Energy Act 2004

Section 95

SCHEDULE 16 Applications and proposals for notices under section 95

Interpretation

1 In this Schedule references to a safety zone notice are references to a notice under section 95.

2 In this Schedule “relevant renewable energy installation”, in relation to an application for a safety zone notice or a proposal by the Secretary of State to issue such a notice, means the renewable energy installation by reference to which the notice applied for or proposed would fall to be issued.

Requirements for applications

3 (1) An application for a safety zone notice must describe, by way of a map—

(a) the place where the relevant renewable energy installation is to be, or is being, constructed, extended, operated or decommissioned; and

(b) the waters in relation to which any declaration applied for will establish a safety zone.

(2) The application must also—

(a) describe the other provisions the application asks to be included in the notice applied for; and

(b) include such other information as may be prescribed by regulations made by the Secretary of State.

(3) An application is not allowed to be made orally.

Objections to an application

4 (1) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision for securing—

(a) that, in the prescribed circumstances, notice of an application is published in the prescribed manner;

(b) that, in the prescribed circumstances and in any other case where the Secretary of State so directs, notice of an application is served on the persons who are prescribed or are specified in the direction;

(c) that every notice published or served in pursuance of the regulations states the period within which objections to the application may be made, and the manner in which any objections are to be made;

(d) that the period so stated is not less than the prescribed period after the publication or service of the notice;

(e) that, where such a notice requires objections to be sent to a person other than the Secretary of State, the recipient of the objections is required to send copies of them to the Secretary of State.

(2) The regulations may provide that the Secretary of State may give such directions dispensing with the requirements of the regulations as he considers appropriate.

(3) Where objections, or copies of objections, to an application have been sent to the Secretary of State in compliance with the regulations, the Secretary of State—

(a) must consider those objections, together with all other material considerations, with a view to determining whether a public inquiry should be held with respect to the application; and

(b) if he thinks it appropriate to do so, must cause a public inquiry to be held, either in addition to or instead of any other hearing or opportunity of stating objections to the application.

(4) In this paragraph “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations under this paragraph.

Objections in other cases

5 (1) This paragraph applies where—

(a) the Secretary of State is proposing to issue a safety zone notice without an application having been made; or

(b) the Secretary of State, in response to an application but without the holding of a public inquiry, is proposing to issue a safety zone notice in terms that are materially different from those applied for.

(2) The Secretary of State must—

(a) publish notice of the proposal in such manner as he considers appropriate for bringing it, as soon as is reasonably practicable, to the attention of persons likely to be affected by it; and

(b) serve notice of the proposal on such persons as he considers appropriate.

(3) The notice that is published or served must describe, by way of a map—

(a) the place where the relevant renewable energy installation is to be, or is being, constructed, extended, operated or decommissioned; and

(b) the waters in relation to which any declaration proposed will establish a safety zone;

and it must also describe the other provisions that the Secretary of State proposes to include in the safety zone notice.

(4) That notice must also—

(a) state the period within which objections to the proposal may be made; and

(b) the manner in which any objections are to be made.

(5) The period for making objections must not be shorter than the minimum period which would be applicable, in accordance with regulations under paragraph 4, if the notice were being published in respect of an application for a safety zone notice.

(6) Where objections or copies of objections to the proposal have been sent to the Secretary of State, he—

(a) must consider those objections, together with all other material considerations, with a view to determining whether a public inquiry should be held with respect to the proposal; and

(b) if he thinks it appropriate to do so, must cause a public inquiry to be held, either in addition to or instead of any other hearing or opportunity of stating objections to the proposal.

Public inquiries

6 (1) This paragraph applies where a public inquiry is to be held.

(2) In the case of an inquiry to be held in respect of an application—

(a) the Secretary of State must inform the applicant that it is to be held; and

(b) the applicant must, in two successive weeks, publish a notice in one or more local newspapers circulating in one or more areas determined in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State.

(3) In the case of an inquiry in respect of a proposal of the Secretary of State, he must publish a notice in such manner as he considers appropriate for bringing the inquiry to the attention of persons likely to be affected by the proposal.

