ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the process of environmental appraisal was developed in the context of the British planning system and relates to current British legislation and guidance. It draws upon a research study which operated from December 1992 to June 1993. Urban planning faces a conflict between positive environmental policy and effective land use control. To appraise the potential and actual impacts on the environment of a development plan means to add a new dimension to the preparation of a development plan. The appraisal process proposed is intended to be adaptable to every level of plan and government, and to the skills an authority either has within its plan-making team or can realistically call upon. Scoping the plan is crucial to ensuring that the plan embraces the right scope of policies and proposals. Environmental appraisal of development plans could be seen as crucial to effective land use planning and a major contribution to resolving the conflict between environmental protection and development.
