Environmental Considerations

Environmental Impact Assessment

An Environmental Impact Assessment or EIA assesses the potential effect an operation of this nature would have on its surrounding environs. It is a detailed assessment and is used extensively to assist in the planning determination process.

The areas covered are as follows:

  • Consultation with Planning Authorities including a Scoping Report that outlines in detail the nature of the processes and proposed operations.
  • A detailed introduction.
  • Description of the existing site.
  • How the planning application sits within existing planning policy.
  • Alternative sites and schemes.
  • Consultation.
  • Cultural heritage.
  • Land use
  • Landscape and visual effects.
  • Social and economic effects
  • Contaminated land review.
  • Remediation options and risk assessment.
  • Drainage and flood risk assessment.
  • Odour management plan.
  • Air quality assessment.
  • Traffic and transport assessment.
  • Noise survey
  • Full ecological survey

The results of this assessment are available to the public. They will be available from your local authority who make them available locally, in a library for example.

Environmental Permitting Regulations

The Environmental Permitting (EP) Regulations came into force on 6 April 2008. These new regulations will make existing legislation more efficient by combining Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) and Waste Management Licensing (WML) regulations.

The EP Regulations will dictate how Enviroparks operates its site, and importantly ensure that any emissions from the site remain within European and UK limits through a strict monitoring programme.

Enviroparks will have to satisfy the Environment Agency that it has the technology and expertise to meet the conditions of the EP Regulations.

The application is onerous and detailed, and once submitted takes at least 4 months for the Environment Agency to consider. Throughout the application process the Environment Agency can request more information.

The whole application is kept within the public domain and will be able to be viewed through appointment at the Environment Agency's office in Swansea where it will be submitted.

For more information:

Welsh Assembly Qualifying Occupiers

The land at  Hirwaun was acquired from the Welsh Assembly Government having been vacant for 40 years and having been remediated and earmarked for development some 15 years ago.

Prior to the transaction taking place, Enviroparks had to produce  three  detailed business plans including full development proposals for the whole site.

Each technology was investigated in detail and each technology has to be approved by the Welsh Assembly before it can be located on the site.

The buildings on site are required to meet a BREEAM standard. For information on breeam visit http://www.breeam.org

The purpose of this due diligence is to ensure Enviroparks delivers best value for the people of Wales to the best environmental standards.