The Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

Extension of the period for council’s or Department’s decision on an application for planning permission or subsequent application

19.  Where an application for planning permission or subsequent application is an EIA application, Articles 12 and 20 of the General Development Procedure Order shall have effect as if—

(a) in Article 12 for the reference to a period of 8 weeks from the date the application was received; and

(b) in paragraph (2)(b) of Article 20 for the reference to a period of 8 weeks from the date the application was received

there were substituted a reference to a period of 16 weeks; and

(c) after paragraph (3)(b) of Article 20 there were inserted—

“(ba) the environmental statement required to be submitted in respect of the application has been submitted, together with the documents required to accompany that statement; and

(bb) in the case of an application falling within regulation 10(1), 11(1), 14(1) or 15(1) where the council or, as the case may be, the Department has requested further information in order to make a determination under regulation 10(2), 11(2), 14(2) or 15(2), when that information was received; and

(bc) where evidence verifying information in the environmental statement has been requested, when that evidence was received; and”; and

(d) the date when an application is received for the purposes of Article 12 were the date when each of the events referred to in Article 20(3) (ba) to (bc) has occurred in relation to that application.