Environmental Impact Assessment

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is an integral part of planning and development. It is a process by which the anticipated effects on the environment of a proposed development are measured to inform the decision making process. The EIA process can often be seen as complex and confusing, particularly for key stakeholders. However, if managed well it offers an opportunity to de-risk development and enhance reputation.

EIA is a structured approach for obtaining and evaluating environmental information prior to its use in decision-making in the development process. This information consists, basically, of predictions of how the environment is expected to change if certain alternative actions are implemented and advice on how best to manage environmental changes if one alternative is selected and implemented. Until relatively recently, with a few notable exceptions, EIA focused on proposed physical developments such as highways, power stations, water resource projects and large-scale industrial facilities. Slowly, but increasingly, its scope of application is expanding to include policies, plans and other actions which also form part of the development process.

Novosys has successfully delivered a considerable number of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and produced many Environmental Statements (ESs) for a diverse range of development projects. From supporting successful consent for large scale farms, through to providing specific environmental appraisals and technical reports for residential property developments. Our approach is to focus the EIA process upon the key issues and take a proportionate approach to the assessment to minimize project risk and maximize opportunities for success.
Working as an integrated part of your team we:

• Create a project strategy which identifies the range of issues critical to project risk, value and ultimately success.
• Define suitable project scope, proportionate to the nature and scale of the development, by initiating a nearly and effective consultation process.
• Design-in solutions, embedding sustainable mitigation measures in the design, to add value and reduce the likelihood of issues, later on, saving you time, money and wasted effort.
• Prepare a robust Environmental Statement or appraisal that addresses regulatory requirements and guidance.
• Of course, depending on the nature of your development, a full EIA may not always be required. We have successfully screened many client projects as non-EIA submissions saving valuable time and money.
• At Novosys, we understand the importance of a condensable development and our aim is to achieve a successful consent with the minimum of fuss that maximises commercial viability.