The Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (England) (No. 2) (Amendment) Regulations 2017

New regulation 15A

10.  After regulation 15 insert—

“Conclusion about environmental impact

15A.— (1) Natural England must consider (ensuring that in doing so it has, or has access to, any expertise it considers necessary)—

(a) the environmental statement,

(b) any additional environmental information,

(c) any representations or opinions it receives under—

(i) regulation 12(4)(b) and (5)(c),

(ii) regulation 13(2)(b) and (3)(d), and

(iii) regulation 14(5)(b), and

(d) any features of the significant project or measures to avoid, prevent, reduce or offset any likely significant adverse effects of the significant project on the environment.

(2) Following that consideration, Natural England must reach a conclusion about the likely significant effects (including the expected effects deriving from the vulnerability of the significant project to risks of major accidents or disasters) of the significant project on—

(a) population and human health;

(b) biodiversity, with particular attention to species and habitats protected under the Habitats Directive and the Wild Birds Directive;

(c) land, soil, water, air and climate;

(d) material assets, cultural heritage and the landscape;

(e) the interaction between the factors referred to in sub-paragraphs (a) to (d).”.