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Scoping Guidelines for the Environmental Impact Assessment of Projects

Identification of key issues early in the Environmental Impact Assessment process is known as scoping.

The Environment Agency has produced scoping guidelines, which are targeted at developers, their consultants, local planning authority staff, Environment Agency staff, and others involved in the promotion and appraisal of proposed projects that are likely to have a significant effect on the environment.

Aims of the guidelines


• To explain the role and importance of scoping in EIA;
• To guide scoping activities;
• To provide guidance on key issues common to many project types;
• To provide project-specific scoping guidance;
• To assist the Environment Agency in fulfiling its role as statutory consultee under the EIA regulations.


The Handbook for Scoping Projects and 30 of the most popular guidance notes, describing the impacts of a comprehensive range of individual development types, are available from our publishing catalogue. The handbook and guidance notes are available free of charge.

On the publications catalogue page search for the handbook and guidance notes by using the words scopingguidelines (no space) in the key words search.

Please note that as the scoping guidelines were published in 2002 certain legislative aspects described may now be out of date and should be considered with care. However, the technical issues highlighted are still relevant.

The contact details in the handbook are no longer correct. There is also no cost for the guidelines as stated in the document.