Planning and Development Act 2024

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Consultation on Natura impact report

204. (1) Where a competent authority has prepared a Natura impact report under section 203 , it shall—

(a) publish the Natura impact report on an internet website maintained by it or on its behalf,

(b) publish a notice on that website—

(i) stating that a determination has been made under subsection (3) of section 202 that the likelihood of a proposed plan (either individually or in combination with any project or other plan) having significant effects on a European site cannot be excluded and that, as a consequence and having regard to the conservation objectives relating to the European site, an appropriate assessment of the proposed plan is required to be carried out,

(ii) inviting submissions by members of the public with respect to the implications of the proposed plan for any European site having regard to the conservation objectives relating to that site, and

(iii) specifying the period during which, and the manner in which, such submissions may be made,

and

(c) where the competent authority is a regional assembly or a planning authority—

(i) make the Natura impact report available for inspection (free of charge) by members of the public at its offices during normal office hours, and

(ii) specify, in the notice published in accordance with paragraph (b), the times and places at which, and the period during which, a copy of that Natura impact report may be inspected.

(2) The competent authority shall—

(a) send a copy of the proposed plan and the Natura impact report to—

(i) such persons as are required to be consulted under Part 3 in relation to the proposed plan, and

(ii) such other person or persons (if any) as may be prescribed,

and

(b) invite each such person to make, during the period referred to in subparagraph (iii) of paragraph (b) of subsection (1), submissions with respect to the implications of the proposed plan for any European site having regard to the conservation objectives relating to that site.

(3) (a) Where a competent authority complies with subsections (1) and (2), it shall, to the extent that any requirement under either of those subsections is a requirement under Part 3 , be deemed to have complied with the said requirement under Part 3 .

(b) Where a competent authority is required by this Part to give notice to any person of, or in relation to, any matter, neither this Part nor Part 3 shall be construed as preventing the competent authority from using that notice to comply with a requirement under Part 3 to give notice to that person of, or in relation to, any other matter.

(c) Where a competent authority is required by this Part to publish any information or material, neither this Part nor Part 3 shall be construed as preventing the competent authority from publishing, with that information or material, any information or material that the competent authority is required to publish under Part 3 .