EIA

Environmental Impact Assesments

What is EIA?
TEP EIA Services
Ecological Survey and Assesment
EIA Links

What is EIA?

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a procedure required for certain types of project before they can be given planning consent. EIA enables environmental factors to be given due weight, along with economic or social factors, when planning applications are being considered and it helps to promote a sustainable pattern of physical development in cities, towns and the countryside. In England and Wales, the requirement for EIA comes from European Directives introduced in 1985 and 1997, which are implemented primarily through the Town & Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 1999.

Which Projects Require EIA?
Not all proposed developments will require EIA - the 1999 Regulations provide two separate lists which define the types of project to which EIA is likely to apply:

– ‘Schedule 1 projects’, for which EIA is required in every case, because by their scale and nature such projects are always likely to cause significant effects (e.g. construction of motorways)

– ‘Schedule 2 projects'’ for which EIA is required only if the project is judged likely to give rise to significant environmental effects. Size thresholds and location criteria are used to decide whether a project will require EIA; an example may be a golf course where the development area exceeds 1 ha and the site encompasses an Ancient Monument

EIA and Planning Procedures
Where EIA is necessary, a developer must compile a report known as an Environmental Statement (ES) describing the likely significant effects of the project on the environment, and detailing measures required to mitigate any adverse effects. The ES must be submitted with the planning application, and its contents, together with any comments from consultees, will be considered by the planning authority in deciding whether to grant planning consent.

The Environment Practice EIA Services

Please see our case studies section for details of a recent EIA project undertaken by our ecological consultants.

• Ecological Survey & Assessment

• EIA Training

Ecological Survey and Assessment

An assessment of the nature conservation value of a potential development site is often a critical part of project feasibility studies and a key component of an Environmental Statement. Even for projects which do not require EIA, it is important that ecological surveys are carried out to establish what species and habitats are present within and around a site, and whether any nature conservation designations apply to the land, since:

• many species – such as great crested newts, badgers, bats, water voles – are protected under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981, and planning authorities require reliable information on species’ presence when determining planning applications;

• All local authority development plans include policies relating to the protection of nature conservation sites and enhancement of local ‘biodiversity’ within development.

TEP ecological assessment services include:

Ecological Survey*:
– Habitat mapping
– Vegetation classification
– Terrestrial and aquatic invertebrate surveys
– Marine and coastal ecosystem surveys
– Reptile and amphibian surveys (our surveyors hold English Nature great crested newt survey licences)
– Surveys of protected mammals (badgers, water voles, bats)
– Breeding and wintering bird surveys

* Since many ecological surveys can only be completed satisfactorily at certain times of year, early appraisal of sites is recommended so fieldwork requirements can be built into development programmes.

Guidance on Ecology and Planning
– Advice on compliance with national and local nature conservation policies
– Development-led habitat creation in line with Local Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs)
– Consultations with statutory (e.g. English Nature) and voluntary (e.g. RSPB) bodies
– Preparation of European protected species licence applications for great crested newt, bats, otters
– Fulfilment of planning conditions or obligations (e.g. biological monitoring schemes, construction-phase
– Environmental Management Plans)
– Achieving credits for ecological planning and management under the ‘BREEAM for Offices’ and ‘EcoHomes’ schemes

Our client-base in this area includes private developers, regional development agencies, consulting engineers, planning consultants and architects. Our consultants have contributed to more than 20 Environmental Statements and have prepared numerous ‘free-standing’ ecological assessment reports to meet planning and regulatory requirements. Our experience covers a wide range of project types including residential development, road-building, harbour regeneration, retail parks, colliery reclamation and leisure proposals.

EIA Training

Please see our EIA Training page for more details.

Example of a project requiring EIA: the Newport Wetlands Reserve, Gwent, under construction and post-completion. The Environment Practice carried out EIA studies and designed the reedbed construction scheme for this project

Temporary fencing and pitfall traps installed during great crested newt survey prior to construction of Darlington Learning Park, Co Durham