Control of Pollution Act 1974

10 Appeals to Secretary of State from decisions with respect to licences

(1) Where—

(a) an application for a disposal licence or a modification of a disposal licence is rejected; or

(b) a disposal licence which specifies conditions is issued; or

(c) the conditions specified in a disposal licence are modified; or

(d) a disposal licence is revoked,

the applicant for the licence or, as the case may be, the holder or last holder of it may, in accordance with regulations, appeal from the decision in question to the Secretary of State; and where on such an appeal the Secretary of State determines that the decision is to be altered it shall be the duty of the disposal authority concerned to give effect to the determination.

(2) While an appeal in pursuance of the preceding subsection is pending in a case falling within paragraph (c) or (d) of that subsection, the decision in question shall, subject to the following subsection, be ineffective; and if the appeal is dismissed or withdrawn the decision shall be effective again from the end of the day on which the appeal is dismissed or withdrawn.

(3) The preceding subsection shall not apply to a decision of a disposal authority as respects which the notice relating to the decision which was served on the holder of the relevant licence in pursuance of section 7 or section 9(4)(b) of this Act includes a statement that in the opinion of the authority it is necessary for the purpose of preventing pollution of water or danger to public health that the preceding subsection should not apply to the decision ; but if on the application of the holder or former holder of the relevant licence the Secretary of State determines that the authority acted unreasonably in including such a statement in the said notice, then—

(a) if the appeal in question is still pending at the end of the day on which the determination is made, the preceding subsection shall apply to the decision from the end of that day ; and

(b) the holder or former holder of the licence shall be entitled to recover compensation from the authority in respect of any loss suffered by him in consequence of the statement;

and any dispute as to a person's entitlement to compensation in pursuance of paragraph (b) of this subsection or as to the amount of the compensation shall be determined by arbitration.