Environmental Assessments

HC Deb 01 November 1989 vol 159 cc235-6W

Ms. Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each case where an application for direction has been made since 15 July 1988 what further information has been requested from the developers, local plannng authorities or others; and what additional scientific or technical advice has been sought before determining whether environmental assessment is required.

Mr. Moynihan

In most cases in which the Secretary of State has been asked for a direction on the need for environmental assessment, he has been able to make a decision on the basis of information already available to him. In a few cases he has informally sought further advice from the local planning authority or from Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution. In one case, a proposed incinerator for medical and hospital wastes at Kirkby, Merseyside, the developer was formally asked for further information under regulation 6(3) of the Town and Country Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1988; the developer subsequently withdrew the related planning application and no direction was given.

Ms. Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those developments where a direction whether environmental assessment is required has been given without application by the developer, and the effect of each decision.

Mr. Moynihan

A direction has been given without an application by the developer in the following case which concerned a local authority's own development proposal:

LPA	Proposed development	Date of direction	Effect of direction
Lincoln City Council	Business Park, Bishop's Bridge, Lincoln	13 April 1989	EA required

Ms. Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps have been taken to monitor and assess the quality of environmental impact statements which have been required subsequent to the implementation of the European Community directive on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment.

Mr. Moynihan

We are about to commission research to monitor the operation of the regulations which implement the EC directive in respect of projects requiring planning permission. The research will include some assessment of the adequacy of environmental statements submitted by developers.