Environmental Statement Review

Background

EIA is a process that must be followed for certain types of major development before development consent is granted.  The requirement for EIA comes from a European Directive (85/33/EEC as amended by 97/11/EC). 

When EIA is carried out properly it can be used to overcome potential objections and minimise risk to the project.  On the other hand, there is a significant risk of legal challenge, with several notable cases, when EIA is not carried out properly.

Benefits of the Service

The planning authority is responsible for:

• "screening" to determine whether a project requires EIA;
• “scoping" to advise the applicant of the likely, significant effects on the environment that it wants to see addressed in the ES;
• consulting with statutory consultees, members of the public and others who may have views, to establish their view on the proposal and the ES;
• evaluating the environmental information presented in the ES and any representations made prior to making a decision; and,
• determining the application and publicising the decision.

If the ES does not fully or properly address the key issues the planning authority must request further information and must be satisfied that they have all the relevant information before making a decision. 

Temple Environmental can fully support planning authorities to carry out this function.  This includes screening, scoping and review of Environmental Statements (ES).  The first stage is to determine whether a development is likely to have a significant effect on the environment and whether the development falls within the remit of the regulations.  If an EIA is required, then we can advise on the areas that need to be assessed and the assessment method.  Finally, a review of the ES will establish whether it meets regulatory requirements and contains sufficient information to allow planning decisions to be properly made. This helps identify whether further information should be requested from the developer, and ensures that planning decisions are not open to legal challenge. These reviews can be completed rapidly to ensure that committee report deadlines can be met.

A report will be produced that will highlight if there are deficiencies or short comings or ways in which any ES might fall short of requirements, and clearly indicate what needs to be done to make it “fit for purpose”.

Temple Capabilities

Temple provides a comprehensive range of EIA services, from specialist advice and support on specific disciplines, to the production of a full EIA and preparation of an Environmental Statement  (see EIA service sheet).

Our personnel are environmental and EIA specialists, with experience across all sectors including rail, roads, airports, power, industrial and mineral extraction.

Temple has a long and successful track record in Environmental Impact Assessment. We recently completed an ES for Thameslink 2000 which achieved ‘A’ rating from the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment for all aspects of the ES and two special commendations for our approach to consultation and sustainable development.  This ES is being used as an example of best practice and as a “model structure” by a number of prestigious projects.

Temple personnel have EIA experience on a wide range of projects, examples include:

Our ‘whole project’ expertise in working with projects from inception through to completion as well as our breadth of experience across different sectors brings significant benefits in the context of understanding the implementing best practice in EIA.

The Temple Team

The team is a combination of experts in the fields of environmental impact assessment and planning. 

The core team is complemented by specialists in:

Service Users

Charging Structure

Temple Environmental will undertake your Environmental Statement review for an agreed fixed price, and prices start at around £3,000 (+ VAT).

Contacts

For further details regarding our services, please contact  us on 0207 394 3700  or enquiries@templegroup.co.uk

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