Town and Country Planning Act 1971

31 Directions etc. as to method of dealing with applications

(1) Subject to the provisions of section 29(2) to (5) of this Act, provision may be made by a development order for regulating the manner in which applications for planning permission to develop land are to be dealt with by local planning authorities, and in particular—

(a) for enabling the Secretary of State to give directions restricting the grant of planning permission by the local planning authority, either indefinitely or during such period as may be specified in the directions, in respect of any such development, or in respect of development of any such class, as may be so specified;

(b) for authorising the local planning authority, in such cases and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by the order, or by directions given by the Secretary of State thereunder, to grant planning permission for development which does not accord with the provisions of the development plan;

(c) for requiring the local planning authority, before granting or refusing planning permission for any development, to consult with such authorities or persons as may be prescribed by the order or by directions given by the Secretary of State thereunder ;

(d) for requiring the local planning authority to give to any applicant for planning permission, within such time as may be prescribed by the order, such notice as may be so prescribed as to the manner in which his application has been dealt with;

(e) for requiring the local planning authority to give to the Secretary of State, and to such other persons as may be prescribed by or under the order, such information as may be so prescribed with respect to applications for planning permission made to the authority, including information as to the manner in which any such application has been dealt with.

(2) The Secretary of State may give directions to local planning authorities with respect to the matters which they are to take into consideration in determining an application to which section 28 of this Act applies and with respect to the consultations which such authorities are to undertake before determining any such application.

(3) Different directions may under subsection (2) of this section be given to different local planning authorities; and any such directions may require an authority—

(a) before determining an application to consult such persons or bodies of persons as the Secretary of State may specify, being persons or bodies appearing to him to be competent to give advice in relation to the development or description of development to which the directions have reference;

(b) to supply to any person or body, whom they are required by the directions to consult, specified documents or information enabling the body to form an opinion on which to base their advice;

(c) to establish committees, consisting either of members of the authority or of other persons, or of both, to advise the authority in relation to the determination of any application referred to in subsection (2) of this section.