Monitoring and auditing: after the decision - Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment - page 209

meet their extra workload. The extent to which this has occurred is again very difficult to
estimate, although surveys of local companies have provided some useful information on
these issues (Glasson & Heaney 1993).
7.5.3 Some findings from the studies
A very brief summary of a number of the findings are outlined below and in Figures 7.5a
and b.
Employment
An important prediction and condition was that at least 50 per cent of construction
employment should go to local people (within daily commuting distance of the site). This
has been the case, although, predictably in a rural area, local people have the largely
semi-skilled or unskilled jobs. As the employment on site has increased, with a shift from
civil engineering to mechanical and electrical engineering trades, the pressure on
maintaining the 50 per cent proportion has increased. In 1989, a training centre was
opened in the nearest local town, Leiston, to supply between 80 and 120 trainees from the
local unemployed.
Local economy
A major project has an economic multiplier effect on a local economy. By the end of
1991, Sizewell B workers were spending about £500,000 per week in Suffolk and
Norfolk, Nuclear Electric had placed orders worth over £40 million with local companies
and a “good neighbour” policy was funding a range of community projects (including
£1.9 million for a swimming pool in Leiston).
Housing
A major project, with a large in-migrant workforce, can also distort the local housing
market. One mitigating measure at Sizewell B was the requirement of the developer to
provide a large site hostel A 600-bed hostel (subsequently increased to 900) was
provided. It was very well used, accommodating in 1991 over 40 per cent of the in-
migrants to the development, at an average occupancy rate of over 85 per cent, and it
helped to reduce demand for accommodation in the locality.
Traffic and noise
The traffic generated by a large construction project can badly affect local towns and
villages. To mitigate such impacts, there was a designated construction route to Sizewell
B. The monitoring of traffic flows on designated and non-designated (control) routes
indicated that this mitigation measure was working. Between 1988 and 1991, the amount
of traffic rose substantially at the four monitoring points on the designated route, but
much less so at most of the seven points not on that route. Construction noise on site has
been a local issue. Monitoring has led to modifications in some construction methods,
notably improvements to the railway sidings and changes in the piling methods used.
Crime