Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process whereby the environmental consequences of development proposals are systematically considered in order to inform the relevant decision-making process. It is now an established feature of the land-use planning system with major development proposals having a statutory requirement to provide evidence of the process in the form of an Environmental Statement (ES). The ES establishes a baseline to examine the environmental character of the area, the possible interactions of the proposed development and the use of best practicable techniques to mitigate adverse and enhance positive effects. Other project proposals can require an ES if they are perceived to have significant adverse environmental effects on the site or area. The benefits derived from the EIA process mean that many developers adopt the approach voluntarily to further their proposals and better inform the decision-making process.

Recent experience includes:

Highway infrastructure and developments
A303 Stonehenge improvement	Highways Agency
A74 Carlisle to Guards Mills motorway upgrade	Highways Agencys
A458 Buttington Cross to Wollaston Cross improvement	Welsh Assembly
A30 Bodmin-Indian Queens improvement	Highways Agency
Water industry developments
Reservoirs	Thames Water Utilities
Pipelines (water supply transfer)	Southern Water Services
Pipelines (waste water/sewage sludge)	Southern Water Services, Thames Water Utilities
Waste water treatment works	Southern Water Services, Welsh Water
Rail infrastructure
Channel Tunnel Rail Link	Union Railways Ltd
Airport infrastructure
Extra runway capacity	Manchester Airport plc
Airport expansion	Newcastle International Airport Ltd