(1) Upon receiving an application for an approval in principle, the Planning Authority shall commence the appraisal process by referring the notification to the Scheduled agencies and by undertaking a preliminary screening to determine whether an environmental impact assessment is required and the scope of such an assessment.
(2) Within 90 days of receiving an application under this section, the Planning Authority shall, after considering any comments from the Scheduled agencies, shall determine whether —
(a) there are issues which require further information to be provided by the applicant;
(b) an environmental impact assessment is to be required; and
(c) whether that assessment is to comprise a comprehensive environmental impact assessment report.
(Amended by Act 10 of 2007)
(3) Where the Planning Authority determines that further information is required, the Planning Authority shall advise the applicant in writing of the further information required, and any response of the applicant purporting to supply that further information shall be treated as a continuation of the proposal and additional ninety days shall be permitted for the evaluation by the Planning Authority following the receipt of the additional information from the applicant.
(4) Following the completion of the appraisal process, the Planning Authority shall advise the applicant whether a comprehensive environmental impact assessment report is required.
(5) If a comprehensive environmental impact assessment report is required, the Planning Authority shall provide the applicant with Terms of Reference for the report, and thereafter the applicant shall undertake, at his or her own expense, a study and produce a report which complies with such Terms of Reference.