Environmental statements in the uk: The initial experience

Abstract

Environmental assessment became mandatory in the UK under a European directive in July 1988; between then and the end of December 1990, 472 environmental statements (ESs) are known to have been submitted to competent authorities by developers. The distribution of ESs by type of regulation under which they were submitted, and by type of project for which they were prepared, is examined. The numbers and types of developers and consultancies involved in preparing, and the numbers of competent authorities involved in reviewing, a 50% sample of 236 ESs are analysed. The length and price of these 236 ESs are discussed, together with the content of 100 ESs known to have been submitted by July 1989. Recommendations relating to the listing, to the availability and to the content analysis, of ESs are made which are intended to assist in improving UK environmental assessment practice. © 1991 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.