The Conservation (Natural Habitats, etc.) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995

Register of European sites

Duty to compile and maintain a register of European sites

10.—(1) The Department shall compile and maintain in such form as it thinks fit, a register of European sites in Northern Ireland.

(2) The Department shall include in the register—

(a) special areas of conservation as soon as they are designated;

(b) sites of Community importance as soon as they are placed on the list referred to in the third sub-paragraph of Article 4(2) of the Habitats Directive, until they are designated as special areas of conservation;

(c) any site hosting a priority natural habitat type or priority species in respect of which consultation is initiated under Article 5(1) of the Habitats Directive, during the consultation period or pending a Council decision under Article 5(3); and

(d) an area classified by the Department pursuant to Article 4(1) or (2) of the Wild Birds Directive, as soon as they are so classified or, if they have been classified before the commencement of these Regulations as soon as practicable after commencement.

(3) The Department may, if appropriate, amend the entry in the register relating to a European site.

(4) The Department shall remove the relevant entry—

(a) if a special area of conservation is declassified by the European Commission under Article 9 of the Habitats Directive; or

(b) if a site otherwise ceases to fall within any of the categories listed in paragraph (2).

(5) A copy of the register shall be available for inspection by the public at all reasonable hours and free of charge.

Notice to landowners, district councils, etc.

11.—(1) The Department shall as soon as practicable after including a site in the register, amending an entry in the register or removing an entry from the register, give notice of that fact to—

(a) every owner and occupier of land within the site,

(b) each district council in whose district the site or any part of it is situated, and

(c) such other persons or bodies as the Department thinks fit.

(2) Notice of the inclusion of a site in the register, or the amendment of an entry in the register, shall be accompanied by a copy of so much of the relevant register entry as relates to land owned or occupied by or, as the case may be, to land within the area of, the person or district council to whom the notice is given.

Entry in Statutory Charges Register

12.  An entry in the register relating to a European site in Northern Ireland shall be included among the matters which are required to be registered in the Statutory Charges Register.