The Norfolk Vanguard Offshore Wind Farm Order 2022

Article 39

SCHEDULE 15 Procedure for discharge of Requirements

Applications made under requirement

1.—(1) Where an application has been made to a discharging authority for any agreement or approval required pursuant to requirements 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 33 and 34 in Part 3 of Schedule 1 (requirements) of this Order:

(a) the undertaker must give the discharging authority sufficient information to identify the requirement(s) to which the application relates;

(b) the undertaker must provide such particulars, and the request be accompanied by such plans and drawings, as are reasonably considered necessary to deal with the application.

(2) The discharging authority must give notice to the undertaker of its decision on the application before the end of the decision period.

(3) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (2), the decision period is—

(a) where no further information is requested under paragraph 2 (further information), 8 weeks from the day immediately following that on which the application is received by the discharging authority;

(b) where further information is requested under paragraph 2 (further information), 8 weeks from the day immediately following that on which further information has been supplied by the undertaker under paragraph 2; or

(c) such longer period as may be agreed by the undertaker and the discharging authority in writing before the end of the period in sub-paragraph (a) or (b).

Further information

2.—(1) In relation to any application to which this Schedule applies, the discharging authority has the right to request such further information from the undertaker as is necessary to enable it to consider the application.

(2) If the discharging authority considers such further information to be necessary and the requirement does not specify that consultation with a requirement consultee is required, it must, as soon as reasonably practicable and within 20 business days of receipt of the application, notify the undertaker in writing specifying the further information required.

(3) If the requirement specifies that consultation with a requirement consultee is required, the discharging authority must issue the consultation to the requirement consultee within 10 business days of receipt of the application, and must notify the undertaker in writing specifying any further information requested by the requirement consultee within 10 business days of receipt of such a request and in any event within 42 days of receipt of the application.

(4) If the discharging authority does not give such notification as specified in sub-paragraph (2) or (3) it is deemed to have sufficient information to consider the application and is not thereafter entitled to request further information without the prior agreement of the undertaker.

Appeals

3.—(1) The undertaker may appeal to the Secretary of State in the event that—

(a) the discharging authority refuses an application for any agreement or approval required by a requirement included in this Order;

(b) the discharging authority does not give notice of its decision to the undertaker within the decision period as determined in paragraph 1;

(c) on receipt of a request for further information pursuant to paragraph 2 (further information) the undertaker considers that either the whole or part of the specified information requested by the discharging authority is not reasonably necessary for consideration of the application; or

(d) on receipt of any further information requested, the discharging authority notifies the undertaker that the information provided is inadequate and requests additional information which the undertaker considers is not reasonably necessary for consideration of the application.

(2) The appeal process is as follows—

(a) the undertaker must submit the appeal documentation to the Secretary of State, a copy of the application submitted to the discharging authority and any supporting documentation which the undertaker may wish to provide (“the appeal documentation”);

(b) the undertaker must on the same day provide copies of the appeal documentation to the discharging authority and the requirement consultee (if applicable);

(c) as soon as is practicable after receiving the appeal documentation, but in any event within 28 business days of receiving the appeal documentation, the Secretary of State must appoint a person and forthwith notify the appeal parties of the identity of the appointed person and the address to which all correspondence for that person’s attention should be sent;

(d) the discharging authority and the requirement consultee (if applicable) must submit written representations to the appointed person in respect of the appeal within 20 business days of the date on which the appeal parties are notified of the appointment of a person under paragraph (c) and must ensure that copies of their written representations are sent to each other and to the undertaker on the day on which they are submitted to the appointed person; and

(e) the appeal parties must make any counter-submissions to the appointed person within 20 business days of receipt of written representations pursuant to sub-paragraph (d) above.

(3) The appointed person must make his decision and notify it to the appeal parties, with reasons, as soon as reasonably practicable. If the appointed person considers that further information is necessary to enable him to consider the appeal he 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.

(4) Any further information required pursuant to sub-paragraph (3) 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. Any written representations concerning matters contained in the further information must be submitted to the appointed person, and made available to all appeal parties within 20 business days of that date.

(5) 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 discharging 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.

(6) The appointed person may proceed to a decision on an appeal taking into account only such written representations as have been sent within the time limits prescribed, or set by the appointed person, under this paragraph.

(7) The appointed person may proceed to a decision even though no written representations have been made within those 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.

(8) 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.

(9) If an approval is given by the appointed person pursuant to this Schedule, it is deemed to be an approval for the purpose of Part 3 of Schedule 1 (requirements) as if it had been given by the discharging authority. The discharging 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) may not be taken to affect or invalidate the effect of the appointed person’s determination.

(10) Save where a direction is given pursuant to sub-paragraph (11) requiring the costs of the appointed person to be paid by the discharging authority, the reasonable costs of the appointed person must be met by the undertaker.

(11) On application by the discharging 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 is to be made, the appointed person must have regard to the Planning Practice Guidance on the award of costs or any guidance which may from time to time replace it.

Interpretation of this Schedule

4.  In this Schedule—

“the appeal parties” means the discharging authority, the requirement consultee and the undertaker;

“business day” means a day other than Saturday or Sunday which is not Christmas Day, Good Friday or a bank holiday under section 1 of the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971(1);

“discharging authority” means that person or body responsible for approving details pursuant to requirements 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 33 and 34 in Part 3 of Schedule 1 (requirements);

“requirement consultee” means any body named in a requirement which is the subject of an appeal as a body to be consulted by the discharging authority in discharging that requirement.

(1)

1971 c. 80.