Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has issued guidance for local councillors on what may constitute an imperative reason of overriding public interest under Part 6 of the Conservation of Habitats Regulations 2017.
Defra guidance on how competent authorities, including local authorities, must decide whether a plan or project which affects a Habitats site can go ahead and how to consider imperative reasons of overriding public interest (IROPI) can be found on Gov.UK.
Habitats regulations assessments: protecting a European site - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)