Environmental Impact Assessment

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a way of helping farmers, landowners and others to consider the environmental effects of changing the  way they farm.

Under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007, any person intending to alter the use or management of areas of uncultivated or semi-natural land must obtain prior approval from Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD). DARD will screen all such applications and any that are likely to have significant environmental effects will be requested to prepare an Environmental Impact Assessment before a decision on whether the project can go ahead is given.

It is an offence to carry out any such work without prior permission from DARD. DARD may serve a notice to stop unauthorised works with immediate effect. It is an offence not to comply with a stop notice.

In addition the offender may be liable for the cost of reinstating the land to its former condition. If after a conviction, the land is not reinstated as requested, a further daily fine will be imposed until the reinstatement work is carried out.