Paper 7: EXPRESSION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE

Environmental assessment tends to concentrate on the evaluation of disbenefits, although considerable benefits can also accrue. These notes outline numeric (not monetary) methods of establishing the net change in the main environmental factors. The emphasis is on simplicity but combined with sufficient sensitivity. The methods are also more applicable to

interurban rather than urban road construction.

Eight factors are considered. Of these, vibration (with associated infra-sound) and temporary environmental effects are unlikely to be of significant importance. No satisfactory way has been found of expressing severance but it should be noted that many of the perceived effects e*g. noise, are covered elsewhere; also that physical effects are particularly reflected in traffic reassignment and included in COBA (but not pedestrain movements).