Planning applications contain several sections and requirements to suitably meet the obligations set out for different types of developments. One such area is the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

The government has a number of policies and agendas in place to further protect and preserve habitats, such as the net zero strategy and the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) scheme. We’re also seeing landlords taking more responsibility with the green agenda for both residential and commercial properties – in line with tenant demand. So, where does the Environmental Impact Assessment come into all this?

What Is The Environmental Impact Assessment?

In a nutshell, “the purpose of the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive is to assess the significant effects of a development on the environment.” (Gov 2014). This will evaluate anything from birds and habitats to trees, hydrology, and ecosystems, as well as traffic and coastal processes.

The EIA comes into play early in the planning process, where analysis of what the potential impact of a development will have on the existing environment. This ensures that the public and planning authorities have all the information they require to make a decision.

UK legislation sets out what types of developments require an EIA as not all planning applications need one – it depends on the location and scale of the project and whether or not it is likely to have a significant impact on the environment. A screening opinion can be requested to confirm if an EIA is necessary from the Local Planning Authority.

Government guidance notes also state that “the regulations only apply to certain types of development. They can even apply to ‘permitted development’, which is development for which you do not need to get planning permission. They do not apply to development given consent under other regimes; these are subject to separate Environmental Impact Assessment regulations”.

Who Carries Out The Environmental Impact Assessment?

The developer is required to provide the Environmental Statement (ES) with the planning application. On larger developments, this section can be assessed and completed by contracted ecologists and ornithologists who will conduct surveys, etc., for the EIA. Smaller developments with less bearing on the wider land, however, could be completed by the applicant.

Environmental Impact Assessment Process

As a rule of thumb, there are five general stages to the EIA process:

Screening – determining if a project falls within the remit of the regulations
Scoping – what issues need to be considered for the assessment
Preparing an Environment Statement – investigating, writing, and submitting the EIA concerning the environmental impact of the development and expertise used to represent this data
Making a planning application and consultation – community presentation and notice giving the public the ability to review and feedback on their views on the development (usually electronically)
Decision making - local planning authority and/or the Secretary of State deciding to (or not to) grant content for the development.

Full guidance on the Environmental Impact Assessment can be found here.

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