Environment Agency web closure ‘short-sighted’

Plans to close the Environment Agency website have been branded ‘shorted-sighted’ by specialists in environmental and safety legislation, Cedrec.

Cedrec’s environment and safety consultant Richard Clarke was commenting on the Environment Agency’s decision to shift its web content to http://www.gov.uk/environment-agency before closing its website later this month (8th April).

Although it has been known for some time that various services and websites were starting to merge onto the Government’s website GOV.UK, the Environment Agency is set to become the latest casualty – a move Cedrec believes will cause problems.

“It’s no great surprise the Environment Agency’s website is stopping,” said Richard Clarke, “but nonetheless it might be seen as a short sighted move, particularly as it’ll be of concern that the online content of such an important organisation could potentially become diluted and lost amid the problems and confusion of a one-stop site.

“The amount of advice and guidance the Agency provided to businesses was phenomenal, covering areas like your waste duty of care responsibilities to how to comply with your environmental permit. These were often detailed, technical documents, coupled with best practice measures.

This is now going to change adds Richard Clarke: “Actual documents will no longer be available, only stripped down, basic online content. It will be very hard to tell what has been updated or changed.

“We have concerns that the Government has tried to simplify things too much, and that those writing the web pages just don’t have the knowledge or experience required. Coupled with Government plans to cut jobs within the Agency by 1,550, it just makes it harder and harder to get meaningful and accurate advice.

“We’ve already seen concerns from practitioners over the low standard of information available on GOV.UK and the “Noddy-style” language it uses,” Richard added. “The recent advice on the January 2014 waste carrier changes are a good example, it’s just too simplistic that it doesn’t give you the information you need.”