A SURVEY OF THE USE OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN ENGLISH LOCAL AUTHORITY IMPACT ASSESSMENTS
D. RIDDLESDEN; A. D. SINGLETON; T. B. FISCHER (2012). Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management, 14(01), 1250006. DOI: 10.1142/S1464333212500068
Abstract
Across the public sector, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial analysis are increasingly ubiquitous when making decisions involving people and places. However, historically GIS has not been prevalently applied to the various types of impact assessment. As such, this paper presents findings from a survey conducted in 2011 of 100 local authorities in England to examine how embedded GIS, spatial analysis and visualisation practices are to the process of conducting impact assessments. The results show that despite obvious advantages of applying GIS in these processes, applications employing basic techniques are at best sporadic, and where advanced methods are implemented, these in almost all instances are conducted by external contractors, thus illustrating a significant GIS under capacity within the sampled local authorities studied.
Extended Summary
This research examines how extensively Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used in impact assessments across English local authorities to understand current spatial analysis capabilities in planning decision-making. The study surveyed 100 randomly selected English local authorities in 2011, excluding London boroughs, analysing their publicly available impact assessment documents including Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA), Sustainability Appraisals (SA), Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), and Strategic Flood Risk Assessments (SFRA). Documents were evaluated for GIS usage levels, from basic mapping to expert-level spatial modelling techniques. The research reveals significant variations in GIS adoption across different types of impact assessment. Strategic Flood Risk Assessments demonstrated the highest usage at 89%, employing sophisticated techniques including flood hazard mapping, three-dimensional elevation modelling, and scenario projections. Transport-based assessments achieved 73% GIS adoption, primarily using basic overlay mapping of infrastructure and environmental sensitivity areas. However, core strategy sustainability appraisals showed remarkably low usage at just 26%, relying mainly on policy assessment rather than spatial analysis. The study identifies a substantial skills gap within local authorities themselves. Only 35% of documents produced in-house utilised GIS methods, compared to 64% of those created by private sector consultants. This disparity suggests that local authorities lack the technical expertise and resources necessary for sophisticated spatial analysis, instead outsourcing complex impact assessment work to consultancies like Halcrow, Scott Wilson, Atkins, and Entec. Most GIS applications observed employed basic techniques such as multi-layer mapping and simple overlay analysis rather than advanced methods like spatial interaction modelling, multicriteria analysis, or three-dimensional visualisation. The research highlights a concerning disconnect between academic best practices in spatial analysis and real-world implementation in local government. Whilst academic literature demonstrates sophisticated GIS applications for impact assessment, practical usage remains limited to basic mapping functions. This knowledge gap suggests need for enhanced training programmes and stronger collaboration between academic institutions and local authorities. The findings have important implications for spatial planning policy and practice. The reliance on external consultants indicates potential vulnerability in local authority decision-making capabilities, particularly concerning given budget constraints facing English local government. The research suggests that investing in internal GIS capacity building could improve both the quality and cost-effectiveness of impact assessments whilst enhancing evidence-based planning decisions.
Key Findings
- Only 54% of impact assessment documents reviewed utilised GIS techniques, with 46% not using any spatial analysis methods.
- Strategic Flood Risk Assessments showed highest GIS adoption at 89%, whilst core strategy assessments had lowest usage at 26%.
- Private sector consultants produced 68% of impact assessments, demonstrating significantly higher GIS expertise than in-house local authority teams.
- Most GIS applications employed basic mapping techniques rather than advanced spatial modelling or three-dimensional visualisation methods.
- Local authorities showed substantial skills gaps in spatial analysis, with only 35% of internally-produced documents using GIS methods.
Citation
@article{riddlesden2012survey,
author = {D. RIDDLESDEN; A. D. SINGLETON; T. B. FISCHER},
title = {A SURVEY OF THE USE OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN ENGLISH LOCAL AUTHORITY IMPACT ASSESSMENTS},
journal = {Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management},
year = {2012},
volume = {14(01)},
pages = {1250006},
doi = {10.1142/S1464333212500068}
}