Agriculture and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

The Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) Regulations (NI) 2007 (EIA) seek to protect environmentally important agricultural land and preserve the landscape.   Put simply, the EIA Regulations mean you must gain consent from DARD before carrying out land improvements on uncultivated or semi-natural land.  

Land is considered to be uncultivated if it has not received any or minimal fertiliser or sprays and has not been reseeded in the last 15 years.  Semi-natural areas include: heather moorland, wetlands, scrub or species rich grassland.

The EIA Regulations will affect you if you plan carry out land improvements on any uncultivated land or semi–natural area on your farm.  Examples of land improvement covered by the EIA Regulations include: drainage, ploughing, reseeding, harrowing, infilling, spraying or applying increased fertiliser.  Before commencing work you must apply for consent from DARD.

If you fail to comply with the EIA Regulations you may be prosecuted and may have to return the land to its previous condition.

Starting work without prior written permission could affect your Single Farm Payment and other support schemes.

To apply for EIA consent, you must make an application to DARD, detailing the work you intend to do. Application forms and further information can be requested from:

Countryside Management Development Branch

Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

Loughry Campus

Cookstown BT80 9AA

Tel: 028 8676 8310.

Further advice is available from your Countryside Management staff at your local DARD office.

Reclamation of uncultivated land requires consent from DARD