The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016

General and interpretation

1.—(1) The descriptions in this Part are set out in paragraphs 2 to 28, in their respective first sub-paragraphs.

(2) The specific conditions relating to each description in this Part are set out in paragraphs 2 to 28, in their respective second sub-paragraphs.

(3) The general conditions relating to all descriptions in this Part are that the activity is not carried out—

(a) on a designated site or—

(i) in the case of the description set out in paragraphs 2 to 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18 to 20 and 25 to 28, in their respective first sub-paragraphs, within a 200 metre radius of a designated site;

(ii) in the case of the description set out in paragraphs 5, 7, 10, 11, 14 and 17, in their respective first sub-paragraphs, within a 500 metre radius of a designated site;

(iii) in the case of the description set out in paragraphs 21, 22 and 24, in their respective first sub-paragraphs, within one kilometre upstream of a designated site;

(iv) in the case of the description set out in paragraph 23, in its first sub-paragraph, within—

(aa) 5 kilometres upstream of a designated site notified for its freshwater habitats or species,

(bb) 1 kilometre upstream of a designated site that includes any part of the flood plain of the relevant main river but not the river itself, or

(cc) 1 kilometre upstream of any other designated site,

(b) in a water body in Wales that is part of a main river classified as of high morphological status by the NRBW in accordance with the relevant directions,

(c) where the activity is carried out in Wales, within 100 metres of a water body in Wales that is part of a main river classified as of high morphological status by the NRBW in accordance with the relevant directions, or

(d) in the case of the descriptions set out in paragraphs 3, 5, 7, 10 to 15, 18, 21 to 24 and 27, in their respective first sub-paragraphs, where the activity is carried out in England within 100 metres of a water body in Wales that is part of a main river classified as of high morphological status by the NRBW in accordance with the relevant directions.

(4) In sub-paragraph (3), “designated site” means—

(a) a European site (which has the meaning given in regulation 8 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010),

(b) a Ramsar site (which has the same meaning as in section 37A of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981(1)),

(c) a site of special scientific interest (which has the meaning given in section 52(1) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981), or

(d) a nature reserve established by a local authority under section 21 of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949(2).

(5) For the purposes of this Part—

“designated salmonid river” means—

(a)

in England, a river included in the dataset sealed by the Agency on 22nd October 2015, entitled “Rivers in England identified as salmonid for flood risk activities under the Environmental Permitting Regulations”, and published by the Agency(3);

(b)

in Wales, a river included on the map published by the NRBW on 20th October 2015 entitled “Rivers in Wales identified as salmonid for flood risk activities under the Environmental Permitting Regulations”(4);

“designated sensitive water body” means a water body included in the dataset sealed by the Agency on 20th October 2015 entitled “Water bodies in England identified as sensitive for flood risk activities under the Environmental Permitting Regulations because sediment management may compromise delivery of the environmental objectives of the Water Framework Directive” and published by the Agency(5);

“the dredging and removal of silt and sand requirements” means the document published by the Agency on 1st February 2016 entitled “Dredging and the removal of silt and sand from main rivers as a flood risk activity under the Environmental Permitting Regulations”(6);

“protected species” means—

(a)

a species of a kind mentioned in Article 4(2) of Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conservation of wild birds(7) or listed in Annex I to that Directive or in Annex IV to Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora(8);

(b)

a species in respect of which any adverse impact is in accordance with a licence issued under section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981(9);

“relevant directions” means the Water Framework Directive (Standards and Classification) Directions (England and Wales) 2015(10).

(6) In this Part, “bank” has the meaning given in paragraph 2(2)(a) in Part 1 of Schedule 25 and paragraph 2(2)(b) to (d) of that Schedule applies to this Part.

(1)

Section 37A was inserted by section 77 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 and was amended by paragraph 86 of Part 1 of Schedule 11 to the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 (c. 16), by paragraphs 5 and 7 of Schedule 2 to the Planning (Wales) Act 2015 (anaw. 4) and by S.I. 2013/755 (W. 90).

(2)

1949 c. 97; section 21 was amended by Schedule 30 to the Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70), by paragraphs 15(e) and 19 of Part 1 of Schedule 11 to the Natural environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, and by paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 2 to the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 (anaw. 3).

(3)

A copy may be obtained from the Environment Agency, National Customer Contact Centre, PO Box 544, Rotherham, S60 1BY.

(4)

The map is available at https://naturalresources.wales/media/5634/flood-epr-salmonids.pdf. A copy may be obtained from Natural Resources Wales, c/o Customer Care Centre, Ty Cambria, 29 Newport Road, Cardiff, CF24 0TP.

(5)

A copy may be obtained from the Environment Agency, National Customer Contact Centre, PO Box 544, Rotherham, S60 1BY.

(6)

A copy may be obtained from the Environment Agency, National Customer Contact Centre, PO Box 544, Rotherham, S60 1BY.

(7)

OJ No L 20, 26.1.2010, p 7, as amended by Council Directive 2013/17/EU (OJ No. L 158, 10.6.2013, p.193).

(8)

OJ No L 206, 22.7.1992, p 7, as last amended by Council Directive 2013/17/EU.

(9)

Section 16 was amended by paragraph 11(4) of Schedule 9 to the 1990 Act, paragraph 6 of Schedule 12 to the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, paragraph 72 of Part 1 of Schedule 11 to the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, section 10 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (c. 23) and by S.I. 1995/2825, 2007/1843 and 2013/755 (W. 90).

(10)

These Directions were made on 9th September 2015 in exercise of powers in section 40(2) of the 1995 Act and are available at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/1623/pdfs/uksiod_20151623_en.pdf. A copy may be obtained from the Flood Risk Management Team, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Area 3C, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR.