Town and Country Planning Act 1990

Secretary of State’s powers concerning plans

17 Direction to reconsider proposals

(1) After a copy of a unitary development plan has been sent to the Secretary of State under section 13(3) and before it is adopted by the local planning authority, the Secretary of State may, if it appears to him that the plan is unsatisfactory, direct the authority to consider modifying the proposals in such respects as are indicated in the direction.

(2) An authority to whom a direction is given shall not adopt the plan unless they satisfy the Secretary of State that they have made the modifications necessary to conform with the direction or the direction is withdrawn.

18 Calling in of unitary development plan for approval by Secretary of State

(1) After a copy of a unitary development plan has been sent to the Secretary of State under section 13(3) and before it is adopted by the local planning authority, the Secretary of State may direct that the whole or part of the plan shall be submitted to him for his approval.

(2) If such a direction is given—

(a) the authority shall not take any further steps for the adoption of the plan until the Secretary of State has given his decision on the plan or the relevant part of it; and

(b) the plan or the relevant part of it shall not have effect unless approved by him and shall not require adoption under the previous provisions of this Chapter.

(3) Where particulars of an objection to a unitary development plan have been sent to the Secretary of State under section 15(3), then, unless he is satisfied that the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food no longer objects to the plan, the Secretary of State must give a direction in respect of it under subsection (1).

(4) Subsection (2)(a) applies in particular to holding or proceeding with a local inquiry or other hearing in respect of the plan under section 16; and at any such inquiry or hearing which is subsequently held or resumed a local planning authority need not give any person an opportunity of being heard in respect of any objection which has been heard at an examination, local inquiry or other hearing under section 20 or which the Secretary of State states that he has considered in making his decision.

19 Approval of unitary development plan by Secretary of State

(1) Subject to section 20, the Secretary of State may after considering a plan or part of a plan submitted to him under section 18(1) either approve it (in whole or in part and with or without modifications or reservations) or reject it.

(2) In considering a plan or part of a plan submitted to him under that section the Secretary of State may take into account any matters which he thinks relevant, whether or not they were taken into account in the plan or that part of it.

(3) The Secretary of State shall give a local planning authority such statement as he considers appropriate of the reasons governing his decision on any plan or part of a plan submitted to him.

(4) Where the whole or part of Part I of a unitary development plan is approved by the Secretary of State with modifications, the local planning authority shall, before adopting the remainder of the plan, make such modifications in Part II as may be directed by the Secretary of State for bringing it into general conformity with Part I and, in the absence of any such direction, shall make such modifications for that purpose in Part II as appear to the authority to be required.

(5) Subject to section 287, a plan or part of a plan which is approved by the Secretary of State under this section shall become operative on such day as he may appoint.

20 Local inquiry, public examination and consultation by Secretary of State

(1) Before deciding whether or not to approve a plan or part of a plan submitted to him under section 18(1), the Secretary of State shall consider any objection to it so far as made in accordance with regulations under this Chapter.

(2) Where the whole or part of Part II of a unitary development plan is submitted to the Secretary of State under section 18(1) (whether or not the whole or part of Part I is also submitted), then, if any objections have been made to the plan or the relevant part of it as mentioned in subsection (1), before deciding whether to approve it he shall cause a local inquiry or other hearing to be held for the purpose of considering those objections.

(3) The Secretary of State need not under subsection (1) consider any objections which have already been considered by the local planning authority and need not cause a local inquiry or other hearing to be held under subsection (2) if that authority have already held a local inquiry or other hearing into the objections under section 16 or the Secretary of State, on taking the plan or the relevant part of it into consideration, decides to reject it.

(4) Where the whole or part of Part I of a unitary development plan (but not the whole or any part of Part II) is submitted to the Secretary of State under section 18(1) he may cause a person or persons appointed by him for the purpose to hold an examination in public of such matters affecting the Secretary of State’s consideration of the part of the plan submitted to him as he considers ought to be so examined.

(5) The Secretary of State may, after consultation with the Lord Chancellor, make regulations with respect to the procedure to be followed at any examination under subsection (4).

(6) The Secretary of State shall not be required to secure to any local planning authority or other person a right to be heard at an examination under subsection (4), and the bodies and persons who may take part shall be such only as he may, whether before or during the course of the examination, in his discretion invite to do so; but the person or persons holding the examination shall have power, exercisable either before or during the course of the examination, to invite additional bodies or persons to take part if it appears to him or them desirable to do so.

(7) An examination under subsection (4) shall constitute a statutory inquiry for the purposes of section 1(1)(c) of the [1971 c. 62.] Tribunals and Inquiries Act 1971 but shall not constitute such an inquiry for any other purpose of that Act.

(8) On considering a plan or part of a plan submitted to him under section 18(1) the Secretary of State may consult with or consider the views of any local planning authority or other person but he need not do so except as provided by this section.