Impact to Play Larger Part in ESRC Assessment?

Research Fortnight reported today that the changes to the ESRC assessment system, to be introduced in the summer, would allow for more account to be taken of impact. Quoting Phil Sooben, Policy Director at the Council, the ESRC 'will...take a wider view of the criteria to be used in decisions on which applications at the margin should be funded, and impact may play a part in that discussion.'
He goes on, 'the inclusion of impact in proposal assessments reflects goals set out in the ESRC’s strategic plan of 2009,' but he insists that impact will only affect proposals in cases where a large number of applications of equal academic excellence have been submitted.