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Planning Bill
Part 6 — Deciding applications for orders granting development consent
Chapter 9 — Legal challenges

55

 

Chapter 9

Legal challenges

108     

Legal challenges relating to applications for orders granting development

consent

(1)   

A court may entertain proceedings for questioning an order granting

5

development consent only if—

(a)   

the proceedings are brought by a claim for judicial review, and

(b)   

the claim form is filed during the period of 6 weeks beginning with—

(i)   

the day on which the order is published, or

(ii)   

if later, the day on which the statement of reasons for making

10

the order is published.

(2)   

A court may entertain proceedings for questioning a refusal of development

consent only if—

(a)   

the proceedings are brought by a claim for judicial review, and

(b)   

the claim form is filed during the period of 6 weeks beginning with the

15

day on which the statement of reasons for the refusal is published.

(3)   

A court may entertain proceedings for questioning a decision of the

Commission under section 52 not to accept an application for an order granting

development consent only if—

(a)   

the proceedings are brought by a claim for judicial review, and

20

(b)   

the claim form is filed during the period of 6 weeks beginning with the

day on which the Commission notifies the applicant as required by

subsection (7) of that section.

(4)   

A court may entertain proceedings for questioning anything else done, or

omitted to be done, by the Secretary of State or the Commission in relation to

25

an application for an order granting development consent only if—

(a)   

the proceedings are brought by a claim for judicial review, and

(b)   

the claim form is filed during the period of 6 weeks beginning with the

relevant day.

(5)   

“The relevant day”, in relation to an application for an order granting

30

development consent, means the day on which—

(a)   

the application is withdrawn,

(b)   

the order granting development consent is published or (if later) the

statement of reasons for making the order is published, or

(c)   

the statement of reasons for the refusal of development consent is

35

published.

(6)   

Subsections (4) and (5) do not apply in relation to—

(a)   

a failure to decide an application for an order granting development

consent, or

(b)   

anything which delays (or is likely to delay) the decision on such an

40

application.

 
 

Planning Bill
Part 7 — Development consent orders
Chapter 1 — Content of development consent orders

56

 

Part 7

Development consent orders

Chapter 1

Content of development consent orders

General

5

109     

What may be included in order granting development consent

(1)   

An order granting development consent may impose requirements in

connection with the development for which consent is granted.

(2)   

The requirements may in particular include requirements corresponding to

conditions which could have been imposed on the grant of any permission,

10

consent or authorisation, or the giving of any notice, which (but for section

31(1)) would have been required for the development.

(3)   

An order granting development consent may make provision relating to, or to

matters ancillary to, the development for which consent is granted.

(4)   

The order may in particular include provision—

15

(a)   

authorising the acquisition of land, compulsorily or by agreement;

(b)   

authorising the creation, suspension, overriding or extinguishment of

rights over land (including rights of navigation over water),

compulsorily or by agreement;

(c)   

authorising the abrogation or modification of agreements relating to

20

land;

(d)   

authorising the carrying out of specified excavation, mining, quarrying

or boring operations in a specified area;

(e)   

authorising the operation of a generating station;

(f)   

authorising electric lines to be kept installed above ground;

25

(g)   

authorising the sale, exchange or appropriation of Green Belt land;

(h)   

for the freeing of land from any restriction imposed on it by or under

the Green Belt (London and Home Counties) Act 1938 (c. xciii), or by a

covenant or other agreement entered into for the purposes of that Act;

(i)   

protecting the property or interests of any person;

30

(j)   

imposing or excluding obligations or liability in respect of acts or

omissions;

(k)   

authorising the carrying out of surveys or the taking of soil samples;

(l)   

authorising the cutting down, uprooting, topping or lopping of trees or

shrubs or cutting back their roots;

35

(m)   

authorising the removal, disposal or re-siting of apparatus;

(n)   

authorising the diversion of navigable or non-navigable watercourses;

(o)   

authorising the stopping up or diversion of highways;

(p)   

authorising the charging of tolls in relation to a proposed highway;

(q)   

designating a proposed highway as a trunk road or special road;

40

(r)   

specifying the classes of traffic authorised to use a proposed highway;

(s)   

authorising the appropriation of a highway for which the person

proposing to construct a highway is the highway authority;

 
 

Planning Bill
Part 7 — Development consent orders
Chapter 1 — Content of development consent orders

57

 

(t)   

authorising the transfer to the person proposing to construct a highway

of a highway for which that person is not the highway authority;

(u)   

specifying the highway authority for a proposed highway;

(v)   

authorising the discharge of water into inland waters or underground

strata;

5

(w)   

for the payment of contributions;

(x)   

for the payment of compensation;

(y)   

for the submission of disputes to arbitration;

(z)   

for the alteration of borrowing limits.

(5)   

Subsections (3) and (4) are subject to the following provisions of this Chapter.

10

(6)   

An order granting development consent may—

(a)   

apply, modify or exclude a statutory provision which relates to any

matter for which provision may be made in the order;

(b)   

make such amendments, repeals or revocations of statutory provisions

of local application as appear to the decision-maker to be necessary or

15

expedient in consequence of a provision of the order or in connection

with the order;

(c)   

include any provision that appears to the decision-maker to be

necessary or expedient for giving full effect to any other provision of

the order;

20

(d)   

include incidental, consequential, supplementary, transitional or

transitory provisions and savings.

