The Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997

Appeals from decisions with respect to licences N.I.

17.—(1) Where—

(a) an application for a licence or a modification of the conditions of a licence is refused;

(b) a licence is granted subject to conditions;

(c) the conditions of a licence are modified;

(d) a licence is suspended;

(e) a licence is revoked under Article 12 or 16;

(f) an application to surrender a licence is refused; or

(g) an application for the transfer of a licence is refused;

then, except in the case of an application for a transfer, the applicant for the licence or, as the case may be, the holder or former holder of it may appeal from the decision to the Planning Appeals Commission and, in the case of an application for a transfer, the proposed transferee may do so.

(2) Part I of Schedule 2 shall have effect with respect to appeals under paragraph (1).

(3) On receipt of an appeal under paragraph (1) the Planning Appeals Commission shall give notice of the appeal to the Department.

(4) Where, on such an appeal, the Planning Appeals Commission determines that the decision of the Department shall be altered the Department shall give effect to the determination.

(5) While an appeal is pending in a case falling within paragraph (1)(c) or (e), the decision in question shall, subject to paragraph (7), be ineffective; and if the decision in question is confirmed or the appeal is withdrawn the decision shall become effective from the end of the day on which the decision is confirmed or the appeal is withdrawn.

(6) Where an appeal is made in a case falling within paragraph (1)(d), the bringing of the appeal shall have no effect on the decision in question.

(7) Paragraph (5) shall not apply to a decision modifying the conditions of a licence under Article 10 or revoking a licence under Article 12 or 16 in the case of which the notice effecting the modification or revocation includes a statement that in the opinion of the Department it is necessary for the purpose of preventing or, where that is not practicable, minimising pollution of the environment or harm to human health that that paragraph should not apply.

(8) Where the decision under appeal is one falling within paragraph (7) or is a decision to suspend a licence, if, on the application of the holder or former holder of the licence, the Planning Appeals Commission determines that the Department acted unreasonably in excluding the application of paragraph (5) or, as the case may be, in suspending the licence, then—

(a) if the appeal is still pending at the end of the day on which the determination is made, paragraph (5) shall apply to the decision from the end of that day; and

(b) the holder or former holder of the licence shall be entitled to recover compensation from the Department in respect of any loss suffered by him in consequence of the exclusion of the application of that paragraph or the suspension of the licence;

and any dispute as to a person's entitlement to such compensation or as to the amount of it shall be determined by arbitration.

(9) Regulations may make provision with respect to appeals under this Article and in particular as to the period within which and the manner in which appeals are to be brought.