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12 Glossary

Alternatives
These are different ways of achieving the plan objectives.  Alternatives are also referred to as options.

AADT
Annual Average Daily Traffic flow

AONB
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.  A designation given to land in recognition of the attractiveness of its landscape (under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, 1949).

AQMA
Air Quality Management Area – An area identified by Local Authorities where statutory UK air quality standards are being, or are expected to be breached up to the end of 2005.

AQAP
Air Quality Action Plan

CANS
Coventry Area Network Study

CEPOG
West Midlands Chief Engineers and Planning Officers Group

Conservation Area
An area designated under the Planning (Listed Buildings And Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as being of special architectural or historic interest, the character and interest of which it is desirable to preserve and enhance.

Cumulative effects
The effects that result from changes caused by a project, plan, programme or policy in association with other past, present or reasonably foreseeable future plans and actions.  Cumulative effects are specifically noted in the SEA Directive in order to emphasize the need for broad and comprehensive information regarding the effects

C4S
Centre for Sustainability at TRL

DfT
Department for Transport

DEFRA
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

EIA
Environmental Impact Assessment

*HAP
Habitat Action Plans

HGV
Heavy Goods Vehicles

IMD
Index of Multiple Deprivation

Indicator
A means by which change in a system or to an objective can be measured.

EC
European Community

Environmental Report
Document required by the SEA Directive as part of an environmental assessment, which identifies, describes and evaluates the likely significant effects on the environment of implementing a plan or programme

GIS
Geographical Information Systems

KSI
Killed or Seriously Injured

Listed Building
A building included on a list of buildings of architectural or historic interest, compiled by the Secretary of State, under the Planning (Listed Buildings And Conservation Areas) Act 1990. 

LTP
Local Transport Plan

Mitigation
Measures to avoid reduce or offset the significant adverse effects of the plan on sustainability.

Monitoring
Activities undertaken after the decision is made to adopt the plan or programme to examine its implementation. For example, monitoring to examine whether the significant sustainability effects occur as predicted or to establish whether mitigation measures are implemented

NATA
New Approach to Appraisal

NAQS
National Air Quality Standard

NOx
Nitrogen Oxides

NO2
Nitrogen Dioxide

Objective
A statement of what is intended, specifying the desired direction of change.

ODPM
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

Options
See Alternatives

PFV
Powering Future Vehicles

PPG
Planning Policy Guidance – Guidance documents which set out national planning policy.

PPS
Planning Policy Statement – Guidance documents which set out national planning policy. They are being reviewed and updated and are replacing PPGs.

RPG
Regional Planning Guidance – Guidance prepared by the West Midlands Regional Assembly and issued by the Secretary of State, which will be replaced by the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS).

RSS
Regional Spatial Strategy

SAC
Special Area of Conservation as designated under the European Union Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora

SAP
Species Action Plan

Scheduled Ancient Monument
A nationally important archaeological site included in the Schedule of Ancient Monuments maintained by the Secretary of State for the Environment under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

Scoping
The process of deciding the scope and level of detail of the SEA. This also includes defining the environmental / sustainability effects and alternatives that need to be considered, the assessment methods to be used, the structure and contents of the Environmental / Sustainability Report.

SEA
Strategic Environmental Assessment – systematic method of considering the likely effects on the environment of policies, plans and programmes.

SEA Directive
Directive 2001/42/EC “on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment”.

SSSI
Site of Special Scientific Interest – The best sites for wildlife and geological features in England as designated under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Target
A specified desired end, stated usually within a specified time-scale.

VOSA
Vehicle Operator Services Agency

WMAMMS
West Midlands Area Multi Modal Study