My role and specialisms. Worked at spawforths for nearly 13 years. Worked on EIA projects for approx. 10 years and had co-ordinator role for approx. 9 years. Lead EIA activities in the company.
The majority of Spawforths ES work is within these sectors. Spawforths undertake the ES Co-ordinator role. And can produce the LVIA and Socio Economic Technical Papers. For Renewable Energy projects Spawforths can also produce the Energy Technical Paper.
Some examples of Spawforths Renewable Energy projects. The Wind Energy Projects required ESs.
Some examples of Spawforths EIA projects on former colliery sites to redevelop as strategic urban extensions to settlements: - Prince of Wales, Pontefract - Rossington, Doncaster - Harworth
Some examples of Spawforths EIA projects mixed use, MSAs, roads and strategic employment.
IEMA Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment. Professional body that is recognised nationally and worldwide.
Spawforths involvement with IEMA. Quality Mark recognised as an important accreditation for the company s EIA activities.
IEMA s EIA Quality Mark is a recognised standard for EIA activities in the UK awarded by IEMA, showing excellence in a company s EIA activities.
There are a series of elements that are assessed to ensure an excellent standard in EIA activities.
Seven commitments need to be met each year, with ongoing assessment to ensure we continue to meet these commitments. These cover management, team capabilities, compliance, regulatory compliance, context and influence, content, presentation and improving EIA practice.
Spawforths have held the IEMA Quality Mark since 2012.
The commitments are met by producing articles, case studies and presentations on EIA related matters. Interviews of EIA staff are undertaken annually, with a further longer interview of senior EIA staff being undertaken every three years. ESs are submitted to IEMA once submitted to LPAs. These are reviewed annually to ensure they meet IEMA s Quality Mark requirements and commitments.
Spawforths undertake EIA activities including: - Screening to ascertain whether an ES is required - Scoping to scope with the LPA and consultees the scope and extent of the ES and to agree the methodology to be utilised - Environmental Statement including environmental assessment. The presentation of the project description, baseline, consultation, environmental assessment, mitigation, residual impacts, cumulative assessment, interaction of effects and conclusions.
Spawforths utilise a common methodology across the ES. The receptors are identified. The significance of an effect is relevant to the sensitivity or quantity of a receptor. Receptors are set out in accordance with the magnitude of their importance. Some receptors are given relatively high levels of importance through legislation, such as designated conservation sites or world heritage sites. Determining the importance of other receptors can be more subjective. To maintain consistency in how receptors are considered, this scoping report assesses each one in relation to the following hierarchy local, district, county, regional, national and international. The various environmental impacts are defined and categorised for each technical area, for example, neutral, negligible, minor, moderate, high and substantial. These can be positive or negative. For some topics the impacts are influenced by wider legislation. For example the Air Quality methodology is set against legislation which set targets in relation to human health. Once the receptors and impacts have been established they need to be assessed against each other to provide the likely significant effects.
The significance of effect is assessed using the significance matrix, where by the significance can be adverse or beneficial.