{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/environmental-impact-assessment-land-drainage-improvement-works-regulations-1999/regulation-2",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/environmental-impact-assessment-land-drainage-improvement-works-regulations-1999/regulation-2.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1999/1783",
  "legislation_title": "The Environmental Impact Assessment (Land Drainage Improvement Works) Regulations 1999",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/environmental-impact-assessment-land-drainage-improvement-works-regulations-1999",
  "path": "regulation/2",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "2",
  "heading": "Interpretation",
  "text": "(1) In these Regulations–\n“the appropriate Authority” means—\n(a)in relation to England, the Secretary of State;\n(b)in relation to Wales, the Welsh Ministers;\n“consultation bodies” means–\n(a)in relation to improvement works which are to be carried out in England, Natural England;\n(b)in relation to improvement works which are to be carried out in Wales, the Natural Resources Body for Wales and Cadw, being the executive agency responsible for carrying out the functions vested in the Welsh Ministers relating to the historic environment; and\n(c)any other public authority, statutory body or organisation which, in the opinion of the drainage body proposing any improvement works, has an interest in those improvement works by virtue of its environmental responsibilities or local or regional competences;\n“the EIA Directive” means Directive 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment, as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council;\n“district” includes metropolitan district;\n“drainage” includes defence against water including sea water;\n“drainage body” means any of the following public authorities which initiates improvement works, namely–\n(a)the Environment Agency;\n(aa) the Natural Resources Body for Wales;\n(c)an internal drainage board; and\n(d)the council of a county, a county borough, a district or a London borough, the Common Council of the City of London or the Council of the Isles of Scilly;\n...\n“environmental impact assessment”, in respect of improvement works, means—\n(a)the preparation of an environmental statement by the drainage body;\n(b)the carrying out of consultations under regulations 10 and 12B(6);\n(c)the drainage body’s or the appropriate Authority’s consideration of the environmental statement and other information under regulation 12(1) or 12B(3);\n(d)the drainage body or the appropriate Authority reaching a conclusion about the likely significant environmental effects of the project under regulation 12(2) or 12B(4); and\n(e)the drainage body’s or the appropriate Authority’s consideration of that conclusion under regulation 12A(3) or 12C(2) in the determination of whether or not the improvement works should proceed;\n“environmental statement” has the meaning given by regulation 7(1);\n“EU environmental assessment” means an assessment of the effect of anything on the environment carried out under assimilated law other than any law of any part of the United Kingdom that implemented the EIA Directive;\n“the Habitats Directive” means Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora as last amended by Council Directive 2013/17/EU;\n“improvement works” means—\n(a)in relation to England, works which are—\n(i)the subject of a project to deepen, widen, straighten, or otherwise improve or alter, any existing watercourse or remove or alter mill dams, weirs, or other obstructions to watercourses, or raise, widen, or otherwise improve or alter, any existing drainage work; and\n(ii)permitted development by virtue of Class C or Class D of Part 13 (water and sewerage) of Schedule 2 to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015;\n(b)in relation to Wales, works which are—\n(i)the subject of a project to deepen, widen, straighten, or otherwise improve or alter, any existing watercourse or remove or alter mill dams, weirs, or other obstructions to watercourses, or raise, widen, or otherwise improve or alter, any existing drainage work; and\n(ii)permitted development by virtue of Part 14 or Part 15 of Schedule 2 to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995;\n“public” means one or more natural or legal persons and, in accordance with the law or practice of any part of the United Kingdom, their associations, organisations or groups;\n“public concerned” means the public affected or likely to be affected by, or having an interest in, environmental decision making procedures (for the purposes of this definition, non-governmental organisations promoting environmental protection and meeting any requirements under the law of any part of the United Kingdom are deemed to have an interest);\n“UK environmental assessment” means an assessment carried out in accordance with an obligation under the law of any part of the United Kingdom of the effect of anything on the environment;\n“watercourse” includes any river and stream and any ditch, drain, cut, culvert, dike, sluice, sewer (other than public sewer as defined in section 219(1) of the Water Industry Act 1991) and any passage through which water flows;\n“the Wild Birds Directive” means Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conservation of wild birds as amended by Council Directive 2013/17/EU.