Site inspections
17.—(1) The reporter may make an unaccompanied inspection of any site to which the application relates before or during an inquiry without giving notice of the reporter’s intention to the persons specified in rule 12(1).
(2) The reporter may, during an inquiry or after its close, inspect such a site in the company of a representative of–
(a)the persons specified in rule 12(1); and
(b)any other person permitted to appear at the inquiry pursuant to rule 12(2),
and the reporter shall make such an inspection if so requested by the applicant or by any statutory objector before or during an inquiry.
(3) In all cases where the reporter intends to make an inspection of the kind referred to in paragraph (2) the reporter shall announce during the inquiry the date and time at which the reporter proposes to make it.
(4) The reporter shall not be bound to defer an inspection of the kind referred to in paragraph (2) where any person mentioned in that paragraph is not present at the time appointed.