The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Wales) Regulations 2016

PART 4 Preparation of Environmental Statements

Scoping opinions

13.—(1) A person who is minded to make an EIA application may ask the relevant planning authority to provide a scoping opinion.

(2) A request under paragraph (1) must include—

(a) in relation to an application for planning permission—

(i) a plan sufficient to identify the land;

(ii) a brief description of the nature and purpose of the development and of its possible effects on the environment; and

(iii) such other information or representations as the person making the request may wish to provide or make;

(b) in relation to a subsequent application—

(i) a plan sufficient to identify the land;

(ii) sufficient information to enable the relevant planning authority to identify any planning permission granted for the development in respect of which a subsequent application has been made;

(iii) a description of the possible effects on the environment which were not identified at the time planning permission was granted; and

(iv) such other information or representations as the person making the request may wish to provide or make.

(3) An authority receiving a request under paragraph (1) must, if they consider that they have not been provided with sufficient information to adopt a scoping opinion, notify the person who made the request of the points on which they require additional information.

(4) An authority must not adopt a scoping opinion in response to a request under paragraph (1) until they have consulted the person who made the request and the consultees, but must, subject to paragraph (5), within 5 weeks beginning with the date of receipt of that request or such longer period as may be agreed in writing with the person who made the request, adopt a scoping opinion and send a copy to the person who made the request.

(5) Where a person has, at the same time as making a request for a screening opinion under regulation 5(1), asked the authority for an opinion under paragraph (1) above, and the authority have adopted a screening opinion to the effect that the development is EIA development, the authority must, within 5 weeks beginning with the date on which that screening opinion was adopted or such longer period as may be agreed in writing with the person who made the request, adopt a scoping opinion and send a copy to the person who made the request.

(6) Before adopting a scoping opinion the authority must take into account—

(a) the specific characteristics of the particular development;

(b) the specific characteristics of development of the type concerned; and

(c) the environmental features likely to be affected by the development.

(7) Where an authority fail to adopt a scoping opinion within the relevant period mentioned in paragraph (4) or (5), the person who requested the opinion may ask the Welsh Ministers under regulation 14(1) to make a scoping direction.

(8) Paragraph (7) applies even if the authority has not received additional information which they have sought under paragraph (3).

(9) Nothing prevents an authority which have adopted a scoping opinion from requiring the person who made the request to provide additional information.

(10) “Additional information” (“gwybodaeth ychwanegol”) in paragraph (9) means information in connection with any statement that may be submitted by that person as an environmental statement for the purposes of these Regulations in connection with an application for planning permission or a subsequent application for the same development.

Scoping directions

14.—(1) A request made under this paragraph pursuant to regulation 13(7) must include—

(a) a copy of the request to the relevant planning authority under regulation 13(1);

(b) a copy of any relevant notification under regulation 13(3) and of any response;

(c) a copy of any relevant screening opinion received by the person making the request and of the accompanying statement of reasons; and

(d) any representations that the person making the request wishes to make.

(2) A person making a request must send to the relevant planning authority a copy of that request, but that copy need not include the matters mentioned in paragraph (1)(a) to (c).

(3) If the Welsh Ministers consider that the information provided pursuant to paragraph (1) is insufficient to make a scoping direction, the Welsh Ministers must give notice to the person making the request.

(4) The notice must set out any points on which additional information is required.

(5) The Welsh Ministers may also request the relevant planning authority to provide such information as they can on any of those points.

(6) The Welsh Ministers must—

(a) consult the person making the request and the consultees before making a scoping direction in response to a request under paragraph (1), and

(b) make a direction and send a copy to the person making the request and to the relevant planning authority, within 5 weeks beginning with the date of receipt of that request or such longer period as may be reasonably required.

(7) Before making a scoping direction the Welsh Ministers must take into account the matters specified in regulation 13(6).

(8) Nothing prevents the Welsh Ministers, (after they have made a scoping direction) nor the relevant planning authority from requiring the person making the request to provide additional information.

(9) “Additional information” (“gwybodaeth ychwanegol”) in paragraph (8) means information in connection with any statement that may be submitted by that person as an environmental statement for the purposes of these Regulations in connection with an application for planning permission or a subsequent application for the same development.

Procedure to facilitate preparation of environmental statements

15.—(1) Any person who intends to submit an environmental statement to the relevant planning authority or the Welsh Ministers under these Regulations may give notice to that authority or the Welsh Ministers under this paragraph.

(2) A notice under paragraph (1) must include the information necessary to identify the land and the nature and purpose of the development, and must indicate the main environmental consequences to which the person giving the notice proposes to refer in the environmental statement.

(3) The recipient of—

(a) such notice as is mentioned in paragraph (1); or

(b) a statement or confirmation made pursuant to regulation 10(4)(a), 11(5) or 12(6) must—

(i) notify the consultees of the name and address of the person who intends to submit an environmental statement and of the duty imposed on the consultees by paragraph (4) to make information available to that person; and

(ii) inform the person who intends to submit an environmental statement of the names and addresses of the consultees so notified.

(4) Subject to paragraph (5), the relevant planning authority and any consultee notified in accordance with paragraph (3) must, if requested by the person who intends to submit an environmental statement, enter into consultation with that person to determine whether the authority or consultee has in its possession any information which that person considers, or they consider, relevant to the preparation of the environmental statement. If they have, the authority or consultee must make that information available to that person.

(5) A relevant planning authority or consultee which receives a request for information under paragraph (4) must treat it as a request for information under regulation 5(1) of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004(1).

(1)

S.I. 2004/3391.