A round-up of the latest developments in EIA.
Quarry plans founder on lack of an assessment
Plans to reopen a quarry in Cornwall to supply rock to the proposed tidal lagoon in Swansea have been halted by the High Court for failing to include an environmental impact assessment (EIA).
Cornwall County Council granted Shire Oak Quarries planning permission in April 2015 to build an office, staff room, storage facility and security fence at the Dean quarry on the Lizard peninsular, which had been mothballed since 2008. The council decided the proposed development was unlikely to have significant environmental effects so did not require an EIA. However, communities secretary Greg Clark ruled in June that it was likely the plan would have significant effects on the environment.
On 13 November, a judicial review commenced to consider the legality of approving a major industrial development in an area of outstanding natural beauty without an EIA. Justice Dove confirmed in December that Clark’s decision was binding and quashed the planning consent.
Although disappointed, the company said: ‘Dean quarry has a valid minerals consent to operate until August 2035 and that consent is unaffected by [the] decision.’
Cornwall County Council said last month that it had decided not to appeal against the High Court’s ruling.
EIA research
The nature of things
Delivery of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) can be significantly hampered if tight timescales prevent adequate ecological survey at the correct time of year for different types of wildlife, argues Christopher Slater, environmental planner at TEP, in a new QMark paper. The author presents a seasonal guide, which reveals that only otters and badgers of seven species listed can be surveyed throughout the year. He notes that poor weather may also prevent effective assessment even in optimal periods. Nocturnal bat surveys are not advisable in rain and high winds, while warm, dry and calm weather is best for butterflies and reptiles. Slater says engaging ecological experts early in the design process can help ensure that enough time is available to properly assess different types of wildlife.
The bigger picture
In a QMark paper, Kitty Hankins, senior environmental consultant at RSK, considers how EIA can become a better tool for wider sustainability objectives. She explains that the process could promote better resource efficiency, for example, by considering building materials that are more sustainable or the use of materials that are more easily recovered for reuse or recycling at the end of a development’s lifespan. In terms of addressing climate change, Hankins says an assessment should consider the whole lifecycle of the project. She uses the example of a new road, which the ecologist assessing the impact proposes rerouting to avoid a wood. Although this would ensure the trees continued to store carbon and prevent damaging local biodiversity, Hankins points out that the new route could require more material. This in turn could result in more carbon emissions and greater overall impact on the environment. Considering the overall effects at every stage of the project might lead to an alternative mitigation scheme where the wood is lost but more trees are replanted as compensation and less aggregate and associated haulage are needed to complete the project.
