9.—(1) Before determining an appeal, the National Assembly may, if it thinks fit, cause—
(a)the appeal to take, or continue in, the form of a hearing (which may, if the person hearing the appeal so decides, be held, or held to any extent, in private); or
(b)a local inquiry to be held.
(2) Before determining an appeal, the National Assembly must act as mentioned in paragraph (1)(a) or (b) if a request is made by either the appellant or the enforcing authority to be heard with respect to the appeal.
(3) The persons entitled to be heard at a hearing are—
(a)the appellant;
(b)the enforcing authority; and
(c)any person (other than the enforcing authority) on whom the appellant was required to serve a copy of the notice of appeal.
(4) Nothing in paragraph (3) prevents the person appointed to conduct the hearing of the appeal from permitting any other person to be heard at the hearing; and such permission must not be unreasonably withheld.
(5) After the conclusion of a hearing, the person appointed to conduct the hearing must, unless that person has been appointed under section 114(1)(a) of the Environment Act 1995 M1 (power of National Assembly to delegate its functions of determining, or to refer matters involved in, appeals) to determine the appeal, make a report in writing to the National Assembly, which must include the appointed person's conclusions and recommendations (or reasons for not making any recommendations).
Marginal Citations