The Environment (Northern Ireland) Order 2002

Management notices

35.—(1) Where it appears to the Department that—

(a)an owner or occupier of land included in an ASSI is not giving effect to any provision of a management agreement, and

(b)as a result any flora, fauna or geological, physiographical or other features by reason of which the land is of special scientific interest are being inadequately conserved or restored

it may if it thinks fit serve a notice on him.

(2) Where the Department is satisfied that—

(a)any land included in an ASSI in respect of which no management agreement is in force is being managed in such a way that any flora, fauna or geological, physiographical or other features by reason of which the land is of special scientific interest are being inadequately conserved or restored, and

(b)that it is unable to conclude, on reasonable terms, a management agreement with the owner or occupier,

it may if it thinks fit serve a notice on him.

(3) A notice served under paragraph (1) or (2) is referred to in this Order as a “management notice”.

(4) A management notice is a notice requiring the owner or occupier to—

(a)carry out such work on the land, and

(b)do such other things with respect to it,

as are specified in the notice, and to do so before the dates or within the periods so specified.

(5) The work and other things specified in a management notice must appear to the Department to be measures which it is reasonable to require in order to ensure that the land is managed in accordance with the statement mentioned in Article 28(2).

(6) A management notice must explain the effect of paragraphs (8) and (9) and of Article 36.

(7) A copy of the management notice must be served on every other owner and occupier of the land.

(8) If any of the work or other things required by a management notice have not been done within the period or by the date specified in it, the Department may—

(a)carry out the work or do the other things; and

(b)recover from the owner or occupier upon whom the notice was served any expenses reasonably incurred by it in carrying out the work or doing the other things.

(9) If an appeal is brought against the management notice, and upon the final determination of the appeal the notice is affirmed (with or without modifications), paragraph (8) applies as if the references there to the management notice were to the notice as affirmed.