Strategic Environmental Assessment
Cascade Consulting has leading edge expertise in Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), particularly within the water sector. The company’s depth of experience in strategic planning and long term option appraisal is applied in undertaking SEA for both public and private sector clients.
SEA requires a wide knowledge of the planning system, in terms of both the nature and potential interaction of extant plans and programmes and how these interactions can result in potential cumulative impacts on the environment. Cascade’s core team combine planning expertise with extensive experience in environmental assessment, which allows a clear and pragmatic identification of key strategic issues. Cascade goes one step further, using its past experience in managing interfaces between different developers, to ascribe impacts to each of the proponent plans and to develop an integrated and rational programme for mitigating these impacts to acceptable levels.
The company’s skills in stakeholder management are crucial in this respect because the team recognises that an SEA is only valuable if the proponents of the plans and programmes involved can be successfully persuaded to “buy in” and fully commit to the process of assessment and integrated mitigation.
What we do
Cascade Consulting is well known for its ability to plan and manage complex or sensitive projects. Our strength comes from an ability to draw from a core group of in-house experts that covers the required technical disciplines:
SEA requires a wide knowledge of the planning system, in terms of both the nature and potential interaction of extant plans and programmes and how these interactions can result in potential cumulative impacts on the environment. Cascade’s core team combine planning expertise with extensive experience in environmental assessment, which allows a clear and pragmatic identification of key strategic issues. Cascade goes one step further, using its past experience in managing interfaces between different developers, to ascribe impacts to each of the proponent plans and to develop an integrated and rational programme for mitigating these impacts to acceptable levels.
The company’s skills in stakeholder management are crucial in this respect because the team recognises that an SEA is only valuable if the proponents of the plans and programmes involved can be successfully persuaded to “buy in” and fully commit to the process of assessment and integrated mitigation.
What we do
Cascade Consulting is well known for its ability to plan and manage complex or sensitive projects. Our strength comes from an ability to draw from a core group of in-house experts that covers the required technical disciplines:
- Cumulative effects assessment (CEA)
- EIA
- Mitigation and monitoring plans
- SEA
- Strategic planning and BPEO
- Sustainability appraisal
What we can do for you
Our services include:
Our services include:
- Assessment of cumulative effects from other plans and programmes
- Assessment of impacts of alternatives
- Baseline data collection and analysis (GIS capability)
- Development of integrated mitigation strategy
- Development of monitoring programmes
- Early stakeholder engagement
- Environmental Reporting
- Review of alternatives
- Review of plans and programmes
- SEA scoping
We have particular experience in developing assessment methodologies for comparing and evaluating alternatives, based on trade-offs between the cost, risk and the environmental and social impacts of different options. The company has developed a methodology which allows a wide range of plan or programme performance indicators to be quantified, which aids in the identification and selection of preferred alternative. This can be useful in presenting complex information on a wide range of potential alternatives in a more easily understood form to both consultees and the wider public.
The company also provides expert witnesses for Public Inquiries where SEA has been used to support the selection of options which are subsequently taken forward for development.
Contact us
To see how we have helped others on specific SEA projects, please view the links on the left.
The company also provides expert witnesses for Public Inquiries where SEA has been used to support the selection of options which are subsequently taken forward for development.
Contact us
To see how we have helped others on specific SEA projects, please view the links on the left.
Should you require further information on our technical expertise in SEA, or advice on your specific project needs, please contact us.