Appraisal Procedure

Three-stage Appraisal Procedure.

The appraisal of any form of transport investment requires a clear understanding of the objectives, which are to be met, and appropriate criteria to be used to decide whether a proposal meets them. The Government's five objectives for transport are pivotal to the appraisal process.

• Environmental impact involves reducing the direct and indirect impacts of transport facilities on the environment of both users and non-users.
• Safety is concerned with reducing the loss of life, injuries and damage to property resulting from transport incidents and crime.
• Economy is concerned with improving the economic efficiency of transport.
• Accessibility is concerned with the ability with which people can reach different locations and facilities by different modes.
• Integration aims to ensure that all decisions are taken in the context of the Government's integrated transport policy.

There is tension between these objectives, such that proposals may contribute to the achievement of one objective, but work against the achievement of others. The appraisal procedure must allow determination of an appropriate balance between the five objectives. An Appraisal Summary Table (AST) provides a means of summarising the impact of a proposal on the five objectives.

Scheme assessment reports act as a summary of the more technical reports generated during the appraisal of road schemes. They are written to be unbiased and easy to read using a factual style, which describes both the advantages and disadvantages of routes or corridors; their principal audience is the public. Scheme assessment reporting is a three stage procedure, the level of detail and the coverage of the assessment report is appropriate to the type of decision that can reasonably be taken at each stage.

• Stage 1 - identify the environmental, engineering, economic and traffic advantages, disadvantages and constraints associated with broadly defined improvement strategies. This concludes in the selection of a number of potential routes or scheme options.
• Stage 2 - identify the factors to be taken into account in choosing alternative routes or improvement schemes and to identify the environmental, engineering, economic and traffic advantages and constraints associated with those routes or schemes. This concludes in the selection of a preferred route or scheme option.
• Stage 3 - identify clearly the advantages and disadvantages, environmental, engineering, economic and traffic terms of the preferred route or scheme option. A particular requirement at this stage is as assessment of the significant environmental effects of the project in accordance with the requirements of Article 67A(3) of The Roads (Northern Ireland) Order 1993, implementing EC Directive 85/337 as amended by EC 97/11.

Each assessment stage includes a proportionate effort land-use assessment examining the effects on agriculture including (i) land-take (ii) type of husbandry (iii) severance and major accommodation works for access, water supply and drainage etc.