Widening the scope: strategic environmental assessment - Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment - page 380

Table 12.5 Assessment and mitigation of plan sub-
components (illustrative only)

Plan sub-
component

Comments and
overall assessment
(e.g. assumptions
made, further studies
needed, how
implementation
might make impact
negative or positive)

Proposed changes to
the plan:

• where text is not

clear, possible
changes to clarify it

• where impact is

negative (−),
possible changes to
reduce or reverse
impact

• where impact is

positive (+), possible
changes to further
enhance impact

• where impact

depends on how the
Plan is implemented
(I), measures needed
to ensure that
implementation is
positive

1. Provide
2000 new
houses in
area X

I + − … Impact on

biodiversity depends
on where houses are
sited

Change 1. to require no
net loss to biodiversity.
Impact on soil
impossible to mitigate;
social benefits
outweigh this
environmental cost.

2. Maintain
the Green
Belt in
area X*

0 +

…
(Based on Levett-Therivel 2004.)
* Preferred option from previous, more strategic level of assessment, see Table 12.4.

impacts of plan sub-components can be assessed and mitigated. In each case, the table
cells should be filled in, option by option or sub-component by sub-component, noting
whether the option/sub-component:

• is clearly written: if not, it might be possible to rewrite it to make it clearer;
• has a negative impact (−): if so, this impact might be mitigated, for instance by
rewriting the sub-component, adding a different sub-component, etc;