Full EIA is only occasionally required for projects, but JFA has many years of experience in delivering EIA to meet the requirements of legislation. The process requires that a scope of ecological issues be identified, and this follows a basic Phase 1 Habitat Survey. A scoping report is then prepared.
The scoping report is agreed through the competent authority (usually the LPA) who contacts statutory consultees, such as the Environment Agency and Natural England, as well as their own officers. When the scope of the EIA has been agreed, further surveys may be required, usually for protected species or for semi-natural habitats of importance.
A full technical report is then prepared, which is appended to the main Environmental Statement (ES). This document summarises the findings of the Technical Appendices, which include all work for all areas that were included in the original scoping exercise.
Once submitted, the local planning authority has an extended period to consider the application and the EIA.
Producing an EIA is costly and time-consuming. As it is often avoidable, JFA can assist an a client early on in “screening out” or “scoping out” and reduce both the time and the costs associated with the planning application process.
