Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

Organisations are required by law to undertake EIA when planning particular types of development, such as power stations. Other types of projects, such as wind turbine development, infrastructure and residential development, may also require EIA depending on the size of the proposed development and the potential for significant environmental impact. In some instances, EIAs may also be undertaken on a voluntary basis to ‘smooth the way’ for a potentially sensitive application for development consent.

EIA involves detailed technical assessment of the potential effects of a project on the environment. The first stage is a ‘Screening and Scoping’ process to confirm that EIA is required. For more information on the assistance we can give at the Screening and Scoping stage, please click here.

Once the scope of the EIA has been agreed with the consenting authority, The Landmark Practice coordinates the production and presentation of environmental studies within a detailed Environmental Statement (ES) for submission with the development application.

A comprehensive and robust EIA from The Landmark Practice delivers major client benefits:

• Compliance with environmental standards minimises impacts on people and the environment, avoids the costs of remedial treatment or compensation for damage, and reinforces credibility.


• Reduced time and cost in securing planning approvals for development schemes. Environmental concerns are dealt with prior to planning submission, thereby minimising risk of delay caused by decision-makers seeking additional information.


• Avoidance of unanticipated impacts, providing savings in capital outlay and operating costs.


• Informed public support for proposed development by provision of accurate and meaningful information.


• Improved plan and layout by analysis of alternative approaches to project design and siting.

The Landmark Practice is a registered assessor of the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA). We have a strong track-record in EIA, and offer services to manage and co-ordinate the entire process. We offer our experience across a wide range of development sectors, including industries from wind turbine developments to rail links and re-development of listed buildings to large-scale business parks.

Screening and Scoping

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process by which the environmental effects of a major development are accessed. EIA is required be European and UK legislation for projects with the potential to have significanrt effects on the environment. The results of an EIA are presented in an Environmental Statement (ES) which is used by Planning Authorities in descision making.

Screening is the first stage of the Environmental Impact Assessment process, when a decision is taken on whether or not EIA is required. There is a statutory requirement to undertake an EIA for particular developments, such as power stations. Some other types of projects, such as wind turbine or commercial developments, may also require EIA depending on their size and potential to cause significant environmental impacts.

Scoping is the next phase of the process. The purpose is to identify potential significant impacts that are likely to arise from a development and list the content and extent of the information that must be submitted in the Environmental Statement (ES).

Landmark has a strong track record in EIA with experience across a wide range of industries (for examples of our work, please click here). We offer services to manage and co-ordinate the EIA screening and scoping process, including:

• Screening of development projects and securing a formal Screening Opinion from the competent authority


• Liaison with the competent authority, statutory and non-statutory consultees


• Production of a Scoping Report

Early and comprehensive scoping effort can provide the following client benefits:

• Upfront identification of the potential significant effects of the project. This reduces risk of later delay should further information be sought after submission of the application for development consent.


• Early agreement of data collection and assessment methods reduces the risk of delayed determination due to procedural challenge after submission of the ES.


• Saves time and money by focussing resources on the important issues and discounting issues of little relevance.


• Allows efficient planning and management of the environmental studies to ensure that the project can be delivered to programme and budget.


• Early stakeholder involvement aids proper consultation on potentially sensitive issues.

Our environmental planners will be happy to discuss the services that we can provide, so please contact us for more details.

Appropriate Assessment (AA)

Appropriate Assessment (AA) is a powerful tool to control the environmental impact of a development. It tests whether a proposed development is likely to have a significant negative impact on any ‘European Sites’, i.e.:

• Special Protection Area – a European designation which protects birds


• Special Area of Conservation – a European designation which protects important wildlife habitats


• Ramsar Site – a European designation which protects wetlands of global importance

Appropriate Assessment will only affect a development if it is seen to have a significant adverse impact on the conservation objectives of a European Site (AA does not apply to other designations such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty). The planning authority must take a view as to whether the impact is acceptable in the context of the UK Habitats Regulations before determining any planning application.

If your proposed development is close to a European Site you need to consider whether Appropriate Assessment will be required as early as possible in the development process. This will ensure you you have sufficient time to scope the work required, gather data and prepare and submit your report along with the planning application. Timely programming of this work will minimise the risk of delay to your project that could result from later demand for additional information.

The first stage of the process is a 'Test of Likely Significant Effect' (ToLSE). If this suggests that the plan or project could have significant negative impact on European sites, the planning authority will conduct an Appropriate Assessment prior to any application for development consent.

Our environmental planning team helps development teams to make the request for a ToLSE and with scoping the Appropriate Assessment study. We offer services to gather and interpret the required information to enable Appropriate Assessment of a project or plan, including:

• Consultation with the appropriate competent and statutory authorities


• Desk studies to draw together existing data on habitats, species, plans and projects


• Creation of cost effective, commercially realistic and innovative mitigation schemes, where necessary


• Agreement of monitoring protocols where necessary

Our environmental planners will be happy to discuss the services that we can provide, so please contact us for more details.

