Environmental Impact Assessment

Since the accession of countries within the Central & Eastern Europe Region to the European Union in 2004, the requirement for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for certain types and scales of development has become an integral part of the development process. Undertaking such an  assessment in a thorough manner and clearly demonstrating that adverse environmental effects have been mitigated, where possible, is crucial.

Failure to produce a robust Environmental Statement, which can withstand the scrutiny of consultees and the general public, will almost certainly lead to delay in the planning process and could result in a legal challenge.

Within the Central and Eastern Europe Region EIAs are undertaken by our specialist team based in Poznań. EIA has been undertaken for major projects in the transport, waste, water and property sectors and includes some of the country’s largest infrastructure projects.

We can provide full support throughout the EIA process from screening and scoping through to preparation of the Environmental Statement.  We have the full range of environmental specialists in-house, including ecology, noise and vibration, landscape and visual, contamination, air quality, socio-economics, water and micro-climate. We also have expertise in EIA-related requirements such as Equalities Impact Assessment, Health Impact Assessment and Flood Risk Assessment.

We believe that EIA works most effectively when it forms a key component of the design process. Working in an iterative way with the design team allows adverse environmental effects to be identified early-on and mitigated through design changes rather than through the addition of potentially expensive measures ‘bolted on’ late in the day. Early and pro-active engagement with statutory and non-statutory consultees is also crucial in identifying areas of concern and creating the opportunity to address these prior to submission of the planning application. Our recommended approach is to enter the planning determination period with as many issues resolved as possible. This will increase the likelihood of a more rapid planning approval.