Monitoring and auditing: after the decision - Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment - page 212

number of arrests in certain offence categories after the start of the project. However,
local people not employed on the project were involved in most of the arrests, and in the
increase in arrests, with the exception of drink-driving, for which Sizewell B employees
(mainly in-migrants) accounted for most arrests and for most of the increase. However,
the early diagnosis of the problems facilitated remedial action, including the introduction
of a shuttle minibus service for workers, the provision of a large bar in the site hostel, the
stressing at site-workers' induction courses of the problems of drink-driving, and the
exclusion from the site (effectively the exclusion from Sizewell B jobs) of workers found
guilty of serious misconduct or crime. Since the early stages of the project, worker-
related crime has fallen substantially, and the police have considered the project
workforce to be relatively trouble-free, with fewer serious offences than anticipated.

Residents' perceptions
Surveys of local residents in 1989 and 1991 revealed more negative than positive
perceived impacts, increased traffic and disturbance by workers being seen as the main
negative impacts. The main positive impacts of the project were seen to be the
employment, additional trade and ameliorative measures associated with the project. The
monitoring of complaints about the development revealed substantially fewer complaints
over time, despite the rapid build-up of the project.

7.5.4 Learning from monitoring: Sizewell B and Sizewell C

Table 7.4 shows the nature and auditability of the Sizewell B socioeconomic predictions.
In contrast to the findings from previous post-auditing studies (see Dipper et al. 1998), a
vast majority of the Sizewell B predictions were expressed in quantitative terms. The
monitoring of impacts and the auditing of the predictions
Table 7.4 Nature and auditability of the Sizewell B
predictions

No. of predictions % of total

Nature of prediction
Quantitative
Expressed in absolute terms 35 51

Expressed in % terms 21 30

Qualitative 11 16

Incorporates quantitative and qualitative elements 2 3

Total: all predictions 69 100

Auditability of predictions

Auditable: monitoring data subject to no or little potential error 30 43

Auditable: but monitoring data subject to greater potential error 28 41

Not auditable 11 16