Landscape Masterplanning, Design and Assessment

Our landscape architects bring not only their professional skills to their work, but also strong personal interests in complementary fields. Some have backgrounds in urban planning, ecology or horticulture, others in historic environments, public realm strategies and community involvement.

Landscape and Visual Assessments are almost always included in the scope of wind turbine EIAs, and visual impact is often a key consideration in the public perception and the determination process. Research indicates that the public perception of wind turbines differs from the perception of most industrial infrastructure, primarily because turbine blades move. Perception varies depending upon the nature of the viewer. It is important that the nature of the receptor is assessed, as is the emotional value attached to a landscape.

The Landmark Practice landscape team offers considerable experience in landscape and visual assessment of wind turbine installations and has the necessary skills and tools to complete the specialist tasks that are required to properly inform application schemes, including:

• Prediction of the Theoretical Visual Envelope (TVE) of wind turbines
• Identification of the Zone of Visual Influence (ZVI) of single turbines, wind farms and cumulative effects oft turbines.
• Preparation of photomontages to demonstrate likely visual impact
• Landscape character impact assessment

The Landmark Practice is a registered practice with the Landscape Institute, the Chartered Institute in the UK for Landscape Architects incorporating Designers, Managers and Scientists.

Our landscape team will be happy to discuss the services that we can provide, so please contact us for more details.

Ecological Assessment

The ecology team is central to our wind turbine contracts due to typically high sensitivities of birds and bats to wind turbine developments. Our ecologists provide specialist knowledge of protected species and habitats to inform site selection, project masterplanning and post-development management and monitoring.

Landmark ecologists have extensive experience of working closely with wind turbine development practitioners to find realistic solutions for the client. The Landmark Practice ecologists are fully qualified and licensed in their specialist fields and, with our environmental planners, provide expert technical advice to the DECC sponsored Renewable Energy and Planning Support Network.

• Fully qualified and licensed ecologists
• Advice on legislation and protected species
• Ecological impact assessment
• Site constraint problem solving
• Site surveys and species mapping
• Expert identification of flora and fauna
• Habitat and species evaluation
• Habitat creation and restoration
• Management plans and site and species monitoring

Our ecology will be happy to discuss the services that we can provide, so please contact us for more details.

EIA/ES Auditing and Review

Auditing or Review of Environmental Statements (ESs) is a systematic process by which we establish whether an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) (and resultant ES) is fit for the purpose of informing a determining authority whether to give development consent.

Reviews are carried out in accordance with criteria set by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA, 2001). The review criteria and review grades are based on the legislative requirements of the EC Directive on Environmental Assessment (85/337 and 97/11/EEC), transposed into UK domestic legislation through the Town & Country Planning (EIA) (England & Wales) Regulations 1999, together with current reasonable best practice standards for ESs produced in the UK.

The Landmark Practice offers its EIA/ES review capabilities to local authorities, statutory agencies, NGOs and developers.

We’ll help you to identify whether an ES is fit for purpose, to identify any deficiencies that could leave an application for development consent open to challenge and make suggestions for corrective actions where necessary

The Landmark Practice is a registered assessor of the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA). We have a strong track-record in EIA, with extensive experience across a wide range of development sectors, including commercial and industrial development, from wind turbine developments to rail links and re-development of listed buildings to large-scale business parks.

Our environmental planners will be happy to discuss the services that we can provide, so please contact us for more details.

Stakeholder Engagement and Public Consultation

The Landmark Practice has an acknowledged track record in delivering robust planning consents for wind turbine developments. One of the reasons for that success is that we recognize the importance keeping stakeholders and the local community informed, and of mobilising public support for wind turbines.

We have experience of managing numerous stakeholder events and public/community consultation workshops to inform individual planning applications. We also provide technical advice on best practice community engagement to developers and their agents.

Generating Public Support for Major Wind Farm Developments

Earlier this year, together with colleagues at communications consultants PPS and legal expert Burges Salmon, Landmark presented a series of well-attended Breakfast Seminars in major regional hubs, including London, Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester. The seminars focussed on the importance of providing good quality information about wind turbine developments to local communities, who often form a ‘silent majority’ in the planning process.

PPS Development Director Charles St George reviewed community engagement, public affairs and public relations techniques that can help to generate public support for wind farms. Landmark’s Principal Environmental planner, Bernice Roberts, stressed the value of accurate and up to date information in Environmental Assessments to help to allay public concerns and gather support during the planning process. Liz Dunn from Burges Salmon considered the role of Community Funds in securing public acceptance of major wind farm developments, and offered guidance to address the growing problem of legal challenge to wind farm planning permissions.

Our environmental planners will be happy to discuss the services that we can provide, so please contact us for more details.