Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
projects. However, for many developers, a major project may be a one-off or “once in a
lifetime” activity. For them, the EIA process, and the associated planning and
development process, may be much less familiar, requiring quick learning and, it is to be
hoped, the provision of some good advice.
3.2.3 Affected parties
Those parties directly or indirectly affected by such developments are many. In Figure
3.1 they have been broadly categorized, according to their role or degree of power (e.g.
statutory, advisory), level of operation (e.g. international, national, local) or emphasis
(e.g. environmental, economic). The growth in environmental groups, such as
Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) and
the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), is of particular note and is partly
associated with the growing public interest in environmental issues. For instance,
membership of the RSPB grew from 100,000 in 1970 to over a million in 1997.
Membership of Sustrans, a charity which promotes car-free cycle routes, rose from 4,000
in 1993 to 20,000 in 1996. Such groups, although often limited in resources, may have
considerable “moral weight”. The accommodation of their interests by a developer is
often viewed as an important step in the “legitimization” of a project. Like the
developers, some environmental groups, especially at the national level, may have a long-
term, continuing role. Some local amenity groups also may have a continuing role and an
accumulation of valuable knowledge about the local environment. Others, usually at the
local level, may have a short life, being associated with one particular project. In this
latter category can be placed local pressure groups, which can spring up quickly to
oppose developments. Such groups have sometimes been referred to as NIMBY (“not in
my back yard”), and their aims often include the maintenance of property values and
existing lifestyles, and the diversion of any necessary development elsewhere.
Statutory consultees are an important group in the EIA process. The planning authority
must consult such bodies before making a decision on a major project requiring an EIA.
Statutory consultees in England include the Countryside Agency, English Nature (EN),
the Environment Agency (for certain developments) and the principal local council for
the area in which the project is proposed. Other consultees often involved include the
local highway authority and the county archaeologist. As noted above, non-statutory
bodies, such as the RSPB and the general public, may provide additional valuable
information on environmental issues.
3.2.4 Regulators
The government, at various levels, will normally have a significant role in regulating and
managing the relationship between the groups previously outlined. As discussed in
Chapter 2, the European Commission has adopted a Directive on EIA procedures (CEC
1985 and amendments). The UK government has subsequently implemented these
through an array of regulations and guidance (see Section 3.3). The principal department
involved currently is (2004) the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) (formerly
DTLR, DETR and DoE!) through its London headquarters and regional offices.
Notwithstanding the government scepticism noted in Chapter 2, William Waldegrave,
Search WWH ::




Custom Search