This guide explains how EC requirements for environmental impact assessment have been incorporated into procedures in the UK. It revises the booklet Environmental Assessment: A Guide to the Procedures, published in 1989, to take account of the requirements of the Directive 97/11/EC, which was adopted on 3 March 1997 and came into force on 14 March 1999.Parts 1 and 2 of the guide explain the procedures that apply to projects that fall within the scope of the Directive and require planning permission in England and Wales. They also give general advice and guidance.

This guide is intended as a companion to Planning Policy Guidance (PPGs) [and subsequent Planning Policy Statements (PPSs)] and aims to encourage better design and to stimulate thinking about urban design. The guide is relevant to all aspects of the built environment, from the design of buildings and spaces, landscapes, to transport systems; and for planning and development at every scale, from streets and their neighbourhoods, villages and cities, to regional planning strategies.

Response to the 8th report, HCP 78-I, 1998-99 (ISBN 010228699X)