The Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes (Wales) Regulations 2004

Information as to adoption of plan or programmeE+W

16.—(1) As soon as reasonably practicable after the adoption of a plan or programme for which an environmental assessment has been carried out under these Regulations, the responsible authority must—

(a)make a copy of the plan or programme and its accompanying environmental report available at its principal office for inspection by the public at all reasonable times and free of charge; and

(b)take such steps as it considers appropriate to bring to the attention of the public—

(i)the title of the plan or programme;

(ii)the date on which it was adopted;

(iii)the address (which may include a website) at which a copy of it and of its accompanying environmental report, and of a statement containing the particulars specified in paragraph (4), may be viewed or from which a copy may be obtained;

(iv)the times at which inspection may be made; and

(v)that inspection may be made free of charge.

(2) As soon as reasonably practicable after the adoption of a plan or programme—

(a)the responsible authority must inform—

(i)the consultation bodies;

(ii)the persons who, in relation to the plan or programme, were public consultees for the purposes of regulation 13; and

(iii)where the responsible body is not the National Assembly, the National Assembly; and

(b)the National Assembly must inform the Secretary of State,

of the matters referred to in paragraph (3).

(3) The matters are—

(a)that the plan or programme has been adopted;

(b)the date on which it was adopted; and

(c)the address (which may include a website) at which a copy of—

(i)the plan or programme, as adopted;

(ii)its accompanying environmental report; and

(iii)a statement containing the particulars specified in paragraph (4),

may be viewed, or from which a copy may be obtained.

(4) The particulars referred to in paragraphs (1)(b)(iii) and (3)(c)(iii) are—

(a)how environmental considerations have been integrated into the plan or programme;

(b)how the environmental report has been taken into account;

(c)how opinions expressed in response to—

(i)the invitation in regulation 13(2)(d);

(ii)action taken by the responsible authority in accordance with regulation 13(4),

have been taken into account;

(d)how the results of any consultations entered into under regulation 14 have been taken into account;

(e)the reasons for choosing the plan or programme as adopted, in the light of the other reasonable alternatives dealt with; and

(f)the measures that are to be taken to monitor the significant environmental effects of the implementation of the plan or programme.