The Environmental Impact Assessment (Fish Farming in Marine Waters) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007

Consultation on the environmental statement

9.—(1) The applicant shall prepare an environmental statement in any case to which regulation 8 applies and shall submit it to the Department with enough copies to enable the Department to comply with the requirements of these Regulations for public participation in environmental assessments hereunder.

(2) Where the Department receives an environmental statement in accordance with paragraph (1) it shall by general and local advertisement give notice in accordance with paragraph (3).

(3) The advertisement shall state—

(a) that the environmental statement has been prepared and give details of the places where and times at which copies, together with details of the proposed development to which the statement relates, may be inspected;

(b) that any person wishing to make representations in relation to the likely environmental effects of the proposed development to which the statement relates shall make them in writing to the Department at the address specified in the advertisement within 28 days of the publication of the notice in the Belfast Gazette; and

(c) that where no objection in relation to the likely environmental effects of the proposed development is made and the Department, having undertaken the assessment specified in regulation 12(1) considers that the proposed development should proceed, it may so determine.

(4) On or before the date of publication in the Belfast Gazette of the notice under paragraph (2), the Department shall—

(a) send a copy of the environmental statement and notice to each of the consultation bodies and to any person who in its opinion is likely to be affected by the proposed development so that any such body or person has an opportunity to make representations on the likely environmental effects of the proposed development to which the statement relates before the expiry of the period specified in the notice;

(b) make available at an office of the Department or some other convenient place for a period of at least 28 days following the date of publication of the notice in the Belfast Gazette, the details of the proposed development and the environmental statement relating to the proposed development and ensure that a reasonable number of copies of the statement are made available; and

(c) if a charge is to be made for any such copy under regulation 14, give notice of the amount of the charge.

(5) Where, in accordance with paragraph (4)(a), the Department sends any person a copy of the environmental statement it shall consult that person about the statement and the likely environmental effects of the proposed development to which it relates.