Environmental impact should be carefully considered at the start of any new development, and there are several different assessments that could be carried out for potential sites. The particular assessments we find landowners and developers need clarity on refer to the key differences between the EIA, the EcIA, and the PEA (Preliminary Ecological Appraisal).
These assessments are required by law and are vital to helping ensure your development can go ahead. Local planning authorities will consider the findings of an EIA when assessing your planning permission application, which is why you should take the right steps to ensure you are not delayed with costly setbacks.
What is an EIA?
An EIA, or Environmental Impact Assessment, is an important step for receiving approval for any proposed development project. An EIA will take into account any potential social, ecological, economic, and health impacts of a development to inform appropriate authorities before planning permission is granted.
Not every planned development will need an EIA, and it is only necessary if a project is expected to have a serious impact on the surrounding environment.
What types of projects may require an EIA?
The types of projects that require an EIA may be:
Quarries
Industrial estate development projects
Waste disposal or treatment plants
Urban development projects
Road construction
Hydroelectric energy production or wind farm installations
Holiday or hotel villages and complexes outside urban areas (such as permanent campsites)
Motorway service areas
The main goal of an EIA is to make all future decision making transparent and straightforward. An EIA helps to ensure that all involved are given plenty of opportunities to reduce, avoid, or mitigate any repercussions to the environment.
Read more about the importance of environmental impact and ecological assessments in our blog, What is an Ecology Survey.
What does environmental impact mean?
Considering the environmental impact of your project will save you money in the long run by identifying problems early on avoiding any issues with mitigation in the future.
The first stage of the EIA process is to “screen” development sites for any potential environmental impact. However, this kind of impact can be seen in a number of different ways. It is important to note that each planned development will have its own unique situations, and screening criteria may be more important for some locations than others (for example, if a development is proposed in an environmentally sensitive location).
The criteria included in the screening process of an EIA will question:
Any construction’s effect on natural resources and the topography of the natural area
Waste creation
Potential pollution, contamination, and environmental damage
If any development-related noise, light, heat, vibration, or electromagnetic radiation will be a nuisance or disturbance to the environment
How the development and construction may affect human health
If water resources will be affected
How biodiversity, such as habitats and species, will be affected
Other criteria may also question land use and stability, cultural heritage importance, and transportation and access.
What is an impact assessment?
Environmental impact assessments should be done in the early stages of project design and planning. The process for this type of impact assessment will often start with developers requesting a screening to verify the need for an EIA. If this is confirmed, the developers may then move forward to determine the extent of potential issues through scoping. Scoping can also specify what aspects of the environment are likely to be significantly affected.
Once this is achieved, an Environmental Statement (or ES) must be prepared under the guidance of experts and submitted. It will be publicised electronically by public notice, allowing anyone to share opinions or concerns. At this point, the appropriate authorities may finally make their informed decision to approve or disapprove of the development.
EIAs provide a look into a broad scope of environmental effects. Because of this, an EIA may include other impact assessments, such as the EcIA and PEA, to specifically analyse ecological issues.
What is an EcIA?
An EcIA, or Ecological Impact Assessment, is used for projects or sites of all scales, looking into the ecological effects of proposed developments while taking into account possible avoidance, compensation, and mitigation measures. EcIAs differ from EIAs in that they are mainly concerned with any ecological impact not just on designated sites - meaning actions that result in a change to a site’s habitats, species, and ecosystems.
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A form of EcIA can also be a part of Environmental Impact Assessments, although they are not the majority. The full EIA is carried out for projects with environmentally sensitive sites or with potentially significant environmental effects. It is much more common for projects to stay within the screening EIA criteria thresholds.
EcIA is similar to the EIA in that one of its main goals is to provide transparency. In this way, everyone involved in a project is made aware of potential impacts on an area's ecology and the significance of these impacts.
What is the EcIA process?
The first step in the EcIA is actually the PEA, which we explore shortly. This is known as the “scoping” step and involves an ecologist identifying present habitats and potential for protected species. Value assessments will then be taken by additional surveys, or Phase 2 surveys. These are used to identify species and habitats in more detail. Some examples of Phase 2 surveys can include botanical surveys and surveys for bats, reptiles, badgers, or breeding birds.
