The A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Improvement Scheme Development Consent Order 2016

Appeals

44.—(1) Except as otherwise provided in this Order, the undertaker may appeal in the event that a local authority issues a notice further to section 60 (control of noise on construction sites) or 61 (prior consent for work on construction sites) of the Control of Pollution Act 1974.

(2) The appeal process is as follows—

(a) any appeal by the undertaker must be made within 42 days of the date of the notice of the decision;

(b) the undertaker must submit the appeal documentation to the Secretary of State and must on the same day provide copies of the appeal documentation to the local authority and affix a notice to a conspicuous object on or near the site of the works which are the subject of such appeal, which must give details of the decision of the local authority and notice that an appeal has been made together with the address within the locality where appeal documents may be inspected and details of the manner in which representations on the appeal may be made;

(c) as soon as is practicable after receiving the appeal documentation, the Secretary of State must appoint a person to consider the appeal (“the appointed person”) and must notify the appeal parties of the identity of the appointed person and the address to which all correspondence for their attention should be sent;

(d) the local authority must submit their written representations to the appointed person in respect of the appeal within 10 business days of the start date and must ensure that copies of their written representations and any other representations as sent to the appointed person are sent to each other and to the undertaker on the day on which they are submitted to the appointed person;

(e) the appeal parties must make any counter-submissions to the appointed person within 10 business days of receipt of written representations under sub-paragraph (d) above; and

(f) the appointed person must make a decision and notify it to the appeal parties, with reasons, as soon as reasonably practicable.

(3) The appointment of the person under sub-paragraph (2)(c) may be undertaken by a person appointed by the Secretary of State for this purpose instead of by the Secretary of State.

(4) In the event that the appointed person considers that further information is necessary to enable the appointed person to consider the appeal the appointed person must as soon as practicable notify the appeal parties in writing specifying the further information required, the appeal party from whom the information is sought, and the date by which the information is to be submitted.

(5) Any further information required under sub-paragraph (4) must be provided by the party from whom the information is sought to the appointed person and to other appeal parties by the date specified by the appointed person. The appointed person must notify the appeal parties of the revised timetable for the appeal on or before that day. The revised timetable for the appeal must require submission of written representations to the appointed person within 10 business days of the agreed date but must otherwise be in accordance with the process and time limits set out in paragraph (2)(c) to (e).

(6) On an appeal under this paragraph, the appointed person may—

(a) allow or dismiss the appeal; or

(b) reverse or vary any part of the decision of the local authority (whether the appeal relates to that part of it or not),

and may deal with the application as if it had been made to the appointed person in the first instance.

(7) The appointed person may proceed to a decision on an appeal taking into account such written representations as have been sent within the relevant time limits and in the sole discretion of the appointed person such written representations as have been sent outside the relevant time limits.

(8) The appointed person may proceed to a decision even though no written representations have been made within the relevant time limits, if it appears to the appointed person that there is sufficient material to enable a decision to be made on the merits of the case.

(9) The decision of the appointed person on an appeal is final and binding on the parties, and a court may entertain proceedings for questioning the decision only if the proceedings are brought by a claim for judicial review.

(10) The local authority may confirm any determination given by the appointed person in identical form in writing but a failure to give such confirmation (or a failure to give it in identical form) does not affect or invalidate the effect of the appointed person’s determination.

(11) Except where a direction is given under sub-paragraph (12) requiring the costs of the appointed person to be paid by the local authority, the reasonable costs of the appointed person must be met by the undertaker.

(12) On application by the local authority or the undertaker, the appointed person may give directions as to the costs of the appeal parties and as to the parties by whom the costs of the appeal are to be paid. In considering whether to make any such direction and the terms on which it must be made, the appointed person must have regard to the Planning Practice Guidance published by the Department for Communities and Local Government on 6th March 2014 or any circular or guidance which may from time to time replace it.