Advice to English Heritage

Enquiry

• From: English Heritage
• Date advice given: 8 December 2011
• Enquiry type: Phone

How will the IPC consider cumulative impacts?

Advice given

Should a proposal be Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) development, the developer can ask the IPC for a scoping opinion of what to include within any subsequent EIA. As a statutory consultee, English Heritage would be consulted by the IPC regarding the possible content of an Environmental Statement. Advice Note 9 provides some information in respect of cumulative impacts (from other proposed development within the context of the site and any other reasonably foreseeable proposals in the vicinity). Other major development to be identified could be those which are under construction, permitted applications not yet implement, submitted applications not yet determined etc. For more information please see: http://infrastructure.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Advice-note-9.-Rochdale-envelope-web.pdf

On-going pre-application discussions with both the developer and relevant councils are strongly encouraged. Pre-application discussions with the developer can help inform the proposal as well as inform any mitigation measures, S106 agreements and requirements that may be considered.

Pre-application discussions with local authorities/county councils can help those bodies in preparing a Local Impact Report. Should an application be submitted and accepted to progress to examination, the relevant authorities will be invited to submit Local Impact Reports and we strongly encourage them to consider the information and resources to prepare these documents well in advance of actual submission.

Pre-application discussions can also be of significance in parties are working towards preparing Statements of Common Ground.

The importance of continued and constructive dialogue at pre-application stage is linked to the limited opportunities to amend an application once it has been submitted to the IPC.