See our ecology calendar to understand the best times for specific surveys.
Following the value assessment, an ecologist will also be able to carry out an impact assessment. This assessment is informed by the master plans, landscaping, lighting, and drainage proposals of the potential development. They will liaise with the design team to recommend ways for developers to avoid, compensate, and mitigate any identifies potential impacts.
An EcIA report can then be created, consisting of all detailed survey results, interpretations, assessments, and recommendations. You can read more about EcIAs in our in-depth guide here.
What is a PEA?
PEA stands for Preliminary Ecology Appraisal and is also known as a Phase 1 habitat survey. It is the first identifier of any issues or ecological constraints that may exist on a site, and it discovers them “rapidly” through an initial desktop study and then a walkover survey.
A PEA has two main goals: to identify any ecological obstacles to proposed developments and discover potential opportunities for new habitats to be introduced. Depending on what habitats and species are discovered, an extended phase 1 habitat survey will determine what future studies may also be required. For example, if priority habitats or species are discovered on the site - such as badgers, bats, or otters - you will need additional ecological surveys for these species.
Explore Ecology by Design’s full range of protected species surveys here.
What is the PEA process?
There are three main steps to a preliminary ecological appraisal process: desk study, field study, and evaluation.
PEA Desk study
A desk study aims to accumulate all appropriate data and background information needed for the appraisal. An ecologist will be able to confer with local record-holders and receive documentation on any notable or protected species on the designated site. They may look for information in wildlife trusts, local record centres, or local natural history groups. They may also look online, gathering fundamental information about the local area.
PEA Field study
An extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey will include both a desk and field study. The field study involves a visit to the proposed site of development and a “walkover” survey. At this stage, an ecologist will physically examine the site. They will record any discovered plant species and map out the types of habitats found within the site boundary. Extra care is given to look out for any evidence of protected or notable species.
A field study can be conducted by an ecologist at any point of the year. However, it is best to survey the land between the months of April and September. A survey outside of these months may be less successful in accurate habitat mapping and require a follow-up botanical survey.
PEA Evaluation
Once these steps have been completed, an ecological report can be presented. The PEA report will detail the survey methods, results, and any recommendations based on the potential impacts. It can also inform the design team of any future surveys that may be required as well as guidance to ensure that planning policy and legislation are adhered to.
If no other surveys are required and the PEA has created a sufficient and complete assessment, the report can be upgraded to an EcIA. This means that all potential impacts, enhancement measures, and appropriate mitigation have been completely assessed, reported, and given to local planning authorities.
Read more on the PEA process in our article: Preliminary Ecological Appraisal Guide
How long does the PEA process take?
A PEA is best suited for small to medium-sized developments. For many of these projects, no other survey or assessment will be required. If that is the case, the final report of this biodiversity study could be available within four weeks. However, this time frame is greatly dependent on the time of year, the size of the site, and the types and range of habitats on the site.
How long does the EcIA process take?
It is best to start the EcIA process as soon as possible as there is no general lead time for this type of assessment. They may take anywhere from six months to 12 months, all depending on the habitat type and the time of year that the process is started.
While Phase 1 habitat surveys can be done at any point of the year, detailed phase 2 surveys (like botanical surveys) may need to be carried out at specific times of the year. The optimal times for surveys will also vary for each unique habitat. For example, it is best to survey woodlands in April and May, and meadows must be surveyed before any hay is cut - at the end of June.
For a more detailed look into EcIA lead time, read our blog: Ecological Impact Assessment Guidelines.
Do I need an EcIA or PEA?
The best ecological impact assessment for your project will depend on its size, the location of your proposed site, and the significance of potential ecological and environmental effects.
Your project will need an EIA if it is particularly large in scale and bound to have notable effects on the environment and designated sites. Slightly smaller projects located outside of sensitive areas may be more appropriate for an EcIA. These kinds of projects may be residential developments, small road constructions, or permanent campsites.
Ecology by Design provides a comprehensive range of ecological services with a dynamic and expert team. If you have any other questions on the types of ecological assessments, get in touch today or please call us at 01865 893346.
Explore our ecological impact assessment and preliminary ecological appraisal services today or head to our blog for more information from accredited ecological surveyors.