Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000

Enforcement notices

19.—(1) Where it appears to the Department that a person is carrying out or has carried out work in relation to a relevant project—

(a) without consent, where consent is required by regulation 4, or

(b) in breach of a condition subject to which consent has been granted under these Regulations,

the Department may serve an enforcement notice on that person.

(2) An enforcement notice may require the person on whom it is served to take such one or more of the following measures as appear to the Department to be suitable in the circumstances, namely—

(a) apply to the Department for consent;

(b) discontinue work in relation to the relevant project;

(c) restore the land to its condition before any work in relation to the relevant project was carried out;

(d) carry out on the land any works or operations, specified in the enforcement notice, which in the opinion of the Department are reasonably necessary to secure compliance with any condition subject to which consent was granted or to remove or alleviate any injury to the environment which has been caused by the relevant project.

(3) An enforcement notice shall specify the period during which any of the measures mentioned in paragraph (2)(a), (c) or (d) is to be taken and may specify different periods for different measures.

(4) Either—

(a) an enforcement notice served by virtue of paragraph (1)(a) shall include or be accompanied by a written statement of the Department’s reasons for being of the opinion that the project is a relevant project; or

(b) the Department shall serve such a written statement on the person on whom the enforcement notice was served as soon as practicable after serving the enforcement notice.

(5) Either—

(a) an enforcement notice shall include or be accompanied by a notice explaining how, to whom and within what period a person may request the Department to review an enforcement notice and whether the requirements of the enforcement notice will be stayed during any review; or

(b) the Department shall serve such a notice on the person on whom the enforcement notice was served as soon as practicable after serving the enforcement notice.

(6) The Department may, at any time—

(a) by a further notice served on the person on whom the enforcement notice was served, vary an enforcement notice; and

(b) withdraw an enforcement notice.

(7) An enforcement notice may be served on any person—

(a) by delivering it to him personally;

(b) by leaving it for him at his last known place of abode or business; or

(c) by sending it through the post addressed to him at his last known place of abode or business.

(8) An enforcement notice may—

(a) in the case of a body corporate, be served on the secretary or clerk of that body at the address of the registered or principal office of that body;

(b) in the case of a partnership, be served on a partner or person having the control or management of the partnership business.