Screening neighbourhood plans for strategic environmental assessment. A toolkit for neighbourhood planners
Publication Year
2026
Document Status
Current
Abstract
Provides guidance on screening neighbourhood plans for strategic environmental assessment (SEA). Covers: is a SEA necessary for the neighbourhood plan; the Habitats Regulations; overview of screening steps; who should screen a neighbourhood plan; when a neighbourhood plan should be screened; preparing a screening report; what a screening report might look like; what information should be in a screening report; sources of data; key areas of sensitivity to consider; determining significance; engaging with the statutory consultees; what the screening outcomes are; and next steps. Also includes an example screening report structure.
Document History
Document type: guidance. First published: 15 April 2026.
Publisher Information
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is a UK Government ministerial department with responsibility for several policy areas including building regulation, community integration, economic development in coastal and seaside areas, energy efficiency in buildings, high streets and town centres, housing, local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) and Enterprise Zones, localism, planning reform and the planning system. They were previously known as the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, MHCLG, Department for Communities and Local Government, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and the Department for Transport and Local Government.
