Planning for Sustainability

Why use Planning for Sustainability?

With low overheads and a small core team of highly experienced EIA specialists, Planning for Sustainability is able to provide a thorough and comprehensive EIA scoping studies at competetive rates.

Our EIA managers have acquired a wealth of experience in a variety of large and complex development types. They are therefore capable of rapidly identifying what the likely issues will be at any particular project, allowing a fast turn-around time and a focus of resources on the important issues.

We address the issue of cost of the environmental impact assessment at the outset of our involvement: with the EIA scoping study. Our EIA scoping studies are carried out by experienced EIA managers. The experience of our EIA managers ensures that the scope remains focussed and directing resources only to matters that are important. In adddition to this, the way we operate allows us to offer competively priced consultancy fees. Typically we charge only £2,950 in consultancy fees at a lump sum basis for our scoping studies.

It is often recommendable to support the EIA scoping report by a number of initial baseline studies to increase its value. Particularly, an Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey and a Phase 1 Land Quality Assessment can often prove to be of immense value when carried out early on in the project. We can provide these studies in addition to our EIA scoping study, should this be required.

To demonstrate our approach, experience and competetive rates, we welcome an opportunity to provide a quote for one of your projects. Please use the contact details elsewhere on this page to request more information or a quote.

The importance of EIA scoping

Establishing the scope of the EIA is a fundamental component of the EIA process. The purpose of EIA scoping is to define those environmental topics that should be assessed as part of the EIA, the methods to be used and the geographical scope of the environmental impact assessment.

Although not a mandatory requirement, EIA scoping is an important facet of the environmental impact assessment process. This importance was highlighted in the Department of Environment's "Preparation of Environmental Statements for Planning Projects that Require Environmental Assessment: A Good Practice Guide". This states in paragraph 2.2:

"Defining its scope is one of the most critical parts of an EIA in that it sets the context for what follows. If the scope is defined too narrowly, some critical area of uncertainty or adverse impact may emerge late in the day. Decisions on the shape of the project may then be too far advanced to allow for any real change. On the other hand, if the scope of work is too loosely defined, then much time, effort and cost may be spent on pursuing unnecessary detail."

EIA scoping ensures that resources are focussed on the assessment of important impacts and sensitive receptors, and therefore those issues of greatest potential significance. The process also helps to ensure early engagement with key stakeholders and enables the early consideration of environmental constraints and opportunities in the application design.

A well undertaken EIA scoping study is an essential first step towards understanding the cost of an environmental impact assessment.