The Control of Off-Street Parking (England and Wales) Order 1978

4.—(1) Where in the case of any such proposal as aforesaid to make regulations the Secretary of State has given such a direction as aforesaid, he shall as soon thereafter as he is in a position to do so notify the county council in writing with respect to each of the matters or areas to which the direction relates either—

(a) that he consents to the making of regulations with respect to that matter or in relation to that area in pursuance of that proposal; or

(b) that he is not prepared in any circumstances to consent to the making of such regulations in pursuance of that proposal; or

(c) that subject to sub-paragraph (2) of this paragraph he is prepared to consider consenting to the making of such regulations in pursuance of that proposal if a revised draft is submitted to him for the purpose incorporating modifications of a specified nature or in other specified circumstances;

and before deciding the notification to be given to the county council under this paragraph with respect to any matter or in relation to any area the Secretary of State may if he thinks fit appoint a person to hold an inquiry in connection with that matter or area, and subsections (2) to (5) of section 250 of the Local Government Act 1972 shall apply to any such inquiry.

(2) The Secretary of State shall not consider any such revised draft as is referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(c) of this paragraph unless he is satisfied that the county council—

(a) have taken appropriate steps to inform any persons affected by the modifications incorporated in the revised draft of the nature of those modifications and have afforded those persons a reasonable opportunity to make representations with respect to the revised draft regulations; and

(b) have supplied the Secretary of State with copies of any such representations made.