(4) A notice that is published under sub-paragraph (2) or (3) must contain—

(a) a statement of the fact that the application or proposal has been made; and

(b) a description of the application or proposal.

(5) The notice must also set out—

(a) a place where a copy of the application or proposal, and of the map referred to in it, can be inspected; and

(b) the place, date and time of the public inquiry.

(6) The place set out in accordance with sub-paragraph (5)(a) in the case of an inquiry in respect of an application for a safety zone notice must be the place determined in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State.

(7) If it appears to the Secretary of State, in the case of an inquiry in respect of such an application, that further notification of the inquiry should be given (in addition to the published notice) in order to secure that the matters set out in the published notice are sufficiently made known to persons who are likely to be affected by the application—

(a) the Secretary of State may direct the applicant to take such further steps for that purpose (whether by the service of notices, advertisement or otherwise) as may be specified in the direction; and

(b) that person must comply with the direction.

(8) If it appears to the Secretary of State, in the case of an inquiry in respect of a proposal of his, that further notification of the inquiry should be given (in addition to the published notice) in order to secure that the matters set out in the published notice are sufficiently made known to persons who are likely to be affected by the proposal, he must take such further steps for that purpose (whether by the service of notices, advertisement or otherwise) as he considers appropriate.

(9) The following provisions—

(a) subsections (2) to (5) of section 250 of the Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) (which relates to evidence at inquiries and the costs of inquiries), and

(b) subsections (2) to (8) of section 210 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (c. 65) (which makes similar provision for Scotland),

shall apply in relation to a public inquiry held under this Schedule as they apply in relation to a local inquiry which a Minister causes to be held under subsection (1) of that section.

(10) For the purposes of this paragraph a public inquiry under sub-paragraph (6) of paragraph 5 in a case where that paragraph applies by virtue of sub-paragraph (1)(b) of that paragraph—

(a) is a public inquiry in respect of a proposal of the Secretary of State; and

(b) is not a public inquiry in respect of an application.

Use of additional inspectors for an inquiry

7 (1) This paragraph applies in the case of—

(a) a public inquiry in England and Wales under this Schedule; or

(b) a public inquiry in England and Wales which is a combination under section 62 of the 1989 Act into one inquiry of—

(i) two or more inquiries under this Schedule; or

(ii) one or more inquiries under this Schedule and one or more other inquiries.

(2) At any time after appointing a person to hold the inquiry (“the lead inspector”), the Secretary of State may direct him—

(a) to consider such matters relating to the conduct of the inquiry as are specified in the direction; and

(b) to make recommendations to the Secretary of State about those matters.

(3) After considering the recommendations of the lead inspector, the Secretary of State may—

(a) appoint for the purposes of the inquiry such number of additional inspectors as he thinks appropriate; and

(b) direct that each additional inspector must consider such of the matters to which the inquiry relates as are allocated to him by the lead inspector.

(4) An additional inspector must—

(a) comply with every direction as to procedural matters given to him by the lead inspector; and

(b) report to the lead inspector on every matter allocated to him.

(5) It is to be for the lead inspector to report to the Secretary of State on the consideration of both—

(a) the matters which he considered himself; and

(b) the matters the consideration of which was allocated to additional inspectors.

(6) The power of the Secretary of State to give directions to the lead inspector may be exercised on one or more different occasions after the appointment of the lead inspector.

(7) Accordingly—

(a) the recommendations that may be made by the lead inspector following such a direction include, in particular, a recommendation for varying the number of additional inspectors; and

(b) the power of the Secretary of State to appoint an additional inspector includes power to revoke such an appointment.

(8) A direction by any person under this paragraph may be varied or revoked by a subsequent direction by that person.

Combined notices

8 A notice required by or under this Schedule may be combined with a notice required by or under Schedule 8 to the 1989 Act (procedure on application for a consent in respect of a generating station) in any case involving the same installation or proposed installation.

Parliamentary control of regulations

9 Regulations under this Schedule are subject to the negative resolution procedure.