Environmental and social impact assessments

Environmental and social impact assessments (EIA) are fundamental in understanding the potential impacts of a proposed project, avoiding or mitigating these impacts, and delivering a project that is sustainable and consentable.

Binnies has a proven track record in successfully developing EIA strategies and supporting consent applications for a wide variety of engineering and environmental projects, in the UK and across the globe. We have completed environmental assessments in sectors including

• water utilities
• river and coastal management
• power generation and infrastructure
• ports and harbours
• rail, airports and other transport infrastructure.

Our dedicated environmental services team delivers to the highest technical standard to achieve the best environmental outcomes for our clients in a cost-effective way. We are registered with the IEMA EIA Quality Mark scheme, thus demonstrating our commitment to excellence in all EIA activities. Our environmental scientists are members of professional organisations including CIEEM, IEMA and CIWEM, and include registered and principal IEMA EIA practitioners.

Binnies is at the forefront of digital EIA. We use our innovative digital capabilities to manage, capture and store large amounts of environmental data, thereby enabling efficient assessments of options, and to provide an interactive online environment for supporting internal and external communication and engagement.

The River Thames Scheme is a flood alleviation scheme designed to protect the largest area of undefended, developed floodplain in England, between Egham and Teddington. The Binnies environmental services team is supporting its delivery through our EIA, HRA, water framework directive, stakeholder consultation, socio-economic, natural and social capital accounting, landscape design, geomorphology, ecology and biodiversity net gain services. The project is championing the use of digital EIA.

Binnies used non-intrusive surveys, including topographical surveys using unmanned aerial vehicles and environmental DNA, and ArcGIS for data collection and sharing, to undertake ecological surveys for EIA screening to deliver the programme for a 17-km water supply pipeline for Bristol Water. The Binnies-designed scheme achieved an ‘Excellent’ CEEQUAL rating and was an International Green Apple Habitat and Biodiversity Gold Award Winner.