Regulation 13 Assistance in the preparation of environmental statements

(1)

Subject to paragraph (6), where the Department is required to prepare an environmental statement in pursuance of regulation 10 it may consult with any person to determine whether that person has in his possession any information which may be relevant to the preparation of the environmental statement and if that person has any such information, he shall make that information available to the Department.

(2)

Where the Department has prepared an environmental statement in relation to any proposed works, and complied with the requirements of regulation 12(3), the Department or, as the case may be, the Commission acting in accordance with regulation 15(9), may determine that further information is required.

(3)

Subject to paragraph (6), the Department may consult with any person to determine whether that person has in his possession any additional information and if that person has any such information, he shall make that information available to the Department.

(4)

Where, pursuant to paragraph (3), the Department obtains any additional information it shall by general and local advertisement—

(a)

state that the additional information is available, and give details of the places where and times at which a copy of the additional information may be inspected or obtained; and

(b)

state that any person who wishes to make representations in relation to the additional information should make representations in writing to the Department at the address specified in the advertisement within 30 days of the date of the publication of the notice in the Belfast Gazette.

(5)

At the same time as the notice in the Belfast Gazette is published under paragraph (4) the Department shall—

(a)

send copies of the additional information to each consultation body; and

(b)

make available for inspection at an office of the Department or at some other convenient place, for a period of at least 30 days following the publication of the notice in the Belfast Gazette, the additional information, the details of the proposed works in question and the environmental statement relating to the works, and ensure that a reasonable number of copies of the information are made available.

(6)

Nothing in paragraph (1) or (3) shall require the disclosure by any person of information which is capable of being treated as confidential under regulation 12(1) of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004^f1 or must be so treated under regulation 13(1) of those Regulations.

Annotations

Footnotes

f1: S.I. 2004 No. 3391; regulation 13(1) was substituted by paragraph 307(2) of Schedule 19 to the Data Protection Act 2018 (c. 12)