Starting up; early stages - Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment - page 96

Scoping is generally carried out in discussions between the developer, the competent
authority, other relevant agencies and, ideally, the public. It is often the first stage of
negotiations and consultation between a developer and other interested parties. It is an
important step in EIA because it enables the limited resources of the team carrying out an
EIA to be allocated to best effect, and prevents misunderstanding between the parties
concerned about the information required in an EIS. Scoping can also identify
Figure 4.1 An illustrative guide to the
threshold system. ( Source: DETR
1997.)
issues that should later be monitored. Although it is an important step in the EIA process,
it has not been a legally mandated step in the UK. Developer consultation with the
competent authority and statutory consultees before preparing an EIS is very important
but happened in only about half of all cases in early UK EIA practice (DoE 1996,
Eastman 1997, Fuller 1992). This lack of early discussion was one of the principal
limitations to effective EIA to date. The Government (DETR 2000, ODPM 2003a)