PART 1General provisions

Interpretation3.

(1)

In these Regulations—

“agriculture” has the same meaning as in section 109(3) of the Agriculture Act 19474;

“additional environmental information” means any additional information required under regulation 14(1);

“consent” means consent granted under regulation 17(1);

“consultation bodies” means—

(a)

the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England (English Heritage)5;

(b)

the Environment Agency6;

(c)

any other public authority, statutory body or other organisation which Natural England7 or the Secretary of State considers has any interest in or holds any information which might be relevant to the project;

“cultivated” means cultivated by physical means (including ploughing and harrowing) or chemical means (including the application of fertilisers);

“EEA State” means a member State, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein;

“the EIA Directive” means Council Directive 85/337/EEC8 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment, as last amended by Directive 2003/35/EC9;

“environmental statement” means a statement that includes—

(a)

as much of the information in Part 1 of Schedule 3 as is reasonably required to assess the environmental effects of the project and which the applicant for consent can, having regard in particular to current knowledge and methods of assessment, reasonably be required to compile, and

(b)

at least the information referred to in Part 2 of Schedule 3;

“European site” means a site mentioned in paragraph (a), (b), (d) or (e) of regulation 10(1) of the Habitats Regulations;

“the Habitats Directive” means Council Directive 92/43/EEC10 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, as last amended by the Act concerning the conditions of accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic and the adjustments to the Treaties on which the European Union is founded11;
“the Habitats Regulations” means the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c) Regulations 199412;

“project” means—

(a)

the execution of construction works or other installations or schemes; or

(b)

other interventions in the natural surroundings and landscape;

“the relevant land” means the land on which the project is to be (or has been) carried out;

“restructuring project” means a project for the restructuring of rural land holdings;

“screening decision” means a decision made by Natural England under regulation 9(1) or a decision deemed to be made by Natural England under regulation 9(7);

“screening notice” means a notice served under regulation 7(1);

“significant project” means an uncultivated land project or a restructuring project which Natural England has decided under regulation 9(1), or is deemed to have decided under regulation 9(7), is likely to have significant effects on the environment;

“uncultivated land” means land which has not been cultivated in the previous 15 years;

“uncultivated land project” means a project to increase the productivity for agriculture of uncultivated land or a semi-natural area, and includes projects to increase the productivity for agriculture of such land to below the norm.

(2)

Other expressions used both in these Regulations and in the EIA Directive or the Habitats Directive have the same meanings in these Regulations as they have in the relevant Directive.

(3)

All notifications, applications, notices, representations, requests, approvals and agreements under these Regulations must be made or given in writing.

(4)

“Writing” in paragraph (3), except where it applies to notices under regulation 7, 26 and 28, includes an electronic communication within the meaning of the Electronic Communications Act 200013, but notifications required to be made by Natural England or by the Secretary of State to any person may only be made by an electronic communication if the intended recipient—

(a)

has himself used that form of electronic communication in communicating with Natural England or the Secretary of State (as the case may be) under any provision in these Regulations, or

(b)

has otherwise represented that that form of electronic communication is a means by which persons can communicate with him.

(5)

Subject to regulation 7(6), notices or documents required or authorised to be served, sent or given under these Regulations may be sent by post.