The Gas (Northern Ireland) Order 1996

Consent of Director for construction of major pipe-line

35.—(1) Any person who executes works for the construction of a major pipe-line-.

(a) without the consent of the Director granted under this Article; or

(b) otherwise than in accordance with the conditions subject to which the consent of the Director is granted under this Article,

shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

(2) For the purposes of this Article a major pipe-line is a pipe-line which when constructed—

(a) will exceed 7 kilometres in length; and

(b) will have a design operating pressure exceeding 7 bar gauge.

(3) The Director may by regulations amend the definition of major pipe-line in paragraph (2).

(4) An application for the consent of the Director under this Article shall—

(a) specify the points between which the proposed pipe-line is to run and be accompanied by a map on which is delineated the route which it is proposed to take;

(b) specify the length, diameter and capacity of the proposed pipe-line;

(c) be in such form, contain such other information and be accompanied by such fee as may be prescribed by regulations made by the Director.

(5) An applicant for a consent under this Article shall provide the Director with such other information relevant to the application as the Director may require.

(6) As soon as practicable after making an application for a consent under this Article, the applicant shall publish notice of that fact in such manner as the Director may require and such notice shall—

(a) name a place where a copy of the application (and the map accompanying it) may be inspected free of charge, and copies thereof may be obtained on payment of a reasonable charge, at all reasonable hours; and

(b) specify a time within which representations concerning the application may be made to the Director.

(7) After considering any such representations duly made to him, the Director may grant consent under this Article to the applicant or may refuse such consent.

(8) A consent granted under this Article—

(a) shall remain in force for such period as may be specified in or determined under the consent; and

(b) may be granted subject to such conditions (to be specified therein) as the Director thinks fit.

(9) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (8)(b), a consent under this Article may be granted subject to conditions—

(a) as to the route which the pipe-line is to take (subject to such limits of lateral deviation as may be specified);

(b) as to the ownership and operation of the pipe-line;

(c) requiring works for the construction of the pipe-line to be substantially commenced within a specified period;

(d) requiring the pipe-line, or any specified length of it, to be so constructed as to be capable of conveying specified quantities of gas.

(10) Paragraph (11) applies where—

(a) representations concerning an application are duly made to the Director under paragraph (6); and

(b) a consent granted in pursuance of that application indicates that specified conditions are, or are to a specified extent, attributable solely to such representations;

and references in paragraphs (11) and (12) to “additional conditions” are references to conditions specified under sub-paragraph (b) or (as the case may be) to such conditions to the extent so specified.

(11) Where this paragraph applies, the consent—

(a) shall specify the sums or the method of determining the sums which the Director considers should be paid to the applicant by such of the persons who made representations to the Director as are specified, for the purpose of defraying so much of the cost of constructing the pipe-line as is attributable to the additional conditions;

(b) shall specify the arrangements which the Director considers should be made by each of those persons, within a specified period, for the purpose of securing that those sums will be paid to the applicant if he constructs the pipe-line in accordance with the additional conditions.

(12) Where it appears to the Director that arrangements specified under paragraph (1 l)(b) have not been made by any person within the period so specified, the Director may amend the consent so as to eliminate the additional conditions so far as attributable to the representations made by that person.

(13) In paragraphs (9) to (12) “specified” means specified in the consent.

(14) Sums received by the Director under this Article shall be paid into the Consolidated Fund.