7.—(1) The undertaker must before commencing construction of any specified work supply to the protected asset owner proper and sufficient plans of and construction methodology for that work for the reasonable approval of the protected asset owner and the undertaker must as soon as reasonably practicable provide such further particulars as the protected asset owner may within 45 days from the receipt of the plans and construction methodology reasonably require.
(2) The specified work must not be commenced except in accordance with such plans and construction methodology as have been approved in writing by the protected asset owner or have been deemed to be approved under sub-paragraph (3) or settled by arbitration under the provisions of article 40(1) and paragraph 21.
(3) The approval of the protected asset owner under sub-paragraph (1) must not be unreasonably withheld, and in the event that—
(a)no response has been received to the submission of the plans and construction methodology within 45 days of the submission of the plans by the undertaker to the protected asset owner and no further particulars have been requested under sub-paragraph (1); or
(b)no refusal of approval has been received within 30 days of the undertaker providing to the protected asset owner the further particulars supplied under sub-paragraph (1),
approval of the plans and construction methodology is to be deemed to be given and the relevant works may commence.
(4) No refusal of the approval sought under sub-paragraph (1) is reasonable for the purposes of sub-paragraph (3) or determination under article 40(1) unless the protected asset owner can reasonably demonstrate that the construction of the specified work will materially affect the safe operation or structural integrity of the protected asset concerned.
(5) In the event that the undertaker considers that the protected asset owner has unreasonably withheld its authorisation under sub-paragraph (1), the undertaker may refer the matter to arbitration for determination under article 40 and paragraph 21.