Northern Ireland Statutory Rule
2015
Northern Ireland
The Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015
At a glance
Enforced by
What's here
4 compliance obligations
Who this Act binds
Business-side actors with duties under this Act, ranked by how often they appear.
- Applicant 1
- Operator 1
Plus 2 non-business duties on Crown ministers, regulators, local authorities or tribunals — shown collapsed under each section below.
Other Acts binding the same actors
For each actor bound by this Act, the other UK Acts that bind them most often. Useful for understanding the full compliance landscape facing each role.
Applicants also bound by 294 other Acts (top 5 shown)
- Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 2016 46 duties
- Human Medicines Regulations 2012 2012 30 duties
- The Land Registration Rules 2003 2003 25 duties
- Value Added Tax Regulations 1995 1995 18 duties
- Space Industry Regulations 2021 2021 14 duties
Operators also bound by 730 other Acts (top 5 shown)
- Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 (Air Operations) 2012 138 duties
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/2066 of 19 December 2018 on the monitoring and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions pursuant to Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and amending Commission Regulation (EU) No 601/2012 (Text with EEA relevance) 2018 121 duties
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 601/2012 of 21 June 2012 on the monitoring and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions pursuant to Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (Text with EEA relevance) (repealed) 2012 112 duties
- Space Industry Regulations 2021 2021 75 duties
- Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on transmissible animal diseases and amending and repealing certain acts in the area of animal health (‘Animal Health Law’) (Text with EEA relevance) 2016 66 duties
What this Act requires
Sections that create concrete duties on businesses or carry penalties. Procedural and definitional sections are folded into the “Browse other sections” expander at the bottom of each group. Click any section title to read the source text on legislation.gov.uk.
Part 1 — General
Browse 6 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Interpretation
Directions
Prohibition on the grant of planning permission or subsequent consent without consideration of environmental information
Confirmation that development is EIA development
Appeals under Section 58 or Section 60 of the 2011 Act
Part 2 — Pre-Application Procedures
Browse 1 other section in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Pre-application determination as to need for environmental impact assessment and opinion as to content of environmental statement
Part 3 — Preparation of Environmental Statements
Browse 2 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Procedure to facilitate preparation of environmental statements
Provision of information
Part 4 — Procedures on Receipt of Application
Browse 10 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Applications made to the council which appear to require determination as to need for environmental impact assessment
Applications made to the Department which appear to require determination as to need for environmental impact assessment
Subsequent applications made to the council where environmental information previously provided
Subsequent applications made to the Department where environmental information previously provided
Subsequent applications made to the council where environmental information not previously provided
Subsequent applications made to the Department where environmental information not previously provided
Application made to the council without an environmental statement
Application made to the Department without an environmental statement
Application referred to the Department without an environmental statement
Extension of the period for council's or Department's decision on an application for planning permission or subsequent application
Part 5 — Publicity
Browse 6 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Publicity where an environmental statement is submitted
Availability of copies of environmental statement
Consultation where environmental statement submitted
Further information and evidence relating to environmental statement
Charges
Duty to inform the public of decisions
Part 6 — Development by a council
Browse 1 other section in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Modifications where application is by a council
Part 7 — Development likely to Affect Other EEA states
Browse 2 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Development in Northern Ireland likely to have significant effects on the environment in another EEA state
Projects in another EEA state likely to have significant transboundary effects
Part 8 — Unauthorised Development
Browse 9 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Interpretation of Part 8
Prohibition on the grant of planning permission for unauthorised development
Determination as to need for environmental statement, etc.
Time period for submission of environmental statement
Provision of information
Procedure where the Commission receives an environmental statement
Further information and evidence respecting environmental statements
Publicity for environmental statements and decisions
Involvement of other EEA states
Part 9 — Permission in Enterprise and Simplified Planning Zones and Permission Granted by Development Orders
Browse 3 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Restrictions on grant of permission by old enterprise zone schemes
Restrictions on the grant of permission by simplified planning zone schemes and enterprise zone schemes
Development Orders
Part 10 — Miscellaneous
Browse 5 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Availability of information in relation to determinations, opinions, decisions, etc.
