Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991

Objections to and making of orders

2 (1) If any objection is duly made with respect to an application for a drought order and is not withdrawn, then, subject to the provisions of this paragraph, the Secretary of State shall, before making the order, either—

(a) cause a local inquiry to be held; or

(b) afford an opportunity—

(i) to the objector; and

(ii) if the objector avails himself of the opportunity, to the applicant and to any other persons to whom it appears to the Secretary of State expedient to afford the opportunity,

of appearing before and being heard by a person appointed by the Secretary of State for the purpose.

(2) Subject to sub-paragraph (3) below, where, on an application for a drought order, it appears to the Secretary of State that a drought order is required to be made urgently if it is to enable the deficiency of supplies of water to be effectively met, he may direct that the requirements of sub-paragraph (1) above shall be dispensed with in relation to the application.

(3) Nothing in sub-paragraph (2) above shall authorise the Secretary of State to fail to consider any objection to a proposed drought order which has been duly made and not withdrawn.

(4) Notwithstanding anything in sub-paragraph (1) above, the Secretary of State may—

(a) require any person who has made an objection to a proposed drought order to state in writing the grounds of his objection; and

(b) disregard the objection for purposes of this paragraph if the Secretary of State is satisfied—

(i) that the objection relates exclusively to matters which can be dealt with on a reference under Schedule 9 to this Act or by any person by whom compensation is to be assessed; or

(ii) in a case where the order is one confined to the extension of a period specified in a previous order, that the objection is one that has in substance been made with respect to the application for that previous order.

(5) Subject to the requirements of this paragraph, the Secretary of State, upon being satisfied that the proper notices have been published and served, may if he thinks fit, make the order in respect of which the application is made with or without modifications.

(6) The Secretary of State may hold a local inquiry on any application for an order under this Act notwithstanding that he is not required to do so by this paragraph.

(7) The provisions of subsection (2) to (8) of section 210 of the [1973 c. 65] Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (which relate to the holding of local inquiries) shall apply to a public local inquiry held under this paragraph as they apply to local inquiries held under that section.

3 After a drought order has been made, the person on whose application it was made shall cause to be published (in the manner in which notice of the application was required under paragraph 1 above to be published) a notice stating that the order has been made and naming a place where a copy of it may be inspected.