If you’re planning a construction project in the UK, the Local Planning Authority may ask you to provide a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP). This blog will explain what a CEMP is, when you might need one and how you should create one.
What Is A Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP)?
A construction environmental management plan, or CEMP for short, is a document generally submitted by developers to Local Planning Authorities that outlines how a developer will minimise any negative environmental impacts of a specific construction project. A CEMP should also demonstrate that a construction project complies with any relevant environmental legislation.
It’s important to remember that the Local Planning Authority may not grant you planning permission if you do not have a CEMP. It’s also possible to use a CEMP to show how your development meets the requirements of any planning conditions or Section 106 agreements.
When Is A Construction Environmental Management Plan Needed?
In general, larger construction projects are more likely to need a detailed CEMP than smaller projects. For example, Wigan Council has said they require a CEMP for all Major Developments.
Wigan Council classes a Major Development as “residential development of 10 or more dwellings or on a site of 0.5 hectares or more, commercial development involving 1,000 sq m or more floorspace, or the development of any site of one hectare or larger.” However, they do say that other construction projects might also be classed as Major Development.
What Should Be Included In A Construction Environmental Management Plan?
Many details need to be covered by a CEMP. To start with, consider the following aspects.
- Vehicle access
- Working hours
- Noise and vibrations
- Dust and air quality
- Potential contamination of land, ecology and groundwater
- Communication with the public
- Monitoring the CEMP.
As you’ll have noticed, a CEMP is not just about meeting environmental legislation. A CEMP is also about how a construction project will affect local people and communities.
When thinking about vehicle access, consider how the construction project might affect traffic. How will heavy construction vehicles access the site, and will there need to be someone to direct traffic? What impact might construction vehicles have on the local environment?
Working hours are pretty self-explanatory. At what times of day will construction work occur, and for how long? Will there be different working hour patterns at various stages of the build? Remember, councils can take enforcement action to make you comply with the details laid out in the CEMP, so think carefully about this and don’t be tempted to guess.
Noise and vibration are two factors that can annoy local residents and workers and cause complaints. What steps can you take to minimise noise? You can’t eliminate noise completely, but if you can show that you’re being mindful of residents and that the noise won’t go on for any longer than necessary, you might be able to avoid upsetting any of the neighbours.
You should also have a plan in place for dust and air quality. Can you prevent, or at least minimise, dust from the construction project? If you can’t prevent dust from coming off the construction site, can you arrange to clean cars and windows that might be affected?
The potential contamination of land, ecology and groundwater by a construction project is a serious issue. You may be denied planning permission if the Local Planning Authority thinks there’s a significant risk of substantial contamination. Your CEMP should show that waste and other pollutants will be safely disposed of.
Your CEMP should also outline how you plan to communicate with the public. Major developments can be inconvenient to the people living and working nearby, but communication greatly reduces complaints. Your communication strategy can be as simple as knocking on doors and telling people when the noisiest days will be, or you could put up signs with relevant details.
It’s easy to forget, but you should also include information about how you plan to monitor your CEMP. It’s not just enough to have the document. You should also establish how you plan to make sure that the steps outlined in the CEMP are being followed. How will the details of the CEMP be communicated to the people carrying out the work?
What Else Needs To Be Considered In A Construction Environmental Management Plan?
The next step is to consider the specifics of the construction project you will be working on. Is there anything about the site that needs to be considered, such as the cultural or archaeological value of the area? You should also consider the impact of your construction project on the following areas:
- Geology and soils
- Landscape and visual impact
- Nature conservation
- Archaeology and cultural heritage
- Energy and materials.
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It might not be the case that your construction projects will need to address all the bullet points above. However, some construction projects will need to involve careful consideration of the above bullet points. For example, a CEMP might need to show how you will mitigate risks of damage to a nearby area of cultural significance.
Related reading: What is environmental certification, and when do you need it?
Is A Construction Environmental Management Plan A Legal Requirement?
It’s true that not all construction projects will require a CEMP. However, you may not be granted planning permission for your project if you do not have a CEMP. So if you’re planning a Major Development, there’s a good chance that you will need to do a CEMP, and you will need to follow it.
Local Planning Authorities and local councils will expect you to follow the steps that you’ve outlined in the CEMP. Councils do have the power to take enforcement action against developers who do not follow their CEMP. Don’t put steps in your CEMP that you can’t or won’t be able to follow.
Who Can Prepare A Construction Environmental Management Plan?
A CEMP is a large piece of work, and completing a CEMP requires specialist knowledge. For this reason, many third-party companies exist that can assist with completing a CEMP for a fee. It can be helpful to have your CEMP completed by someone with a background in ecology, such as a Chartered Ecologist.
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