Non Public Guidance

Guidance

Owners and occupiers of land in an ASSI will need to apply for consent for certain activities undertaken on land contained in an ASSI.

The activities that require consent differ depending on the ASSI – you should check the content of the ‘Schedule’ contained in the citation document that you will have received as part of your ASSI ownership pack. Alternatively you can check the ‘Current ASSIs’ section of our website: https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/topics/land-and-landscapes/areas-special-scientific-interest .

It can take up to 3 months from the date we receive your application to obtain consent, although we aim to respond much sooner than this. Consent can be issued for an extended period of time – you can apply in advance and request this on your application. If you are seeking the renewal of an existing consent without change you should contact us and we may be able to re-issue it.

When completing your application please answer all relevant questions and provide full details. Please try to be as descriptive as possible as this may help speed up the processing of your application.

We will assess the content of your application and make a determination based on the information you provide in your application form. We will not make assumptions and where insufficient information is provided your application may be treated as invalid and this will delay the processing of it. We will return a copy of your application requesting additional details.

Please provide a map showing the area of land where you wish to undertake works. Please be as accurate as possible as maps may be used as part of the consent response. If you need a map you can print one showing your land within the ASSI from our website: https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/services/protected-areas-web-viewer. (See simple guide how to create a map http://tiukloniisdev/ACA/Help/NedMap)

Where you are not the owner or occupier of the land you can still apply for consent as long as you have written permission from the owner or occupier. This permission can be in the form a letter or email which must accompany your application.

We may place conditions on your consent. These are required in order to protect the ASSI in which you have requested consent. In certain circumstances conditions may be required due to uncertainty – this can be as a result of a lack of information contained in the application.

If you need assistance in completing your application, you can email ASSIConsents@daera-ni.gov.uk or telephone 02890 569516.

If you wish to download the consent form to email or post, this can be done by clicking on: https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/publications/request-consent-carry-out-notifiable-operation-assi

This form can then be scanned and emailed to ASSIConsents@daera-ni.gov.uk. Alternatively you can return the completed application form by post to:

Northern Ireland Environment Agency
Conservation Designations & Protection,
Klondyke Building,
Cromac Avenue,
Belfast,
BT7 2JA.