In the article, Professor Eloise Scotford, Professor of Environmental Law at UCL Laws, is quoted as saying there is a "very strong" legal argument that the government should have conducted a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) before adopting the revised framework. “NPPF is just the kind of strategic planning document that should fall within the scope of the [EU] SEA directive."
The NPPF, published in July, sets out the Government's planning policies for England and provides a framework for locally-prepared housing and development plans as well as for individual planning decisions. An SEA is required for government plans that are likely to have a significant environmental impact or which set the framework for future planning decisions likely to have significant environmental effects.
Campaigners argue that the new planning policy makes it difficult for councils to refuse local fracking schemes and was illegally adopted, as its environmental impact was not adequately assessed.