Application referred to the Scottish Ministers without an environmental statement
8.—(1) Where it appears to the Scottish Ministers that–
(a)an application for planning permission which has been referred to them for determination is a Schedule 1 application or Schedule 2 application;
(b)the development in question has not been the subject of a screening opinion or screening direction; and
(c)the application is not accompanied by a statement referred to by the applicant as an environmental statement for the purposes of these Regulations,
paragraphs (3) and (4) of regulation 6 shall apply as if the referral of the application were a request made by the applicant pursuant to regulation 5(6).
(2) Where it appears to the Scottish Ministers that an application which has been referred to them for determination is an EIA application and is not accompanied by a statement referred to by the applicant as an environmental statement for the purposes of these Regulations, the Scottish Ministers shall notify the applicant in writing that the submission of an environmental statement is required and shall send a copy of that notification to the relevant planning authority.
(3) The Scottish Ministers shall notify the applicant in accordance with paragraph (2) within three weeks beginning with the date they received the application or such longer period as they may reasonably require.
(4) An applicant who receives a notification under paragraph (2) may within three weeks beginning with the date of the notification write to the Scottish Ministers stating that he proposes to provide an environmental statement.
(5) If the applicant does not write in accordance with paragraph (4), the Scottish Ministers shall be under no duty to deal with the application; and at the end of the three week period the Scottish Ministers shall inform the applicant in writing that no further action is being taken on the application.
(6) Where the Scottish Ministers have given a notification under paragraph (2), they shall determine the relevant application only by refusing planning permission if the applicant does not submit an environmental statement and comply with regulation 13(3).