The Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) will no longer rely on published Ammonia Standing Advice and will instead provide planning authorities with advice on a case-by-case basis.
The Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) announced the change today (Tuesday, December 19), stating that this will be the case for the NIEA “until such times as a new ammonia strategy and updated standing advice have been agreed and are in place”.
NIEA has informed planning authorities and other stakeholders of the decision.
DAERA said this decision has been taken by a senior officer of the department under the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Act 2022 after “careful consideration”.
The decision was also made in response to a potential legal challenge by the Office of Environmental Protection and has been approved by the permanent secretary, DAERA said.
DAERA said: “The NIEA fulfils an important role on behalf of the department in providing advice to planning authorities on applications for planning permission, particularly in cases where a development proposal is likely to have an adverse effect on a Northern Ireland priority habitat or priority species or is likely to have an effect on an Area of Special Scientific Interest or a European site.
“However, decisions on whether planning permission should be granted rest with the relevant planning authority.
“Officials are working hard to finalise a new draft strategy on ammonia informed by the responses received to the Call for Evidence which closed in October this year.”
The department said it remains committed to ensuring that advice to returning ministers on a new strategy is informed by “science and evidence” and supports and delivers its statutory obligations relevant to safeguarding the natural environment.
“While timescales for agreeing and implementing a new strategy will be dependent on the return of ministers, officials are committed to ensuring that proposals for that new strategy are ready for ministers’ consideration early in the New Year.”