Southwest Environmental
Limited can conduct an Environmental Impact
Assessment
(EIA) on your behalf. EIA is a procedure that must be followed for certain types of development
before they are granted development consent. The product of
Environmental Impact Assessment is an
Environmental Statement that is submitted to local authorities.
We can provide report as PDF or
Web Published Environmental Impact Assessments.
The requirement for Environmental Impact Assessment comes from a
European Directive (85/33/EEC as amended by 97/11/EC). The
procedure requires the developer to compile an Environmental
Statement (ES) describing the likely significant effects of the
development on the environment and proposed mitigation measures.
In-Depth Reading on EIA
The ES must be circulated to statutory consultation bodies and
made available to the public for comment. Its contents, together with any
comments, must be taken into account by the competent authority (eg local planning authority) before
it may grant consent.
Key Stages in Environmental Impact Assessment
There are seven key areas that an
Environmental Impact Assessment focuses on:
1. Description of the project
Description of actual project and site
description
Break the project down into its key components,
ie construction, operations, decommissioning
For each component list all of the sources of
environmental disturbance
For each component all the inputs and outputs
must be listed, eg, air pollution, noise, hydrology
2. Alternatives that have been considered
Examine alternatives that have been considered
Example: in a biomass power station, will the
fuel be sourced locally or nationally?
3. Description of the environment
List of all aspects of the environment that may
be effected by the development
When do I need
to do an Environmental Impact Assessment?
You may be asked to provide an environmental statement in
advance of being granted planning permission for a project, examples might
include a single wind turbine, and wind farm or very large projects like
hospitals, power stations, and housing developments.
The requirement for EIA is deduced by;
a - The type of development you propose. Schedule 1 or
2?
Thresholds are often applied using the example of flood
defenses we can take guidance from Circular 2/99: Environmental Impact
Assessment states that EIA shall only be required if the works area exceeds 5ha
or 2 km in length.
How do I compile
an Environmental Impact Assessment?
There are various elements of Environmental Impact
Assessments that focus on certain areas where impact may be apparent, these
include noise, visual, ecology and traffic impacts, which each require
specialist attention. The processes involved are further explained in the
component pages.
An Environmental Statement is the product of EIA, it is a
summary and a drawing together of all the findings from the various
components
of impact assessment that have been carried out.
Particularly with large projects the various components of
the EIA can run in to thousands of pages, it is necessary to convey the findings
of these components and jointly assess their impact in a document that is
practical to read, and does get bogged down in the technicalities of EIA.
Which
consultants can offer advice on Environmental Impact Assessment?
SWEL can offer meet any EIA needs you may have, we are happy
to discuss any aspect of your project, and can offer an all in compliance
solution for all stages of your projects lifecycle.
The requirement from EIA stems from European
initiatives, and as such it is a UK wide consideration.
However, there are various special areas within the UK, where smaller
projects may require EIA, these might include;
- SSSI - RAMSAR Wetlands - Green Belt - AONBs - Forest Parks - Marine Nature Reserves - National Nature Reserves - National Parks - Special Areas of Conservation - Special Protection Areas
It is not impossible to build within these sites just more difficult to
justify.
Whether or not you development is schedule 1 or not is fairly
clear cut. Schedules 2 are not as clearly defined, they rely on siting and
size;For developments of a smaller scale located
wholly or partly in environmentally sensitive locations where their
effects are significant; in certain cases, other areas subject to
environmentally-based statutory or non-statutory designations not
included in the definition of “sensitive area” may also be relevant in
determining whether EIA is required; urban locations may also be
considered sensitive as effects on a densely populated area may be
significant;
and
"For developments with unusually complex and potentially hazardous
environmental effects where expert and detailed analysis of such effects
would be desirable and would be relevant to the issue of whether or not
the development should be allowed."
SWEL will travel anywhere in the UK to undertake an environmental impact
assessment or any single elements, with offices in London, Bristol and Exeter we
are best placed to serve the south west UK.
Please contact us for a free
initial consultation.
Updates to the
Planning
Practice Guidance suggests the following environmental
impact assessment elements are necessary for planning applications that include
wind turbines.
Professional Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Services
Technical Coordination of Environmental Statements
Southwest Environmental Limited provides expert coordination for Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) across the UK. EIA is a statutory procedure required for specific high-impact developments before development consent is granted. Our primary deliverable is the Environmental Statement (ES)—a comprehensive technical document submitted to the Local Planning Authority (LPA) that details the likely significant effects of a proposal. Whether your project is a Schedule 1 mandatory requirement or a Schedule 2 project requiring screening, we provide a robust, scientifically-backed roadmap to planning success.
Navigating Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 Screening
Determining the requirement for an EIA depends on the project's scale, nature, and location. Schedule 1 projects, such as major power plants or waste disposal facilities, always require an EIA. However, many infrastructure and housing projects fall under Schedule 2, where thresholds—such as site area exceeding 5ha or proximity to "sensitive areas" (SSSI, AONB, or National Parks)—trigger the need for a Screening Opinion. We assist developers in liaising with statutory bodies to secure favorable screening and scoping outcomes, ensuring that the resulting Environmental Statement focuses only on the truly significant impacts.
Systematic Impact Modeling: The Leopold Matrix
A critical component of our EIA methodology is the systematic examination of potential environmental interactions. We frequently utilize tools such as the Leopold Matrix to quantify the magnitude and importance of specific impacts across various environmental receptors, including air, soil, water, humans, and cultural heritage. This rigorous approach allows us to define "significance" with technical precision, moving beyond qualitative assumptions to provide the competent authority with a transparent and defensible basis for decision-making.
The Mitigation Hierarchy and Cumulative Impacts
The true value of an Environmental Impact Assessment lies in the development of effective mitigation measures. By identifying impacts early in the design phase, we work with developers to apply the mitigation hierarchy: avoid, minimize, or compensate. Furthermore, we specialize in assessing Cumulative Impacts—the combined effect of your development alongside other committed projects in the locality. This is particularly vital for wind turbine developments, where cumulative visual and noise impacts are primary considerations for the Planning Inspectorate.
Comprehensive Environmental Compliance Solutions
Our EIA services are multi-disciplinary, integrating specialist reports into a cohesive Non-Technical Summary (NTS) and a full Environmental Statement. From Odour Impact Assessments and Noise Modeling to Basement Impact Assessments and Heritage Impacts, SWEL offers an all-in-one compliance solution. With over 900 projects completed across the UK, our consultants bring technical authority and regulatory experience to every stage of your project's lifecycle, from initial scoping to the discharge of environmental planning conditions.
Southwest
Environmental Limited
The requirement from EIA stems from European
initiatives, and as such it is a UK wide consideration.