The Rights of Way (Hearings and Inquiries Procedure) (England) Rules 2007

Date and notification of inquiry U.K.

16.—(1) The date fixed by the Secretary of State for an inquiry shall be—

(a) not later than twenty-six weeks after the start date; or

(b) where he considers that a date within such twenty-six-week period would not be practicable, the earliest date which he considers to be practicable after the expiry of that twenty-six-week period.

(2) The Secretary of State may at any time change the date, time or place fixed for the inquiry (whether or not, in the case of a change of date, the new date is within the period mentioned in paragraph (1)(a)) and shall give such notice of the change as appears to him to be reasonable to every person mentioned in rule 4(4).

(3) Not less than four weeks before the date fixed for the inquiry, the authority—

(a) shall cause a notice of the inquiry to be displayed in a prominent position at each end of so much of any way or proposed way as is affected by the order and in such other places in the locality as the authority may consider appropriate;

(b) shall publish a notice of the inquiry in one or more newspapers circulating in the locality in which the land to which the order relates is situated; and

(c) may publish notice of the inquiry by any additional means they consider appropriate.

(4) Every notice referred to in paragraph (3) shall contain—

(a) the date, time and place of the inquiry;

(b) a brief description of—

(i) the land to which the order that is the subject of the inquiry relates; and

(ii) the effect of the order; and

(c) details of where and when copies of the order and documents relating to the inquiry may be inspected and copied.