SEA and SA scoping report
A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), which incorporates Sustainability Appraisal (SA), will be prepared alongside the New Local Plan.
Its purpose is to promote sustainable development by assessing how the emerging Local Plan, when judged against reasonable alternatives, performs against environmental, economic and social objectives.
The assessment helps identify opportunities for the Local Plan to improve environmental, social and economic conditions, as well as mitigate any potential adverse effects. This helps ensure that plan policies and proposals are appropriate and sustainable.
The Scoping Report is the first stage of the SEA and SA process. It:
- reviews relevant plans, policies and programmes
- summarises baseline information about Guildford
- identifies the key issues and challenges facing Guildford
- establishes the SEA and SA framework that will be used to assess the Local Plan policies and site allocations
An SEA Scoping Note has also been prepared by AECOM who will be undertaking an independent SEA (incorporating SA) in support of the new Guildford Local Plan. This note sets out the role of the SEA Scoping Report and how the comments received by the statutory bodies will help inform the next stages of the SEA process and plan making.
Both documents can be viewed below:
Strategic Environmental Assessment (incorporating Sustainability Appraisal) Scoping Report 2026 (PDF, 10 MB)
SEA Scoping Note August 2026 (PDF, 185 KB)