Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

EIA Regulations for agriculture

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 Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). DAERA 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 DAERA. DAERA 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.

• Environmental Impact Assessment application forms and guidance

Agriculture EIA decisions

Recent decisions under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007

Name of applicant	Location	Project	Decision
Millar	Co. Tyrone	Reclaim whins to grass	Project exempt
Abraham	Co. Armagh	Cultivation and soil improvements	Project exempt
Skillen	Co. Down	Scrub removal and reseeding	Project exempt
Kerrigan	Co. Fermanagh	Scrub removal	Project exempt
Trotter	Co. Down	Soil spreading and reseeding	Project exempt
Skillen	Co. Down	Scrub removal	Application withdrawn
Watson	Co. Tyrone	Deforestation	Project exempt
Corrigan	Co. Fermanagh	Scrub Removal	Project approved
Earls	Co. Fermanagh	Cultivation and reseeding	Project exempt
McElholm	Co. Tyrone	Drainage work	Project exempt
McKenna	Co. Derry/Londonderry	Scrub removal and drainage	Project exempt
Sayers	Co. Tyrone	Stocking intensification	Project exempt
Thompson	Co. Derry/Londonderry	Cultivation	Environmental statement required
Walsh	Co. Armagh	Install drains, cultivate and reseed.	Project exempt
Donnelly	Co. Antrim	Remove scrub for drain maintenance.	Environmental statement required
Leathem	Co. Antrim	Cultivate and reseed.	Project exempt
King	Co. Down	Raise Field level and reseed.	Project exempt
Cirefice	Co. Down	Remove gorse and regenerate grassland.	Project exempt.
Harrison	Co. Down	Reclaim ground, remove whins.	Project exempt
Armstrong	Co. Tyrone	Restore grass field.	Project exempt
Keys	Co. Fermanagh	Clear vegetation and cultivation.	Environmental statement required

For further information contact:-

DAERA
Countryside Management Unit
Academy House
121A Broughshane Street
Town Parks
Ballymena
BT43 6HY

Email: eia@daera-ni.gov.uk

Telephone: 0300 200 7842