Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1969

63 Procedure on reference to a Planning Inquiry Commission

(1) A reference to a Planning Inquiry Commission of a proposal that development should be carried out by or on behalf of a government department may be made at any time, and a reference of any other matter mentioned in section 62 above may be made at any time before, but not after, the determination of the relevant application for planning permission under section 13 of the Act of 1947 or the relevant appeal under section 14 of that Act or, as the case may be, the giving of the relevant direction under section 32 of that Act, notwithstanding that an inquiry or other hearing has been held into the proposal by a person appointed by any Minister for the purpose.

(2) Notice of the making of a reference to any such commission shall be published in the prescribed manner, and a copy of the notice shall be served on the local planning authority for the area in which it is proposed that the relevant development shall be carried out, and—

(a) in the case of an application for planning permission or an appeal under section 13 or 14 of the Act of 1947, on the applicant and any person who has made representations relating to the subject matter of the application or appeal which the authority are required to take into account under section 35(4) or 36(4) of the Act of 1959 ;

(b) in the case of a proposal that a direction should be given under section 32 of the Act of 1947 with respect to any development, on the local authority or statutory undertakers applying for authorisation to carry out that development.

(3) A Planning Inquiry Commission shall, for the purpose of complying with section 62(6)(b) above, hold a local inquiry; and they may hold such an inquiry, if they think it necessary for the proper discharge of their functions, notwithstanding that neither the applicant nor the local planning authority desire an opportunity of appearing and being heard.

(4) Where a Planning Inquiry Commission are to hold a local inquiry under subsection (3) above in connection with a matter referred to them, and it appears to the responsible Minister or Ministers, in the case of some other matter falling to be determined by a Minister of the Crown and required or authorised by an enactment other than this section to be the subject of a local inquiry, that the two matters are so far cognate that they should be considered together, he or, as the case may be, they may direct that the two inquiries be held concurrently or combined as one inquiry.

(5) An inquiry held by such a commission under this section shall be treated for the purposes of the [1958 c. 66.] Tribunals and Inquiries Act 1958 as one held by a Minister in pursuance of a duty imposed by a statutory provision.

(6) Subsections (4) to (9) of section 50 of the Act of 1945 (power to summon and examine witnesses, and expenses at inquiries) shall apply to an inquiry held under subsection (3) above as they apply to an inquiry held under that section.

(7) Subject to the provisions of this section and to any directions given to them by the responsible Minister or Ministers, a Planning Inquiry Commission shall have power to regulate their own procedure.