SCHEDULE 3Exempt facilities and waste operations to which section 33(1)(a) of the 1990 Act does not apply: descriptions and conditions

PART 4Exempt flood risk activities: descriptions and conditions

General and interpretation1

1

The descriptions in this Part are set out in paragraphs 2 to 28, in their respective first sub-paragraphs.

2

The specific conditions relating to each description in this Part are set out in paragraphs 2 to 28, in their respective second sub-paragraphs.

3

The general conditions relating to all descriptions in this Part are that the activity is not carried out—

a

on a designated site or—

i

in the case of the description set out in paragraphs 2 to 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18 to 20 and 25 to 28, in their respective first sub-paragraphs, within a 200 metre radius of a designated site;

ii

in the case of the description set out in paragraphs 5, 7, 10, 11, 14 and 17, in their respective first sub-paragraphs, within a 500 metre radius of a designated site;

iii

in the case of the description set out in paragraphs 21, 22 and 24, in their respective first sub-paragraphs, within one kilometre upstream of a designated site;

iv

in the case of the description set out in paragraph 23, in its first sub-paragraph, within—

aa

5 kilometres upstream of a designated site notified for its freshwater habitats or species,

bb

1 kilometre upstream of a designated site that includes any part of the flood plain of the relevant main river but not the river itself, or

cc

1 kilometre upstream of any other designated site,

b

in a water body in Wales that is part of a main river classified as of high morphological status by the NRBW in accordance with the relevant directions,

c

where the activity is carried out in Wales, within 100 metres of a water body in Wales that is part of a main river classified as of high morphological status by the NRBW in accordance with the relevant directions, or

d

in the case of the descriptions set out in paragraphs 3, 5, 7, 10 to 15, 18, 21 to 24 and 27, in their respective first sub-paragraphs, where the activity is carried out in England within 100 metres of a water body in Wales that is part of a main river classified as of high morphological status by the NRBW in accordance with the relevant directions.

4

In sub-paragraph (3), “designated site” means—

a

a European site (which has the meaning given in regulation 8 of F1the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017),

b

a Ramsar site (which has the same meaning as in section 37A of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 M1),

c

a site of special scientific interest (which has the meaning given in section 52(1) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981), or

d

a nature reserve established by a local authority under section 21 of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 M2.

5

For the purposes of this Part—

  • “designated salmonid river” means—

    1. a

      in England, a river included in the dataset sealed by the Agency on 22nd October 2015, entitled “Rivers in England identified as salmonid for flood risk activities under the Environmental Permitting Regulations”, and published by the Agency M3;

    2. b

      in Wales, a river included on the map published by the NRBW on 20th October 2015 entitled “Rivers in Wales identified as salmonid for flood risk activities under the Environmental Permitting Regulations”M4;

  • “designated sensitive water body” means a water body included in the dataset sealed by the Agency on 20th October 2015 entitled “Water bodies in England identified as sensitive for flood risk activities under the Environmental Permitting Regulations because sediment management may compromise delivery of the environmental objectives of the Water Framework Directive” and published by the Agency M5;

  • “the dredging and removal of silt and sand requirements” means the document published by the Agency on 1st February 2016 entitled “Dredging and the removal of silt and sand from main rivers as a flood risk activity under the Environmental Permitting Regulations”M6;

  • “protected species” means—

    1. a

      F3a species of a kind listed in Annex 1 to Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conservation of wild birds or Annex 4 to Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora;

    2. b

      a species in respect of which any adverse impact is in accordance with a licence issued under section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 M7;

  • “relevant directions” means the Water Framework Directive (Standards and Classification) Directions (England and Wales) 2015 M8.

6

In this Part, “bank” has the meaning given in paragraph 2(2)(a) in Part 1 of Schedule 25 and paragraph 2(2)(b) to (d) of that Schedule applies to this Part.

F27

In sub-paragraph (5), in sub-paragraph (a) of the definition of “protected species”, a reference to a species listed in an Annex to Directive 2009/147/EC or Council Directive 92/43/EEC is to be construed as including a reference to any other species protected under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017.