21.—(1) A person who makes representations about a draft charging schedule in accordance with regulation 17 must (if the person so requests) be heard by the examiner.
(2) A request under paragraph (1) must be submitted to the charging authority in writing before the end of the period the charging authority specifies for the purposes of regulation 17(2).
(3) Where a charging authority modifies a draft charging schedule after it is published in accordance with regulation 16, any person may request to be heard by the examiner in relation to those modifications.
(4) The right to be heard under paragraph (3) applies only in relation to the modifications made to the draft charging schedule as set out in the statement of modifications.
(5) A request under paragraph (3) must—
(a)be submitted to the charging authority in writing before the end of the period of four weeks beginning with the day on which the draft charging schedule is submitted to the examiner in accordance with regulation 19(1); and
(b)include details of the modifications (by reference to the statement of modifications) on which the person wishes to be heard.
(6) The charging authority must submit a copy of each request it receives under paragraph (3) to the examiner as soon as practicable after the end of the period mentioned in paragraph (5)(a).
(7) A person who has made a request to be heard under paragraph (3) may withdraw that request at any time before the opening of the examination by giving notice in writing to the charging authority.
(8) Where a person has submitted a request to be heard by the examiner, the charging authority must—
(a)publish the matters mentioned in paragraph (9) on its website;
(b)notify the following of those matters—
(i)any person who has made a representation in accordance with regulation 17, and not withdrawn that representation, of those matters,
(ii)any person who has made a request to be heard under paragraph (3); and
(c)give notice by local advertisement of those matters.
(9) The matters referred to in paragraph (8) are—
(a)the time and place at which the examination is to be held; and
(b)the name of the examiner.
(10) Subject to paragraph (11), the charging authority must comply with the requirements set out in paragraph (8) at least four weeks before the opening of the examination.
(11) Where a person has made a request to be heard by the examiner under paragraph (3), the charging authority must comply with the requirements in paragraph (8) at least two weeks before the opening of the examination.
(12) Without prejudice to section 212(9) of PA 2008—
(a)it is for the examiner to decide how the hearing is to be conducted;
(b)the examiner may, in particular, decide the amount of time to be allowed at an examination for the hearing of representations;
(c)the examiner may refuse to allow representations to be made at the hearing if the examiner considers that the representations are irrelevant, frivolous, vexatious or repetitious.