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Planning Bill


 

Planning Bill

 
 

EXPLANATORY NOTES

Explanatory notes to the Bill, prepared by the Department for Communities and

Local Government, are published separately as Bill 11—EN.

EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

Secretary Hazel Blears has made the following statement under section 19(1)(a) of the

Human Rights Act 1998:

In my view the provisions of the Planning Bill are compatible with the Convention

rights.

 

Bill 11                                                                                                 

54/3

 

 


 

Planning Bill

 

 
 

Contents

Part 1

The Infrastructure Planning Commission

1   

The Infrastructure Planning Commission

2   

Code of conduct

3   

Register of Commissioners’ interests

4   

Fees

Part 2

National policy statements

5   

National policy statements

6   

Review

7   

Consultation and publicity

8   

Consultation on publicity requirements

9   

Sustainable development

10   

Suspension pending review

11   

Pre-commencement statements of policy, consultation etc.

12   

Legal challenges relating to national policy statements

Part 3

Nationally significant infrastructure projects

General

13   

Nationally significant infrastructure projects: general

Energy

14   

Generating stations

15   

Electric lines

16   

Underground gas storage

17   

Pipe-lines

 

Bill 11                                                                                                 

54/3

 
 

Planning Bill

ii

 

Transport

18   

Highways

19   

Airports

20   

Harbour facilities

21   

Railways

22   

Rail freight interchanges

Water

23   

Dams and reservoirs

24   

Transfer of water resources

Waste water

25   

Waste water treatment plants

Waste

26   

Hazardous waste facilities

Part 4

Requirement for development consent

27   

When development consent is required

28   

Meaning of “development”

29   

Effect of requirement for development consent on other consent regimes

30   

Directions in relation to projects of national significance

31   

Amendments consequential on development consent regime

Part 5

Applications for orders granting development consent

Chapter 1

Applications

32   

Applications for orders granting development consent

33   

Model provisions

34   

Register of applications

35   

Applications by the Crown for orders granting development consent

Chapter 2

Pre-application procedure

36   

Chapter applies before application is made

37   

Duty to consult

38   

Local authorities for purposes of section 37(1)(b)

39   

Categories for purposes of section 37(1)(d)

40   

Timetable for consultation under section 37

41   

Duty to notify Commission of proposed application

42   

Duty to consult local community

 
 

Planning Bill

iii

 

43   

Duty to publicise

44   

Duty to take account of responses to consultation and publicity

Chapter 3

Assistance for applicants and others

45   

Advice for potential applicants and others

46   

Obtaining information about interests in land

47   

Rights of entry

48   

Rights of entry: the Crown

Part 6

Deciding applications for orders granting development consent

Chapter 1

Handling of application by Commission

49   

Acceptance of applications

50   

Notifying persons of accepted application

51   

Categories for purposes of section 50(2)(d)

52   

Certifying compliance with section 50

53   

Initial choice of Panel or single Commissioner

54   

Switching from single Commissioner to Panel

55   

Delegation of functions by person appointed to chair Commission

Chapter 2

The Panel procedure

Panels

56   

Panel for each application to be handled under this Chapter

57   

Appointment of members, and lead member, of Panel

58   

Ceasing to be member, or lead member, of Panel

59   

Panel member continuing though ceasing to be Commissioner

60   

Additional appointments to Panel

61   

Replacement of lead member of Panel

62   

Membership of Panel where application relates to land in Wales

63   

Supplementary provision where Panel replaces single Commissioner

64   

Panel ceasing to have any members

65   

Consequences of changes in Panel

Panel’s role in relation to application

66   

Panel to decide, or make recommendation in respect of, application

67   

Decision-making by the Panel

68   

Allocation within Panel of Panel’s functions

69   

Exercise of Panel’s powers for examining application

 
 

Planning Bill

iv

 

Chapter 3

The single-Commissioner procedure

The single Commissioner

70   

Single Commissioner to handle application

71   

Appointment of single Commissioner

72   

Ceasing to be the single Commissioner

73   

Single Commissioner continuing though ceasing to be Commissioner

74   

Appointment of replacement single Commissioner

Single Commissioner’s role in relation to application

75   

Single Commissioner to examine and report on application

Commission’s role in respect of application

76   

Report from single Commissioner to be referred to Council

77   

Decisions made by the Council on the application

Chapter 4

Examination of applications under Chapter 2 or 3

78   

Chapter applies to examination by Panel or single Commissioner

79   

Examining authority to control examination of application

80   

Initial assessment of issues, and preliminary meeting

81   

Examining authority’s decisions about how application is to be examined

82   

Written representations

83   

Hearings about specific issues

84   

Open-floor hearings

85   

Hearings: general provisions

86   

Hearings: disruption, supervision and costs

87   

Representations not made orally may be made in writing

88   

Procedure rules

89   

Timetable for examining, and deciding or reporting on, application

90   

Completion of Examining authority’s examination of application

91   

Assessors

92   

Interpretation of Chapter 4: “interested party” and other expressions

Chapter 5

Decisions on applications

93   

Cases where Secretary of State is, and meaning of, decision-maker

94   

Decisions of Panel and Council

95   

Decisions of Secretary of State

96   

Matters that may be disregarded when deciding application

 
 

Planning Bill

v

 

Chapter 6

Suspension of decision-making process

97   

Suspension during review of national policy statement

Chapter 7

Intervention by Secretary of State

98   

When power to intervene arises

99   

Power of Secretary of State to intervene

100   

Effect of intervention by Secretary of State

Chapter 8

Grant or refusal

101   

Grant or refusal of development consent

102   

Reasons for decision to grant or refuse development consent

103   

Orders granting development consent: formalities

Chapter 9

Legal challenges

104   

Legal challenges relating to applications for orders granting development

consent

Part 7

Development consent orders

Chapter 1

Content of development consent orders

General

105   

What may be included in order granting development consent

106   

Exercise of powers in relation to legislation

Compulsory acquisition

107   

Purpose for which compulsory acquisition may be authorised

108   

Guidance about authorisation of compulsory acquisition

109   

Compensation for compulsory acquisition

110   

Statutory undertakers’ land

111   

Local authority land and statutory undertakers’ land: general

112   

Local authority and statutory undertakers’ land: acquisition by public body

113   

National Trust land

114   

Commons, open spaces etc: compulsory acquisition of land

115   

Commons, open spaces etc: compulsory acquisition of rights over land

116   

Crown land

 
 

 
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Revised 27 November 2007