8.—(1) If either the appellant or the local planning authority at any time before or during the hearing is of the opinion that the hearings procedure is inappropriate in determining the appeal and that the appeal should not proceed in this way then they may inform the Secretary of State, before the hearing, or the inspector, during the hearing, of their opinion and the reasons for it and—
(a)the Secretary of State, before the hearing, shall, after consulting the other party who may inform the Secretary of State of his opinion pursuant to this paragraph, decide whether an inquiry should be arranged instead; or
(b)the inspector, during the hearing, shall, after consulting the other party who may inform the inspector of his opinion pursuant to this paragraph, decide whether the hearing should be closed and an inquiry held instead.
(2) If at any time during a hearing it appears to the inspector that the hearings procedure is inappropriate, he may, after consulting the appellant and the local planning authority, decide to close the proceedings and arrange for an inquiry to be held instead.