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03/01/2012
High EIA Instance Delaying Investment In NI
Northern Ireland’s high instance of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) is delaying development, hindering investment, and in some cases making companies think twice about locating in Northern Ireland, according to an expert.
Matthew Sheppard, Head of EIAs at UK planning consultancy Turley Associates, was speaking at an RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) event in Belfast on the subject.
He said that Northern Ireland produces more than four times as many EIAs as England, and more than twice as many as Scotland and Wales.
He points out that research from the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) found that Northern Ireland produces 29.2 EIAs per million head of population, compared to 6.9 in England, 13.1 in Scotland and 13 in Wales.
Mr Sheppard added that these technical assessment documents have been central to the delay of several major development projects and, whilst draft regulations currently propose closing a loophole which can be used to postpone Public Inquiries for long periods of time, this area remains ripe for potential legal challenges.
Matthew Sheppard said: "The situation in Northern Ireland is very different to England. More EIA work is undertaken and slightly different legislation means that there are more opportunities for objectors to a development to frustrate the planning process and slow down necessary investment and economic growth. The risks of legal challenge will remain high even when the legislation changes, so it is important to make sure that these documents are both thorough and robust at the start of the process."
He added: "EIAs are extremely important, but they can be used to delay development projects. Doing the necessary groundwork to safeguard against potential challenge on purely technical grounds is important to ensure against unnecessary delay to important investment."
An environmental impact assessment is an assessment of the possible positive or negative impact that a proposed project may have on the environment, together consisting of the natural, social and economic aspects.
(GK)
Matthew Sheppard, Head of EIAs at UK planning consultancy Turley Associates, was speaking at an RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) event in Belfast on the subject.
He said that Northern Ireland produces more than four times as many EIAs as England, and more than twice as many as Scotland and Wales.
He points out that research from the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) found that Northern Ireland produces 29.2 EIAs per million head of population, compared to 6.9 in England, 13.1 in Scotland and 13 in Wales.
Mr Sheppard added that these technical assessment documents have been central to the delay of several major development projects and, whilst draft regulations currently propose closing a loophole which can be used to postpone Public Inquiries for long periods of time, this area remains ripe for potential legal challenges.
Matthew Sheppard said: "The situation in Northern Ireland is very different to England. More EIA work is undertaken and slightly different legislation means that there are more opportunities for objectors to a development to frustrate the planning process and slow down necessary investment and economic growth. The risks of legal challenge will remain high even when the legislation changes, so it is important to make sure that these documents are both thorough and robust at the start of the process."
He added: "EIAs are extremely important, but they can be used to delay development projects. Doing the necessary groundwork to safeguard against potential challenge on purely technical grounds is important to ensure against unnecessary delay to important investment."
An environmental impact assessment is an assessment of the possible positive or negative impact that a proposed project may have on the environment, together consisting of the natural, social and economic aspects.
(GK)
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