Prepare an EIA report

If your development needs an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report as part of your planning application find out how to prepare it.

If you don't know if you need an EIA, check by requesting a screening opinion. If you don't know what to include in EIA report request a scoping opinion.

What to include in your EIA report

If you received a scoping opinion from us, you can use this as a guide for the environmental issues you need to cover in your assessment.

The Planning Circular 1/2017 details everything you need to include in your report, but in general the report must include the following details:

• Description of:
  • Development, including its location, design, size, and other relevant features
  • Other options the developer considered and why the final choice was made
  • Environmental aspects that may be significantly affected by the development such as wildlife, people, health, land, water, air, climate, heritage, and landscape
  • Likely effects of the development during building, operation, and decommissioning
  • Steps to avoid, reduce, or manage harmful effects
• A non-technical summary of this information
• Any additional information specified in Schedule 4 of the 2017 Regulations

How to submit the report

When the report is ready, you can submit it with your planning application. 

What happens after

The planning application and EIA report are published in the planning register to let the public and other consultees make comments and be involved in the decision making process.

We will review the EIA report and any representations made during the consultation period, before making a decision on the planning application.

We will make sure that all environmental information is taken into account and that the decision is made in accordance with planning policies and environmental regulations.

After a decision is made we will publish the outcome in the planning register for the public and consultees to view.

If the development is approved we may impose conditions to monitor and mitigate environmental impacts during the development.