The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995

Approval of Secretary of State for article 4(1) directions

5.—(1) Except in the cases specified in paragraphs (3) and (4), a direction by a local planning authority under article 4(1) requires the approval of the Secretary of State, who may approve the direction with or without modifications.

(2) On making a direction under article 4(1) or submitting such a direction to the Secretary of State for approval—

(a) a county planning authority shall give notice of it to any district planning authority in whose district the area to which the direction relates is situated; and

(b) except in metropolitan districts, a district planning authority shall give notice of it to the county planning authority, if any.

(3) Unless it affects the carrying out of development by a statutory undertaker as provided by article 4(4), the approval of the Secretary of State is not required for a direction which relates to—

(a) a listed building;

(b) a building which is notified to the authority by the Secretary of State as a building of architectural or historic interest; or

(c) development within the curtilage of a listed building,

and does not relate to land of any other description.

(4) Subject to paragraph (6), the approval of the Secretary of State is not required for a direction made under article 4(1) relating only to development permitted by any of Parts 1 to 4 or Part 31 of Schedule 2, if the relevant authority consider the development would be prejudicial to the proper planning of their area or constitute a threat to the amenities of their area.

(5) A direction not requiring the Secretary of State’s approval by virtue of paragraph (4) shall, unless disallowed or approved by the Secretary of State, expire at the end of six months from the date on which it was made.

(6) Paragraph (4) does not apply to a second or subsequent direction relating to the same development or to development of the same Class or any of the same Classes, in the same area or any part of that area as that to which the first direction relates or related.

(7) The local planning authority shall send a copy of any direction made by them to which paragraph (4) applies to the Secretary of State not later than the date on which notice of that direction is given in accordance with paragraph (10) or (12).

(8) The Secretary of State may give notice to the local planning authority that he has disallowed any such direction and the direction shall then cease to have effect.

(9) The local planning authority shall as soon as reasonably practicable give notice that a direction has been disallowed in the same manner as notice of the direction was given.

(10) Subject to paragraph (12), notice of any direction made under article 4(1) shall be served by the appropriate local planning authority on the owner and occupier of every part of the land within the area to which the direction relates as soon as practicable after the direction has been made or, where the direction is required to be approved by the Secretary of State, as soon as practicable after it has been so approved; and a direction shall come into force in respect of any part of the land within the area to which the direction relates on the date on which notice is so served on the occupier of that part, or, if there is no occupier, on the owner.

(11) If a direction to which paragraph (4) applies is approved by the Secretary of State within the period of six months referred to in paragraph (5), then (unless paragraph (12) applies) the authority who made the direction shall, as soon as practicable, serve notice of that approval on the owner and occupier of every part of the land within the area to which the direction relates; and where the Secretary of State has approved the direction with modifications the notice shall indicate the effect of the modifications.

(12) Where in the case of a direction under article 4(1)(a) an authority consider that individual service in accordance with paragraph (10) or (11) is impracticable for the reasons set out in paragraph (14) they shall publish a notice of the direction, or of the approval, by local advertisement.

(13) A notice published pursuant to paragraph (12) shall contain a statement of the effect of the direction and of any modification made to it by the Secretary of State, and shall name a place or places where a copy of the direction, and of a map defining the area to which it relates, may be seen at all reasonable hours.

(14) The reasons referred to in paragraph (12) are that the number of owners and occupiers within the area to which the direction relates makes individual service impracticable, or that it is difficult to identify or locate one or more of them.

(15) Where notice of a direction has been published in accordance with paragraph (12), the direction shall come into force on the date on which the notice is first published.

(16) A local planning authority may, by making a subsequent direction and without the approval of the Secretary of State, cancel any direction made by them under article 4(1), and the Secretary of State may make a direction cancelling any direction under article 4(1) made by the local planning authority.

(17) Paragraphs (10) and (12) to (15) shall apply to any direction made under paragraph (16).