\n(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(3) Any reference in these Regulations to a numbered regulation or Schedule is a reference to the regulation in or Schedule to these Regulations bearing that number.\n(4) In these Regulations, any reference to the likely significant effects, or the likely significant adverse effects, of improvement works on the environment includes a reference to the effects of the improvement works on the environment once the improvement works are finished and in operation.\n(5) In paragraph (4) each reference to the environment includes a reference to the matters referred to in regulation 12(2)(a) to (e).",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) substituted (16.5.2017) by The Environmental Impact Assessment (Land Drainage Improvement Works) (Amendment) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/585), regs. 1(1), 3(2)(b) (with reg. 22)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) substituted (16.5.2017) by virtue of The Environmental Impact Assessment (Land Drainage Improvement Works) (Amendment) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/585), regs. 1(1), 3(2)(c)(i) (with reg. 22)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) substituted (1.4.2013) by The Natural Resources Body for Wales (Functions) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/755), art. 1(2), Sch. 4 para. 94(2) (with Sch. 7)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2 inserted (25.6.2005) by The Environmental Impact Assessment (Land Drainage Improvement Works) (Amendment) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/1399), regs. 1, 5(2)(a)(ii)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) substituted (16.5.2017) by The Environmental Impact Assessment (Land Drainage Improvement Works) (Amendment) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/585), regs. 1(1), 3(2)(c)(ii) (with reg. 22)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (16.5.2017) by The Environmental Impact Assessment (Land Drainage Improvement Works) (Amendment) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/585), regs. 1(1), 3(2)(c)(iii) (with reg. 22)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) substituted (16.5.2017) by The Environmental Impact Assessment (Land Drainage Improvement Works) (Amendment) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/585), regs. 1(1), 3(2)(d) (with reg. 22)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (1.4.2013) by The Natural Resources Body for Wales (Functions) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/755), art. 1(2), Sch. 4 para. 94(3) (with Sch. 7)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) omitted (16.5.2017) by virtue of The Environmental Impact Assessment (Land Drainage Improvement Works) (Amendment) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/585), regs. 1(1), 3(2)(e) (with reg. 22)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (16.5.2017) by The Environmental Impact Assessment (Land Drainage Improvement Works) (Amendment) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/585), regs. 1(1), 3(2)(a) (with reg. 22)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F11",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) substituted (16.5.2017) by The Environmental Impact Assessment (Land Drainage Improvement Works) (Amendment) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/585), regs. 1(1), 3(2)(f) (with reg. 22)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F12",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/25), regs. 1(1), 2(2)(a)(i); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F13",
      "text": "Word in reg. 2(1) substituted (27.2.2025) by The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/82), reg. 1(2), Sch. 15 para. 2(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F14",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) substituted (16.5.2017) by The Environmental Impact Assessment (Land Drainage Improvement Works) (Amendment) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/585), regs. 1(1), 3(2)(g) (with reg. 22)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F15",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (31.12.2020) by The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/25), regs. 1(1), 2(2)(a)(ii); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F16",
      "text": "Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (16.5.2017) by The Environmental Impact Assessment (Land Drainage Improvement Works) (Amendment) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/585), regs. 1(1), 3(2)(a) (with reg. 22)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F17",
      "text": "Reg. 2(2) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/25), regs. 1(1), 2(2)(b); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F18",
      "text": "Reg. 2(4)(5) inserted (16.5.2017) by The Environmental Impact Assessment (Land Drainage Improvement Works) (Amendment) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/585), regs. 1(1), 3(4) (with reg. 22)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "Reg. 2 in force at 21.7.1999, see reg. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "See section 1(1) of the Environment Act 1995 (c. 25)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f2",
      "text": "1991 c. 56."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999/1783/regulation/2",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:27:50.879534+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}