The SCAIL-Agriculture model was first developed by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) for the Environment Agency (EA). The model was subsequently modified for the Scottish Executive to provide a screening model that could help the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) assess permit applications (v2.0) (Theobald et al., 2009). The model is used by environmental regulators throughout the UK to assess the impacts of agricultural installations on designated habitats including Habitats Directive sites and designated sites under National Legislation (SSSIs /ASSIs/NNRs). The objective is to screen environmental permit applications from farm units and to assess impacts from agricultural developments applying for planning permission to determine if there is the possibility of adverse impacts. Should such impacts be found then this would indicate that more detailed dispersion and deposition modelling is required.
