European Union Environment Policy and New Forms of Governance: A Study of the Implementation of the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive and the Eco-management and Audit Schem by Hubert Heinelt

Author:Hubert Heinelt [Heinelt, Hubert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781138704282
Google: ky-kAQAACAAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2017-11-30T03:37:48+00:00

Reflections

In the early years of planning for the second crossing of the River Severn, the scoping studies undertaken by consulting engineers Atkins/Maunsell for the British government (represented by the Department of Transport and the Welsh Office) were completed in confidence in order not to alert or alarm the wide range of interests that would inevitably be affected. Competition for further work took place after the public announcement and the consulting engineers, operating under the name of the Second Severn Crossing Group, won the contract to undertake the next stage of the commission. This work included further studies of the effects of the scheme, designing the approach roads, preparation of the tender documents relating to the Concession and approach road contracts, as well as preparing the environmental statement in liaison with the specialist agencies.

The impression is given of a long standing and harmonious relationship between the government departments and the Second Severn Crossing Group. This is reinforced by their joint public presence, together with the concessionaires, in the three rounds of public consultation on this large scheme.

The fact that there were well over 10,000 visitors to the three exhibitions indicates the level of public interest in the new crossing. Helpful leaflets were prepared which not only outlined the proposals but also suggested how anxious individuals or organisations could take their concerns further. Posters advertising the exhibitions were placed in post offices and libraries. Some commentators felt that a more imaginative approach to publicity would have got the information over to more people. There was also a failure in the second consultation to leaflet households and other affected bodies lying close to likely approach roads, but this was rectified for the third exhibition.

One of the explicit purposes of the second exhibition held in 1989 (more modest in terms of number of locations than the first or the third) was to point out where suggestions for change made at the first exhibition and in other settings had been taken up following further consultation and where they had not been taken on board. One example of change was to move the main span of the bridge downstream to facilitate navigation through the main channel of the river. Another was to move the approach road to the bridge on the Welsh side away from the settlements of Rogiet and Caldicot, despite the conventional wisdom of the time to put all routes in a single transport corridor, that is, closely aligned to the main railway line connecting Wales and England. (British Rail as then it was, had also to be satisfied that the construction of the bridge would have no effect on the railway tunnel carrying this main line).

The route of the link between the bridge and the north-south motorway on the English side of the river was also moved east so that it skirted rather than crossed the main part of an area owned by private industrial interests. This area zoned for industrial development was not therefore badly affected by severance. The amended route gave greater clearance to the safety zones round the chemical factories in the area.

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