Eleni Antoniades

1. EIA For Better
Design
Institution of Environmental Sciences
EIA Discussion Forum
Eleni Antoniades
18 March 2021

2. Eleni Antoniades
Project Environmental Lead
Construction Environmental Management and Assessment
Aviation and Infrastructure
Trustee and Board Member of the IES
email: e.antoniades@eaenvironmental.com
linkedin.com/in/eleniantoniadesenvironmental

3. EIA Process
General public environmental awareness has increased in recent years in the UK, with the growth of
pressure groups and a greater interest in climate change as well as protected and designated sites
As environmental professionals working in EIA, we are increasingly finding ourselves working on
projects which are opposed by residents of the local and wider community.
How can we, as EIA professionals use our expertise to positively influence the design process? What are
the barriers to this may and how can they be overcome?

4. EIA Regulations
The requirement to avoid, prevent, reduce, off-set and mitigate environmental mpacts is written into
the EIA Regulations:
EIA Town and Country Planning As Amended in 2017
(3) An environmental statement is a statement which includes at least
(c) a description of any features of the proposed development, or measures envisaged in order to avoid,
prevent or reduce and, if possible, offset likely significant adverse effects on the environment;
(d) a description of the reasonable alternatives studied by the developer, which are relevant to the
proposed development and its specific characteristics, and an indication of the main reasons for the
option chosen, taking into account the effects of the development on the environment
) if the decision is— (i) to grant planning permission or subsequent consent—
a description of any features of the development and any measures envisaged in order to avoid, prevent,
reduce and, if possible, offset, likely significant adverse effects on the environment; and
7. A description of the measures envisaged to avoid, prevent, reduce or, if possible, offset any identified
significant adverse effects on the environment and, where appropriate, of any proposed monitoring
arrangements (for example the preparation of a post-project analysis). That description should explain
the extent, to which significant adverse effects on the environment are avoided, prevented, reduced or
offset, and should cover both the construction and operational phases

5. The Challenge
As EIA is intended to be an iterative process which feeds into the design, we need to
understand why as EIA professionals we often find ourselves assessing a project at a stage
where we can have limited influence over the key design elements.
The key to unlocking this is for environmental professionals working in EIA (EIA Project
Leads, EIA Co-ordinators and Topic Specialists) to become involved at the very early stages
of a project (feasibility and options appraisal) and for the environmental elements to have an
equal weighting with engineering and economic impacts.
The polls at the start of this forum we asked:
1) As an environmental professional, have you worked on the environmental assessment at
feasibility stage of projects? Yes/ No
2) As an environmental professional, have you worked on the environmental assessment at
the options appraisal stage of projects? Yes/ No
3) As an environmental professional, have you worked on the environmental assessment at
the EIA Report or ES Report stage of projects? Yes/ No

6. Feasibility
Stage of a re-
opening of a
railway line
between
Bentley and
Bordon

7. Options Appraisal Stage Airport Development- Site selection
or route selection

8. Options Appraisal Stage: e.g. since 1991, 51 proposals have
been considered for improving the A303 in the Stonehenge
area

9. EIA Stage/ES Stage –most likely site will be selected,
preferred route option is most likely to be selected, outline
design will be in place

10. We will break out into groups:
1. Feasibility Stage
2. Options Appraisal
3. EIA Report/ ES Stage
Where we can discuss the barriers to influencing the design at each of these stages
1. Feasibility Stage
 Have you had the opportunity to assess a project at the feasibility stage?
 Have you ever worked on a project which did not go past the feasibility stage on purely environmental grounds?
 It is likely that a Client/Developer would approach consultants for feasibility study with the requirement for positive outcome.
Has there been pressure to make the project be feasible, in your experience?
2. Options Appraisal
 Have you had the opportunity to carry out options appraisal during a project’s development and if so which tools did you use
(e.g. DfT Transport Appraisal Guidance)
 Did the environmental elements have equal weighting with engineering and economic, or was it carried out retrospectively?
 What weighting do you believe environmental assessment should have on the options appraisal and should an option be rejected
purely on environmental grounds
EIA Report/ ES Stage
 Do you typically play an active role in the design of a project as part of the design team, along with civil /structural engineers?
 Are you typically given a project route/building/structure which has already been designed and required to assess this in the
EIA Report?
 In your experience has your advice as an environmental professional been incorporated into the design process and influenced
the design OR has design changed following public consultation /Statutory Consultee feedback?

11. 1. Feasibility Stage
Have you had the opportunity to assess a project at the feasibility stage?
Have you ever worked on a project which did not go past the feasibility stage on
purely environmental grounds?
 It is likely that a Client/Developer would approach consultants for feasibility study
with the requirement for positive outcome. Has there been pressure to make the
project work?
© Leo Hillier Photography, RAF Marham Runway

12. 2) Options Appraisal Stage
Have you had the opportunity to carry out options appraisal during a
project’s development and if so which tools did you use (e.g. Transport
Appraisal Guidance)
Did the environmental elements have equal weighting with engineering
and economic, or was it carried out retrospectively?
What weighting do you believe environmental assessment should have on
the options appraisal and should an option be rejected purely on
environmental grounds
© Leo Hillier Photography, RAF Marham Runway

13. 3) EIA Report/ ES Stage
Do you typically play an active role in the design of a
project as part of the design team, along with civil
/structural engineers?
Are you typically given a project
route/building/structure which has already been
designed and required to assess this in the EIA Report?
In your experience has your advice as an environmental
professional been incorporated into the design process
and influenced the design OR has design changed
following public consultation /Statutory Consultee?
(c) Photo: Moreas Construction

15. Conclusion
 Feasibility stage: at earlier stages of a project, during
feasibility there is more scope to avoid environmentally
sensitive sites entirely and to prevent adverse
environmental impacts
 Options appraisal stage: there is scope to prevent and
reduce environmental impacts
 EIA Report Stage: there is scope to reduce, mitigate and
off-set
 Potential for influence can decrease over time
 Become involved at earlier stages of a project
 Environment to have equal weighting with engineering
and economic appraisal
 EIA Report / ES Stage should be an opportunity to
provide enhancement and improvements to the
environment