01636 676107 info@ashfieldfes.co.uk

EIA / Screening

We offer advice and guidance to assist farmers and landowners throughout the often complex regulations of EIA, starting at the screening application stage right through to a full EIA if necessary.

It is important that the potential need for an EIA is identified as early as possible in the project. This includes clients with land which is exiting an HLS scheme who wish to return grassland options to arable production. This would potentially fall under the EIA regulations as it would be classed as uncultivated land and screening would be required .

Identifying the need can reduce the likelihood of any unforeseen time delays and costs further into the project.

For more information go to GOV.UK and search for EIA (Agriculture) regulations.

Projects covered by the Regulations

In May 2017 the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (England) (No.2) Regulations 2006 were amended by the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (England) (No.2) (Amendment) Regulations 2017. The primary change is that applicants must submit an Environmental Screening Report (ESR) with the screening application along with required consultations.

In summary, semi-natural areas and land that has not been physically or regularly chemically cultivated in the last 15 years will fall within the scope of the regulations, as will land where evidence of cultivations does not exist or cannot be obtained. Semi-natural land includes priority habitats, heritage or archaeological features, or protected landscapes.  If the land is semi-natural or uncultivated and the project will increase productivity, or land is to be physically restructured then a screening decision would be required.

The regulations cover two different types of project;

1. Projects on uncultivated land

 

  • increasing levels of fertiliser or soil improvers
  • sowing seed
  • physically cultivating the soil
  • draining the land
  • clearing existing vegetation
2. Projects that physically restructure rural land holdings

 

  • addition or removal of field boundaries
  • re-contouring the land through addition, removal or redistribution of earth or other material

Contact Us

Please contact us if you require further information or would like a quote for any of our services.

Ashfield
1 Drove Lane
Coddington
Newark
NG24 2RA

01636 676 107

info@ashfieldfes.co.uk

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