You can score a 'High' if you have recognised and acted appropriately to minimise potential external impacts resulting from your Proposal (e.g. impact on your neighbours, other local or associated businesses or the wider environment as appropriate) over and above those that you are compelled to address via statutory consents and licences.
To score a 'High', you will also have to show that you have taken on board the advice provided by specialist advisors or comments made through any consultation process your Proposal was subject to.
An example is where any elements of a Proposal have been the subject of a formal Environmental Impact Assessment and, as a consequence, have received consent with conditions that demand a higher level of mitigation than the statutory minimum. In this case the Proposal will score high on the basis that EIA represents the highest and most detailed level of environmental impact scrutiny available in the UK.
Examples:
- A vernacular building has been renovated for a new use and the visual impact of the Proposal has been minimised by retaining existing walls.
- A new poultry shed has been constructed adjacent to a core path. The applicant has screened the building from the path by planting trees and has taken measures to reduce odour impact for path users.
- A new slurry store has been re-located to the rear of a farm steading to reduce visual impact from the public road and the applicant has introduced slurry injection to avoid odour impact.