(7)   

In subsection (6) “statutory provision” means a provision of an Act or of an

instrument made under an Act.

(8)   

Subsection (6) is subject to sections 110 and 113.

25

(9)   

The reference in subsection (4)(b) to rights over land includes a reference to

rights to do, or to place and maintain, anything in, on or under land or in the

air-space above its surface.

110     

Exercise of powers in relation to legislation

(1)   

This section applies if a Panel, or the Council, proposes to make an order

30

granting development consent which includes provision made in exercise of

any of the powers conferred by section 109(6)(a) and (b) (“the legislation

powers”).

(2)   

Before making the order, the Panel or Council must send a draft of it to the

Secretary of State.

35

(3)   

If the Secretary of State thinks that any provision which the Panel or Council

proposes to include in the order in exercise of the legislation powers would

contravene Community law or any of the Convention rights, the Secretary of

State may give a direction requiring the Panel or Council to make specified

changes to the draft order.

40

(4)   

The changes that may be specified in a direction under subsection (3) are

limited to those that the Secretary of State thinks are required in order to

prevent the contravention from arising.

 
 

Planning Bill
Part 7 — Development consent orders
Chapter 1 — Content of development consent orders

58

 

(5)   

The power of the Secretary of State to give a direction under subsection (3) is

not exercisable after the end of the period of 28 days beginning with the day on

which the Secretary of State receives the draft order.

(6)   

In this section—

“Community law” means—

5

(a)   

all the rights, powers, liabilities, obligations and restrictions

from time to time created or arising by or under the Community

Treaties, and

(b)   

all the remedies and procedures from time to time provided for

by or under the Community Treaties;

10

“the Convention rights” has the same meaning as in the Human Rights

Act 1998 (c. 42).

Compulsory acquisition

111     

Purpose for which compulsory acquisition may be authorised

(1)   

An order granting development consent may include provision authorising

15

the compulsory acquisition of land only if the decision-maker is satisfied that

the conditions in subsections (2) and (3) are met.

(2)   

The condition is that the land—

(a)   

is required for the development to which the development consent

relates,

20

(b)   

is required to facilitate or is incidental to that development, or

(c)   

is replacement land which is to be given in exchange for the order land

under section 118 or 119.

(3)   

The condition is that there is a compelling case in the public interest for the

land to be acquired compulsorily.

25

112     

Guidance about authorisation of compulsory acquisition

(1)   

The Secretary of State may issue guidance about the making of an order

granting development consent which includes provision authorising the

compulsory acquisition of land.

(2)   

If a Panel or the Council proposes to make such an order, it must have regard

30

to any guidance issued under subsection (1).

113     

Compensation for compulsory acquisition

(1)   

This section applies in relation to an order granting development consent

which includes provision authorising the compulsory acquisition of land.

(2)   

The order may not include provision the effect of which is to modify the

35

application of a compensation provision, except to the extent necessary to

apply the provision to the compulsory acquisition of land authorised by the

order.

(3)   

The order may not include provision the effect of which is to exclude the

application of a compensation provision.

40

 
 

Planning Bill
Part 7 — Development consent orders
Chapter 1 — Content of development consent orders

59

 

(4)   

A compensation provision is a provision of or made under an Act which relates

to compensation for the compulsory acquisition of land.

114     

Statutory undertakers’ land

(1)   

This section applies in relation to land (“statutory undertakers’ land”) if—

(a)   

the land has been acquired by statutory undertakers for the purposes of

5

their undertaking,

(b)   

a representation has been made about an application for an order

granting development consent before the completion of the

examination of the application, and the representation has not been

withdrawn, and

10

(c)   

as a result of the representation the decision-maker is satisfied that—

(i)   

the land is used for the purposes of carrying on the statutory

undertakers’ undertaking, or

(ii)   

an interest in the land is held for those purposes.

(2)   

An order granting development consent may include provision authorising

15

the compulsory acquisition of statutory undertakers’ land only to the extent

that—

(a)   

in a case where the Secretary of State is the decision-maker, the

Secretary of State is satisfied of the matters set out in subsection (3);

(b)   

in a case where a Panel or the Council is the decision-maker, the

20

Secretary of State has notified the Commission that the Secretary of

State is so satisfied.

(3)   

The matters are that the nature and situation of the land are such that—

(a)   

it can be purchased and not replaced without serious detriment to the

carrying on of the undertaking, or

25

(b)   

if purchased it can be replaced by other land belonging to, or available

for acquisition by, the undertakers without serious detriment to the

carrying on of the undertaking.

(4)   

An order granting development consent may include provision authorising

the compulsory acquisition of a relevant right over statutory undertakers’ land

30

by the creation of a new right over land only to the extent that—

(a)   

in a case where the Secretary of State is the decision-maker, the

Secretary of State is satisfied of the matters set out in subsection (5);

(b)   

in a case where a Panel or the Council is the decision-maker, the

Secretary of State has notified the Commission that the Secretary of

35

State is so satisfied.

