7.—(1) The persons entitled to appear at the inquiry shall be—
(a)the applicant;
(b)the local planning authority;
(c)where the land is not in Greater London, the council of the administrative county in which the land is situated, if not the local planning authority;
(d)where the land is not in Greater London, the council of the district in which the land is situated (or the Council of the Isles of Scilly, as the case may be), if not the local planning authority;
(e)where the land is in a National Park, the National Park Committee (if any), if not the local planning authority;
(f)any joint planning board constituted under section 1 of the Act (or any joint planning board or special planning board reconstituted under Part I of Schedule 17 to the Act of 1972), where that board is not the local planning authority;
(g)where the land is in an area designated as the site of a new town, the development corporation of the new town;
(h)section 29 parties;
(i)the council of the parish or community in which the land is situated, if that council has made representations to the local planning authority in respect of the application in pursuance of a provision of a development order made under section 24 of the Act;
(j)any persons on whom the Secretary of State has required notice to be served under rule 5(2)(b).
(2) Any other person may appear at the inquiry at the discretion of the appointed person.
(3) A local authority may appear by their clerk or by any other officer appointed for the purpose by the local authority, or by counsel or solicitor; and any other person may appear on his own behalf or be represented by counsel, solicitor or any other person.
(4) Where there are two or more persons having a similar interest in the matter under inquiry, the appointed person may allow one or more persons to appear for the benefit of some or all persons so interested.