The Town and Country Planning (Hearings Procedure) (Wales) Rules 2003

Date and notification of hearing

7.—(1) The date fixed by the National Assembly for the holding of a hearing must be—

(a) not later than 12 weeks after the starting date, unless it considers such a date impracticable; or

(b) the earliest date after that period which it considers to be practicable.

(2) Unless the National Assembly agrees a lesser period of notice with the appellant and the local planning authority, the National Assembly must give not less than 4 weeks' written notice of the date, time and place fixed by it for the holding of a hearing to every person entitled to take part in the hearing.

(3) The National Assembly may vary the date fixed for the holding of a hearing, whether or not the date as varied is within the period of 12 weeks mentioned in paragraph (1); and paragraph (2) applies to a variation of a date as it applies to the date originally fixed.

(4) The National Assembly may vary the time or place for the holding of a hearing and must give such notice of any variation as appears to it to be reasonable.

(5) The National Assembly may in writing require the local planning authority to take one or both of the following steps—

(a) not less than 2 weeks before the date fixed for the holding of a hearing, to publish a notice of the hearing in one or more newspapers circulating in the locality in which the land is situated;

(b) to send a notice of the hearing to such persons or classes of persons as it may specify, within such period as it may specify.

(6) Every notice of hearing published or sent pursuant to paragraph (5) must contain—

(a) a clear statement of the date, time and place of the hearing and of the powers enabling the National Assembly or inspector to determine the appeal in question;

(b) a written description of the land sufficient to identify approximately its location;

(c) a brief description of the subject matter of the appeal; and

(d) details of where and when copies of the local planning authority’s completed questionnaire and documents sent by and copied to the local planning authority pursuant to rule 6 may be inspected.