(5)   

The matters are that the nature and situation of the land are such that—

(a)   

the right can be purchased without serious detriment to the carrying on

of the undertaking, or

(b)   

any detriment to the carrying on of the undertaking, in consequence of

40

the acquisition of the right, can be made good by the undertakers by the

use of other land belonging to or available for acquisition by them.

(6)   

In this section—

“relevant right” means a right to which Schedule 3 to the Acquisition of

Land Act 1981 (c. 67) applies;

45

“statutory undertakers” has the meaning given by section 8 of that Act

and also includes the undertakers which are statutory undertakers for

 
 

Planning Bill
Part 7 — Development consent orders
Chapter 1 — Content of development consent orders

60

 

the purposes of section 16(1) and (2) of that Act (see section 16(3) of that

Act).

(7)   

In the application of this section to a statutory undertaker which is a health

service body (as defined in section 60(7) of the National Health Service and

Community Care Act 1990 (c. 19)), references to land acquired or available for

5

acquisition by the statutory undertakers are to be construed as references to

land acquired or available for acquisition by the Secretary of State for use or

occupation by the body.

115     

Local authority land and statutory undertakers’ land: general

(1)   

This section applies to land which—

10

(a)   

is the property of a local authority, or

(b)   

has been acquired by statutory undertakers (other than a local

authority) for the purposes of their undertaking.

(2)   

An order granting development consent is subject to special parliamentary

procedure, to the extent that the order authorises—

15

(a)   

the compulsory acquisition of land to which this section applies, or

(b)   

the compulsory acquisition of a relevant right over land to which this

section applies,

   

if the condition in subsection (3) is met.

(3)   

The condition is that—

20

(a)   

a representation has been made by the local authority or (as the case

may be) the statutory undertakers about an application for an order

granting development consent before the completion of the

examination of the application, and

(b)   

the representation has not been withdrawn.

25

(4)   

Subsection (2) is subject to section 116.

(5)   

In this section—

“local authority” has the meaning given by section 7(1) of the Acquisition

of Land Act 1981 (c. 67);

“relevant right” means a right to which Schedule 3 to that Act applies;

30

“statutory undertakers” has the meaning given by section 8 of that Act

and also includes the undertakers which are statutory undertakers for

the purposes of section 16(1) and (2) of that Act (see section 16(3) of that

Act).

(6)   

In the application of this section to a statutory undertaker which is a health

35

service body (as defined in section 60(7) of the National Health Service and

Community Care Act 1990), the reference to land acquired by statutory

undertakers is to be construed as a reference to land acquired by the Secretary

of State for use or occupation by the body.

116     

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

40

(1)   

Section 115(2) does not apply to the compulsory acquisition of an interest in

land if the person acquiring the interest is any of the following—

(a)   

a local authority;

(b)   

a National Park authority;

(c)   

an urban development corporation;

45

 
 

Planning Bill
Part 7 — Development consent orders
Chapter 1 — Content of development consent orders

61

 

(d)   

a Welsh planning board;

(e)   

a statutory undertaker;

(f)   

a Minister of the Crown.

(2)   

In this section—

“local authority” has the meaning given by section 17(4) of the Acquisition

5

of Land Act 1981 (c. 67);

“statutory undertaker” has the meaning given by section 8 of that Act and

also includes the authorities, bodies and undertakers which are

statutory undertakers for the purposes of section 17(3) of that Act (see

section 17(4) of that Act);

10

“Welsh planning board” means a board constituted under section 2(1B) of

TCPA 1990.

117     

National Trust land

(1)   

This section applies to land belonging to the National Trust which is held by

the Trust inalienably.

15

(2)   

An order granting development consent is subject to special parliamentary

procedure, to the extent that the order authorises—

(a)   

the compulsory acquisition of land to which this section applies, or

(b)   

the compulsory acquisition of a relevant right over land to which this

section applies,

20

   

if the condition in subsection (3) is met.

(3)   

The condition is that—

(a)   

a representation has been made by the National Trust about an

application for an order granting development consent before the

completion of the examination of the application, and

25

(b)   

the representation has not been withdrawn.

(4)   

In this section “held inalienably”, in relation to land belonging to the National

Trust, means that the land is inalienable under section 21 of the National Trust

Act 1907 (c. cxxxvi) or section 8 of the National Trust Act 1939 (c. lxxxvi).

(5)   

In this section—

30

“the National Trust” means the National Trust for Places of Historic

Interest or Natural Beauty incorporated by the National Trust Act 1907

(c. cxxxvi);

“relevant right” means a right to which Schedule 3 to the Acquisition of

Land Act 1981 applies.

35

118     

Commons, open spaces etc: compulsory acquisition of land

(1)   

This section applies to any land forming part of a common, open space or fuel

or field garden allotment.

(2)   

An order granting development consent is subject to special parliamentary

procedure, to the extent that the order authorises the compulsory acquisition

40

of land to which this section applies, unless—

(a)   

in a case where the Secretary of State is the decision-maker, the

Secretary of State is satisfied that one of subsections (3) to (5) applies;

 
 

 
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