7. After Article 16 of the Planning Order there shall be inserted the following Articles—
16A.—(1) Where it appears to the Department that development has been carried out—
(a)without the grant of the planning permission required in that behalf in accordance with this Part; or
(b)without the grant of any approval of the Department required in that behalf under a development order;
the Department may issue a notice under this Article requiring the making of an application for such planning permission or approval to the Department within 28 days from the service of the notice.
(2) A notice under this Article may be issued only within the period of four years from the date on which the development to which it relates was begun; and the provisions of Article 27(1) apply in determining for the purpose of this Article when development shall be taken to be begun.
(3) A notice under this Article shall specify the matters alleged to constitute the development to which the notice relates.
(4) A copy of a notice under this Article shall be served on the owner and on the occupier of the land to which it relates.
(5) Where a copy of a notice under this Article has been served on any person referred to in paragraph (4), then if the application referred to in the notice is not made to the Department within the period allowed for compliance with the notice, that person shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.
(6) If a person against whom proceedings are brought under paragraph (5)—
(a)was, at the time when the copy of the notice under this Article was served on him, the owner of the land to which the notice relates; but
(b)has, at some time before the end of the period allowed for compliance with the notice, ceased to be the owner of that land,
he shall, upon a complaint duly made by him and on giving to the prosecution not less than three days' notice of his intention, be entitled to have the person who then became the owner of the land (in paragraph (7) referred to as the “subsequent owner”) brought before the court in the proceedings.
(7) If after it has been proved, in a case to which paragraph (6) applies, that the application referred to in the notice under this Article has not been made within the period allowed for compliance with the notice, the original defendant proves that the failure to make that application was attributable, in whole or in part, to the default of the subsequent owner—
(a)the subsequent owner may be convicted of the offence; and
(b)the original defendant, if he further proves that he took all reasonable steps to secure compliance with the notice, shall be acquitted of the offence.
(8) If, after a person has been convicted under paragraphs (5) to (7), the application referred to in the notice under this Article is not made to the Department, he shall be guilty of a further offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding one-tenth of level 3 on the standard scale for each day following his first conviction on which the offence continues.
(9) The Department may, at any time before the end of the period allowed for compliance with a notice under this Article, withdraw the notice.
(10) If it does so the Department shall forthwith give notice of the withdrawal to every person who was served with a copy of the notice.
(11) Any reference in this Article and Article 16B to the period allowed for compliance with a notice under this Article is a reference to the period mentioned in paragraph (1) or such extended period as may be allowed by the Department for compliance with the notice.
(12) For the purposes of this Article an application to the Department for any planning permission or approval shall not be taken to be made unless it is accompanied by the fee prescribed under Article 105A in relation to that application.
16B.—(1) A person on whom a copy of a notice has been served under Article 16A may, at any time before the end of the period allowed for compliance with that notice, appeal to the planning appeals commission against the notice.
(2) An appeal may be brought on any of the following grounds—
(a)that the matters alleged in the notice do not constitute development;
(b)that the development alleged in the notice has not taken place;
(c)that the period of 4 years referred to in Article 16A(2) had elapsed at the date when the notice was issued.
(3) An appeal under this Article shall be made by notice in writing to the planning appeals commission and such notice shall indicate the grounds of the appeal and state the facts on which it is based.
(4) Before determining an appeal under this Article, the planning appeals commission shall, if either the appellant or the Department so desires, afford to each of them an opportunity of appearing before and being heard by the commission.
(5) Where an appeal is brought under this Article the notice shall be of no effect pending the final determination or the withdrawal of the appeal.
(6) On an appeal under this Article the planning appeals commission—
(a)shall quash the notice, vary the terms of the notice or uphold the notice;
(b)may correct any informality, defect or error in the notice, or vary its terms, if it is satisfied that the correction or variation can be made without injustice to the appellant or to the Department.
(7) The validity of a notice under Article 16A shall not, except by way of an appeal under this Article, be questioned in any proceedings whatsoever on any of the grounds on which such an appeal may be brought.”.