PART IIIEXPRESS CONSENT

Power to deal with applications13.

(1)

Subject to regulation 19, where an application for express consent is made to the local planning authority, they may—

(a)

grant consent, in whole or in part, subject to the standard conditions and, subject to paragraphs (3) to (6) below, to such additional conditions as they think fit; or

(b)

refuse consent; or

(c)

decline to determine the application in accordance with section 70A7 of the Act, which shall apply in relation to the application subject to the modifications specified in Part I of Schedule 4, the provisions of that section as modified being set out in Part II of that Schedule.

(2)

An express consent may be—

(a)

for the display of a particular advertisement or advertisements with or without illumination, as the applicant specifies;

(b)

for the use of a particular site for the display of advertisements in a specified manner, whether by reference to the number, siting, size or illumination of the advertisements, or the structures intended for such display, or the design or appearance of any such structure, or otherwise; or

(c)

for the retention of any display of advertisements or the continuation of the use of a site begun before the date of the application.

(3)

The conditions imposed under paragraph (1)(a) above may in particular include conditions—

(a)

regulating the display of advertisements to which the consent relates;

(b)

regulating the use for the display of advertisements of the site to which the application relates or any adjacent land under the control of the applicant, or requiring the carrying out of works on any such land;

(c)

requiring the removal of any advertisement or the discontinuance of any use of land authorised by the consent, at the end of a specified period, and the carrying out of any works required for the reinstatement of the land.

(4)

The local planning authority shall not, under paragraph (1)(a) above, impose any condition in relation to the display of an advertisement within any class specified in Schedule 3 more restrictive than those imposed by that Schedule in relation to that class.

(5)

Subject to paragraph (4) above, an express consent shall be subject to the condition that it expires at the end of—

(a)

such period as the local planning authority may specify in granting the consent; or

(b)

where no period is so specified, a period of 5 years.

(6)

A local planning authority may specify a period under paragraph (5)(a) above as a period running from the earlier of the following, namely the date of the commencement of the display or a specified date not later than 6 months after the date on which the consent is granted.