This presentation is designed to explain how EIA (environmental impact assessment) works in the context of National Infrastructure Projects and is particularly geared towards supporting town and parish councils who have limited time and resources.  

If your parish is lucky enough to be able to muster a large team, you may be able to take a more comprehensive approach than suggested here.  However, there are some principles here which should be helpful in any case. 

It is important to emphasis that, unlike other types of consultation your parish might be more familiar with, this is not about the principle of the development.

Town and Parish Councils can engage with the consultation without prejudice to any objections they have to the scheme.  Indeed, they can play an important and unique role in identifying local environmental and socioeconomic issues, that the applicant and the Planning Inspectorate need to consider.