Written question WQ83214
- Asked by
- Cefin CampbellPlaid
- To be answered by
- Minister for Climate Change
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 13 days
Question
How many applications for environmental impact assessment consent has Natural Resources Wales received for afforestation projects located on a) sensitive areas and b) land without sensitive areas but which amount to more than 5ha each year since 2014 and, of these, how many applications were successful?
Answer
Answered by Minister for Climate Change
Under the Environmental Impact Assessment regulations, anyone seeking to carry out an afforestation project over the relevant thresholds may apply to Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to check if consent is required. If NRW decide the project will cause a significant environmental impact, they will require applicants to apply for consent, which involves producing an environmental statement.
In most cases where consent is required applicants choose not to take the project forward. Figures for the number of applications received by NRW each year and those where consent was required are included below.
2014/15
2015/16
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
2020/21
EIAs over 5 hectares
2
17
20
31
28
6
30
EIAs less than 5 hectares and in a sensitive area.
0
43
9
65
43
0
9
Total
2
60
29
96
71
6
39
Consent required
0
3
3
0
0
2
2
Consent granted
0
0
1
0
0
0
0