Screening for environmental impact assessment projects in England: what screening?

Abstract

Previous survey research into screening for environmental impact assessment (EIA) in England has found that few local authorities have very much experience of dealing with EIA projects. This research examined actual case files of projects that fall within the ambit of the UK's EIA Regulations and found an explanation for this lack of experience. In the majority of the cases examined they were not even screened to see if an EIA was required. This suggests that there is widespread misunderstanding of the EIA regulatory requirements by English local planning authorities. It is also suggested that there may be a culture of resistance to EIA among planners and that this can undermine both EIA effectiveness and the theories used to justify its use.