16After section 205 (procedure by Secretary of State in anticipation of planning permission) there shall be added the following section—
“205AFurther procedure in anticipation of planning permission, etc.
(1)Where—
(a)a planning authority would, if planning permission for any development had been granted under Part III of this Act, have power to make an order under section 198A of this Act authorising the stopping-up or diversion of a highway in order to enable that development to be carried out; or
(b)a highway authority would, if planning permission for constructing or improving a highway had been granted under Part III of this Act, have power to make an order under section 200 of this Act authorising the stopping up or diversion of any other highway,
then, notwithstanding that such permission has not been granted, the relevant authority may, in the circumstances specified in subsections (2) to (4) of this section, publish notice of the draft of such an order in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 18 to this Act; but nothing in the said schedule shall be construed as authorising the relevant authority to make the order in anticipation of such permission.
(2)The relevant authority may publish such a notice as aforesaid where the relevant development is the subject of an application for planning permission.
(3)The relevant authority may publish such a notice as aforesaid where—
(a)the relevant development is to be carried out by a local authority, statutory undertakers or the National Coal Board and requires, by virtue of an enactment, the authorisation of a government department; and
(b)the developers have made an application to the department for that authorisation and also requested a direction under section 37 of this Act, or, in the case of the National Coal Board, under section 2 of the [1958 c. 69.] Opencast Coal Act 1958, that planning permission be deemed to be granted for that development.
(4)The planning authority may publish such a notice as aforesaid where they have begun to take such steps, in accordance with regulations made by virtue of section 256 of this Act, as are requisite in order to enable them to obtain planning permission for the relevant development.
(5)In the foregoing provisions of this section " relevant authority" means the planning authority mentioned in paragraph (a) of subsection (1) above or, as the case may be, the highway authority mentioned in paragraph (b) of that subsection ; and " relevant development" means the development mentioned in the said paragraph (a) or, as the case may be, the construction or improvement mentioned in the said paragraph (b).”.