Progress should not come on the expense of an already fragile setting, warned the Institute for Environmental Administration and Evaluation (IEMA), following the Chancellor’s announcement final week of plans to exchange Environmental Influence Evaluation with a brand new system in an effort to “minimize purple tape and velocity up planning software approvals”.
The group stated the self-discipline of influence evaluation, together with the well-known environmental influence evaluation (EIA) and strategic environmental assessments (SEA) have been a cornerstone of the planning system within the UK for many years.
They allow native authorities, regulators, statutory our bodies and the general public to grasp the possible important results of growth on folks and the pure setting, and subsequently assist to result in efficient decision-making.
IEMA believes that plans to exchange EIA and SEA with Environmental End result Reviews (EOR) in England, may finally be detrimental to the setting within the long-term.
Ben Goodwin stated: “IEMA helps the federal government’s twin dedication to the crucial problem of delivering new housing and infrastructure whereas safeguarding the setting for future generations.
“Nonetheless, we’ve got important issues concerning the adequacy of the proposed Environmental Outcomes Reviews (EORs) in sustaining environmental safeguards and addressing sensible implementation challenges. Significantly when no particulars have been revealed about what EORs will include and the way they are going to be introduced ahead.
“Environmental Influence Evaluation (EIA) and strategic environmental assessments (SEA) have been a cornerstone of the planning system within the UK for many years.
“But the present EOR proposals lack adequate element on how environmental outcomes shall be measured, monitored, and enforced.
“In actual fact, neither the earlier Conservative Authorities nor the present Labour Authorities have been clear about what constitutes a ‘good environmental end result’.
“The Authorities has criticised the ‘voluminous paperwork’ that some environmental influence assessments have develop into, however their very own 10-page response to the Workplace of Environmental Safety evaluation of the Environmental Evaluation Regimes, doesn’t do justice to the evidence-based analysis and stakeholder engagement that went into that evaluation.“
“As their identify suggests, EORs supply a possibility to enhance environmental outcomes. Nonetheless, while guaranteeing that their implementation avoids diluting protections or creating loopholes that undermine sustainability, it’s additionally vital to contemplate that introducing this stage of change too rapidly dangers creating better uncertainty for builders and the Authorities not attaining its aims of dashing up the consenting course of.”
Key suggestions and observations:
- Keep Strong Environmental Protections: IEMA has persistently emphasised that “streamlining” the planning system should not compromise the present environmental safeguards supplied by EIA and SEA. For examples the watering down or elimination of social and local weather impacts inside EORs. Whereas EORs supply a possibility for enchancment, their implementation should keep away from diluting protections or creating loopholes that undermine sustainability.
- Deal with Capability and Expertise Shortages: Profitable implementation of reforms requires addressing the shortage of capability and experience inside native authorities and statutory consultees. With out adequate funding in coaching, assets, and expertise, the reforms danger delays, inconsistent software, and diminished environmental oversight.
- Proof-Based mostly Resolution-Making: The transition from EIA/SEA to EORs have to be underpinned by strong, evidence-based analysis. Present proposals lack adequate element on how environmental outcomes shall be measured, monitored, and enforced, creating dangers of authorized uncertainty and diminished confidence amongst stakeholders.
- Improve Public Participation and Transparency: Public participation is a cornerstone of efficient environmental governance. Any transfer to streamline processes ought to strengthen, not diminish, alternatives for public engagement, entry to environmental info, and safeguard routes for legit environmental and social based mostly challenges to selections.
- Combine Local weather Change and Biodiversity Targets: EORs should explicitly align with the UK’s authorized commitments on web zero, biodiversity web achieve, and different worldwide sustainability targets. These concerns ought to be absolutely built-in into planning reforms.
- Strengthen Monitoring and Accountability: Efficient monitoring and enforcement mechanisms are essential for attaining the meant environmental outcomes. IEMA advocates for unbiased oversight and a nationwide database to help transparency, knowledge-sharing, and adaptive administration of EORs.
Mr Goodwin continued: “IEMA urges the federal government to have interaction carefully with environmental evaluation and planning professionals within the growth of its EOR roadmap and Planning Reform proposals to boost their effectiveness whereas safeguarding environmental integrity.
“That might embrace organising a Nationwide Environmental Evaluation Unit to make sure that shifting to an EOR regime doesn’t danger delivering worse outcomes for folks and the pure setting. Whereas mandating using competent specialists and guaranteeing extra significant public participation within the planning system.
“IEMA has made constant requires proportionate EIA and revealed suggestions on how to do that. There’s additionally a lot that may be executed to drive velocity and effectivity by digital influence evaluation of which we’ve additionally developed steering and proposals.
“One easy, sensible step that the federal government may take is to create a nationwide database to help transparency and knowledge-sharing throughout the career.”