Hearing by the Commission in relation to the council's or Department's determination
Use of electronic communications
Application to the Crown
Revocation, saving and transitional provisions
Schedules
Publicity where an environmental statement is submitted
- Make environmental statement available to the public Operator
Duty to inform the public of decisions
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Councils and the Department must inform the public of EIA decisions Local authority
Provision of information
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Notified bodies must provide relevant information to developers for environmental statements Crown / Minister / Government department
Application made to the council or the Department without prior determination as to need for environmental impact assessment or without an environmental statement
- Respond to council's request for an environmental statement within 4 weeks Applicant
Browse 27 other Schedules — structural / supplementary
Descriptions of development for the purposes of the definition of “Schedule 1 development”
Descriptions of development and applicable thresholds and criteria for the purposes of the definition of “Schedule 2 development”
In the Table below— “area of the works”, includes any...
The Table below sets out the descriptions of development and...
Selection criteria referred to in Article 4.3 of the Directive
Matters for Inclusion in Environmental Statement
A non–technical summary of the information provided under paragraphs 1...
An indication of any difficulties (technical deficiencies or lack of...
Saving and transitional provisions
Extension of the period for council's or Department's decision on an application for planning permission or subsequent application
Availability of copies of environmental statement
Consultation where environmental statement submitted
Further information and evidence relating to environmental statement
Development likely to have significant effects on the environment in another EEA state
Projects in another EEA state likely to have significant transboundary effects
Interpretation
Determination as to need for environmental statement, etc.
Time period for submission of environmental statement
Procedure where the Commission receives an environmental statement
Further information and evidence respecting environmental statements
Publicity for environmental statements and decisions
Involvement of other EEA states
Availability of information in relation to determinations, opinions, decisions, etc.
Hearing by the Commission in relation to the Department's determination
Prohibition on the grant of planning permission or subsequent consent without consideration of environmental information
Confirmation that development is EIA development
Procedure to facilitate preparation of environmental statements
Other sections — not classified into a Part
These sections sit outside the numbered Parts — usually provisions added or moved by later amendments.
Browse 50 other sections
Citation and commencement
Interpretation
Directions
Prohibition on the grant of planning permission or subsequent consent without consideration of environmental information
Confirmation that development is EIA development
Appeals under Section 58 or Section 60 of the 2011 Act
Pre-application determination as to need for environmental impact assessment and opinion as to content of environmental statement
Procedure to facilitate preparation of environmental statements
Provision of information
Applications made to the council which appear to require determination as to need for environmental impact assessment
Applications made to the Department which appear to require determination as to need for environmental impact assessment
Subsequent applications made to the council where environmental information previously provided
Subsequent applications made to the Department where environmental information previously provided
Subsequent applications made to the council where environmental information not previously provided
Subsequent applications made to the Department where environmental information not previously provided
Application made to the council without an environmental statement
Application made to the Department without an environmental statement
Application referred to the Department without an environmental statement
Extension of the period for council's or Department's decision on an application for planning permission or subsequent application
Publicity where an environmental statement is submitted
Availability of copies of environmental statement
Consultation where environmental statement submitted
Further information and evidence relating to environmental statement
Charges
Duty to inform the public of decisions
Modifications where application is by a council
Development in Northern Ireland likely to have significant effects on the environment in another EEA state
Projects in another EEA state likely to have significant transboundary effects
Interpretation of Part 8
Prohibition on the grant of planning permission for unauthorised development
Determination as to need for environmental statement, etc.
Time period for submission of environmental statement
Provision of information
Procedure where the Commission receives an environmental statement
Further information and evidence respecting environmental statements
Publicity for environmental statements and decisions
Involvement of other EEA states
Restrictions on grant of permission by old enterprise zone schemes
Restrictions on the grant of permission by simplified planning zone schemes and enterprise zone schemes
Development Orders
Availability of information in relation to determinations, opinions, decisions, etc.
Hearing by the Commission in relation to the council's or Department's determination
Use of electronic communications
Application to the Crown
Revocation, saving and transitional provisions
Interpretation
Descriptions of development
1. Characteristics of development
2. Location of development
3. Characteristics of the potential impact
Enforcement and responsible bodies
The regulators that administer or enforce this legislation.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries, and rural communities. Sets environmental policy and works with agencies …
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Regulators
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