Pickles vows to streamline "Byzantine" EIA rules

The government is proposing to revoke the four “Byzantine” sets of rules governing Environmental Impact Assessments and replace them with a single set of streamlined regulations.

The Department for Communities and Local Government claimed the overhaul would avoid unnecessary repetition of work during the planning process for multi-stage projects.

The consultation paper suggests removing “gold plating” for multi-stage consents, which require assessments to be carried out at different stages of the planning process.

The DCLG also plans to replace the 1999 Circular on Environmental Impact Assessment next year with web-based guidance.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said the simplification of EIAs would make it easier for developers to “green-proof” their building projects.

He added: “I want it to be as easy as possible for councils and businesses to reduce any negative impact new development may have on the environment. That’s why we’re scrapping this Byzantine collection of regulations and replacing them with one simple and concise set of guidelines for environmental assessments.”

Pickles promised that the new regulations would be concise and user-friendly. “We’ve acted quickly to ensure the environment can be protected, without overwhelming everyone with red tape,” he insisted.

A copy of the consultation paper can be downloaded here.