Prospective
(1)The Scottish Ministers may by regulations make provision for or about regulating the manner in which applications mentioned in subsection (2) are to be dealt with by local authorities as appropriate consent authorities.
(2)The applications are—
(a)a heat network consent application,
(b)a heat network consent modification application,
(c)an application for a consent, agreement or approval required by a condition to which a heat network consent is subject.
(3)Regulations under subsection (1) may in particular make provision—
(a)for enabling the Scottish Ministers to give directions restricting the grant of an application mentioned in subsection (2), either indefinitely or during such period as may be specified in the directions, in respect of any such heat network, or in respect of a heat network of any such description, as may be so specified,
(b)for enabling the Scottish Ministers to give directions to a local authority as the appropriate consent authority requiring it, in respect of any such heat network, or in respect of a heat network of any such description, as may be specified in the directions—
(i)to consider, where the local authority is minded to grant a heat network consent, imposing a condition specified in, or of a nature indicated in, the directions, and
(ii)(unless the directions are withdrawn) not to grant the heat network consent without first satisfying the Scottish Ministers that such consideration has been given and that such a condition either will be imposed or need not be imposed,
(c)for requiring, or enabling directions to be made requiring, a local authority as the appropriate consent authority to give to the Scottish Ministers and to such other persons as may be specified in the regulations (or in directions given by the Scottish Ministers under the regulations) such information as may be so specified with respect to applications for heat network consent made to the local authority, including information as to the manner in which any such application has been dealt with.