146B.—(1) Subject to subsections (2) to (8) and section 146C, the Board may, on the request of any person who is carrying out or intending to carry out a strategic infrastructure development, alter the terms of the development the subject of a planning permission F609[other than a development for which permission was granted under section 9 of the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016], approval or other consent granted under this Act.

(2) (a) As soon as practicable after the making of such a request, the Board shall make a decision as to whether the making of the alteration to which the request relates would constitute the making of a material alteration of the terms of the development concerned.

(b) Before making a decision under this subsection, the Board may invite submissions in relation to the matter to be made to it by such person or class of person as the Board considers appropriate (which class may comprise the public if, in the particular case, the Board determines that it shall do so); the Board shall have regard to any submissions made to it on foot of that invitation.

F610[(3)(a) If the Board decides that the making of the alteration would not constitute the making of a material alteration of the terms of the development concerned, it shall alter the planning permission, approval or other consent accordingly and notify the person who made the request under this section, and the planning authority or each planning authority for the area or areas concerned, of the alteration.

(b) If the Board decides that the making of the alteration would constitute the making of such a material alteration, it shall—

(i) by notice in writing served on the requester, require the requester to submit to the Board the information specified in Schedule 7A to the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 in respect of that alteration, or in respect of the alternative alteration being considered by it under subparagraph (ii)(II), unless the requester has already provided such information, or an environmental impact assessment report on such alteration or alternative alteration, as the case may be, to the Board, and

(ii) following the receipt of such information or report, as the case may be, determine whether to—

(I) make the alteration,

(II) make an alteration of the terms of the development concerned, being an alteration that would be different from that to which the request relates (but which would not, in the opinion of the Board, represent, overall, a more significant change to the terms of the development than that which would be represented by the latter alteration), or

(III) refuse to make the alteration.]

F611[(3A) Where the requester is submitting to the Board the information referred to in subsection (3)(b)(i), that information shall be accompanied by any further relevant information on the characteristics of the alteration under consideration and its likely significant effects on the environment including, where relevant, information on how the available results of other relevant assessments of the effects on the environment carried out pursuant to European Union legislation other than the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive have been taken into account.

(3B) Where the requester is submitting to the Board the information referred to in subsection (3)(b)(i), that information may be accompanied by a description of the features, if any, of the alteration under consideration and the measures, if any, envisaged to avoid or prevent what might otherwise have been significant adverse effects on the environment of the alteration.]

(4) Before making a F612[determination under subsection (3)(b)(ii)], the Board shall determine whether the extent and character of—

(a) the alteration requested under subsection (1), and

(b) any alternative alteration it is considering under F613[subsection (3)(b)(ii)(II)]

are such that the alteration, were it to be made, would be likely to have significant effects on the environment (and, for this purpose, the Board shall have reached a final decision as to what is the extent and character of any alternative alteration the making of which it is so considering).

F614[(4A)(a) Subject to paragraph (b), within 8 weeks of receipt of the information referred to in subsection (3)(b)(i), the Board shall make its determination under subsection (4).

(b) Subject to paragraph (c), the Board shall not be required to comply with paragraph (a) within the period referred to in paragraph (a) where it appears to the Board that it would not be possible or appropriate, because of the exceptional circumstances of the alteration under consideration (including in relation to the nature, complexity, location or size of such alteration) to do so.

(c) Where paragraph (b) applies, the Board shall, by notice in writing served on the requester before the expiration of the period referred to in paragraph (a), inform him or her of the reasons why it would not be possible or appropriate to comply with paragraph (a) within that period and shall specify the date before which the Board intends that the determination concerned shall be made.]

(5) If the Board determines that the making of either kind of alteration referred to in F615[in subsection (3)(b)(ii)]—

(a) is not likely to have significant effects on the environment, it shall proceed to make a determination under F616[subsection (3)(b)(ii)], or

(b) is likely to have such effects, the provisions of section 146C shall apply.

(6) If, in a case to which subsection (5)(a) applies, the Board makes a determination to make an alteration of either kind referred to in F617[subsection (3)(b)(ii)], it shall alter the planning permission, approval or other consent accordingly and notify the person who made the request under this section, and the planning authority or each planning authority for the area or areas concerned, of the alteration.

F618[(7)(a) In making a determination under subsection (4), the Board shall have regard to—

(i) the criteria for the purposes of determining which classes of development are likely to have significant effects on the environment set out in any regulations made under section 176,

(ii) the criteria set out in Schedule 7 to the Planning and Development Regulations 2001,

(iii) the information submitted pursuant to Schedule 7A to the Planning and Development Regulations 2001,

(iv) the further relevant information, if any, referred to in subsection (3A) and the description, if any, referred to in subsection (3B),

(v) the available results, where relevant, of preliminary verifications or assessments of the effects on the environment carried out pursuant to European Union legislation other than the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive, and

(vi) in respect of an alteration under consideration which would be located on, or in, or have the potential to impact on—

(I) a European site,

(II) an area the subject of a notice under section 16(2)(b) of the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000 (No. 38 of 2000),

(III) an area designated as a natural heritage area under section 18 of the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000,

(IV) land established or recognised as a nature reserve within the meaning of section 15 or 16 of the Wildlife Act 1976 (No. 39 of 1976),

(V) land designated as a refuge for flora or a refuge for fauna under section 17 of the Wildlife Act 1976,

(VI) a place, site or feature of ecological interest, the preservation, conservation or protection of which is an objective of a development plan or local area plan, draft development plan or draft local area plan, or proposed variation of a development plan, for the area in which the development is proposed, or

(VII) a place or site which has been included by the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in a list of proposed Natural Heritage Areas published on the National Parks and Wildlife Service website,

the likely significant effects of such alteration on such site, area, land, place or feature, as appropriate.

(b) The Board shall include, or refer to, in its determination under subsection (4) the main reasons and considerations, with reference to the relevant criteria listed in Schedule 7 to the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, on which the determination is based.]

F619[(7A) Where the determination of the Board under subsection (4) is that the alteration under consideration would not be likely to have significant effects on the environment and the applicant has, under subsection (3B), provided a description of the features, if any, of the alteration concerned and the measures, if any, envisaged to avoid or prevent what might otherwise have been significant adverse effects on the environment of the alteration concerned, the Board shall specify such features, if any, and such measures, if any, in the determination.]

(8) (a) Before making a determination under F620[a determination under subsection (3)(b)(ii)] or (4), the Board shall—

(i) make, or require the person who made the request concerned under subsection (1) to make, such information relating to that request available for inspection for such period,

(ii) notify, or require that person to notify, such person, such class of person or the public (as the Board considers appropriate) that the information is so available, and

(iii) invite, or require that person to invite, submissions or observations (from any foregoing person or, as appropriate, members of the public) to be made to it in relation to that request within such period,

as the Board determines and, in the case of a requirement under any of the preceding subparagraphs, specifies in the requirement; such a requirement may specify the means by which the thing to which it relates is to be done.

(b) The Board shall have regard to any submissions or observations made to it in accordance with an invitation referred to in paragraph (a).

(c) The Board shall notify any person who made a submission or observation to it in accordance with that invitation of its determination under F621[subsection (3)(b)(ii)] or (4).

(9) In this section "term" has the same meaning as it has in section 146A.]