a greater
degree of involvement in regional strategy development and policy
implementation? If so, what form should it take?
As the lead environmental organisation for England,
we would welcome the opportunity to participate in all significant
and relevant regional strategies and policies from their inception.
This would ensure regional strategies and policies accommodate
environmental issues from the start.
Would the Environment Agency support the development
of statutory regional environment strategies (as suggested by
the Wildlife Trusts)?
We believe the priority should be to integrate
the environment into existing strategies and policies. There is
already a wide range of regional strategy and policy documents
and we do not see the addition of another one bringing significant
extra value. There is a need however, to ensure regional organisations
are delivering their sustainable development responsibilities
and the aims of the UK SD Strategy by making sure the environment
is given proper consideration on regional strategic decisions.
Currently progress on delivery is mixed, as summarised by the
Sustainable Development Commission's independent review of sustainable
development in the English regions report (November 2005). We
wish to see the Government's commitments from its response—Securing
the Regions' Futures (April 2006) fully implemented as a first
step.
The Wildlife Trusts also told the Committee (Q235)
that it perceived a need for specific targets to be attached to
positive environmental outcomes at the regional level (for example,
in the RDA Tasking Framework), to enable the regions to give equal
weight to environmental and economic concerns. Does the Environment
Agency agree?
We agree that environmental targets which are
measurable and exacting should be set by regional government bodies.
Based on our liaison with regional institutions, we think these
targets would:
— Help regional organisations to look
at sustainable development in the round and not just to focus
on economic growth and social inclusion;
— Enable issues such as a shortage
of water, sea level rise, flooding, and waste to be recognised
as important issues in regional policy.
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