back to previous page

These Regulations amend the Town and Country Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1988 ("the 1988 Regulations") which are concerned with the implementation in England and Wales of Council Directive 85/337/EEC (OJ No. L175, 5.7.85, p. 40) on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment.

Schedule 2 to the 1988 Regulations is amended, with the consequence that those Regulations apply to new classes of development. The new classes are introduced by the insertion into Schedule 2 of references to—
(i) a wind generator;

(ii) a motorway service area; and

(iii) coast protection works.

In addition to minor drafting amendments, the Regulations also amend—
(a) the definitions of "special road" in regulation 2 of the 1988 Regulations, to include roads subject to a concession within the meaning of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991;

(b) regulations 5(4) and 6(4) to secure that, in each case, the 3 week period begins with the date of receipt of the relevant request;

(c) regulation 9(5), to secure that regulation 6(2) applies to applications made under regulation 9(2);

(d) regulations 14(1) and (2)(b) and 19, with the effect that the number of copies or additional copies of an environmental statement to be provided, sent or supplied pursuant to those provisions is increased from one to three;

(e) regulation 15(2), with the effect that the number of copies of an environmental statement to be submitted pursuant to that provision is increased from two to four;

(f) regulation 21, with the consequence that public notice is required to be given of any further information which the applicant or appellant is required to provide under paragraph (1) of the regulation except in so far as the further information is required to be provided for the purposes of a local inquiry held under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

Regulation 3 provides that the amendments to regulations 2, 14, 15 and 19 of, and Schedule 2 to, the 1988 Regulations do not apply in relation to applications made before the coming into force of these Regulations.

A Compliance Cost Assessment has been prepared in relation to these Regulations. It has been placed in the libraries of the Houses of Parliament and copies may be obtained from PD5A Division, Department of the Environment, Room C13/06, 2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 3EB (Telephone 071-276-3865) or Planning Division, Welsh Office, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF1 3NQ (Telephone 0222-823882).