Any ecology report we prepare for planning will use impact assessment as a tool to assess the implications of the development for ecology. Small Ecology can assist you for ecology in carrying out formal statutory and non-statutory impact assessments of most project types, including screening, scoping, mitigation and monitoring.
Statutory impact assessment
Statutory impact assessment has a significant number of legal requirements that must be completed. Schemes it might be required for include :
- certain types of larger or more environmentally sensitive planning uses;
- farming operations involving cultivation of uncultivated land;
- forestry operations for example involving felling without replanting.
Statutory impact assessment schemes are often complex and even where not legally obliged the use of EIA techniques may be advisable to assist project decision-making. We are more than happy to discuss informally in the first instance to ascertain what help you might require.
Small Ecology has experience of statutory EIA process for :
- Large urban extension schemes
- Returning uncultivated land to agriculture
- Large scale forestry clearance for habitat creation
- Environment Agency emissions permitting
- Construction of utilities routes for water, sewerage and cabling schemes
- Wind turbines and solar farms
- Transport schemes, including roads and cycleways.
Habitat Regulations Assessments
Habitat Regulations Assessment are a specialist type of impact assessment, associated with developments or operations that might affect internationally-protected sites. They can occur without there being a need for a statutory EIA and the effects may be indirect such as increased recreational pressure on nesting little terns or diffuse pollution on wetland sites.
There is a requirement within the assessment to prove beyond reasonable doubt that there is no significant impact. The assessment is carried out by a “competent authority”, normally the planning authority or planning inspector, in consultation with Natural England, whose opinion should be sought.
Small Ecology has dealt with large numbers of this type of assessment. Gathering sufficient data and completing a focused assessment of pathways provides the authority will sufficient confidence to make a robust deicsion .
Further information
https://www.cieem.net/resource/guidelines-for-ecological-impact-assessment-ecia