The Drax Power Station Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage Extension Order 2024

PART 7 MISCELLANEOUS AND GENERAL

Protective provisions

33.  Schedule 12 (protective provisions) has effect.

Application of landlord and tenant law

34.—(1) This article applies to—

(a) any agreement for leasing to any person the whole or any part of the authorised development or the right to operate the same; and

(b) any agreement entered into by the undertaker with any person for the construction, maintenance, use or operation of the authorised development, or any part of it,

so far as any such agreement relates to the terms on which any land which is the subject of a lease granted by or under that agreement is to be provided for that person’s use.

(2) No enactment or rule of law regulating the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants prejudices the operation of any agreement to which this article applies.

(3) Accordingly, no such enactment or rule of law applies in relation to the rights and obligations of the parties to any lease granted by or under any such agreement so as to—

(a) exclude or in any respect modify any of the rights and obligations of those parties under the terms of the lease, whether with respect to the termination of the tenancy or any other matter;

(b) confer or impose on any such party any right or obligation arising out of or connected with anything done or omitted on or in relation to land which is the subject of the lease, in addition to any such right or obligation provided for by the terms of the lease; or

(c) restrict the enforcement (whether by action for damages or otherwise) by any party to the lease of any obligation of any other party under the lease.

Operational land for purposes of the 1990 Act

35.  Development consent granted by this Order is to be treated as specific planning permission for the purposes of section 264(3)(a) (cases in which land is to be treated as operational land) of the 1990 Act.

Defence to proceedings in respect of statutory nuisance

36.—(1) Where proceedings are brought under section 82(1) (summary of proceedings by a person aggrieved by statutory nuisance) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990(1) in relation to a nuisance falling within section 79(1) (statutory nuisances and inspections therefore) of that Act no order is to be made, and no fine may be imposed, under section 82(2) of that Act if—

(a) the defendant shows that the nuisance—

(i) relates to premises used by the undertaker for the purposes of or in connection with the construction, maintenance or decommissioning of the authorised development and that the nuisance is attributable to the construction or maintenance of the authorised development in accordance with a notice served under section 60 (control of noise on construction sites), or a consent given under section 61 (prior consent for work on construction sites), or section 65 (noise exceeding registered level) of the Control of Pollution Act 1974(2); or

(ii) is a consequence of the construction, maintenance or decommissioning of the authorised development and that it cannot be reasonably avoided; or

(iii) is a consequence of the use of the authorised development and that it cannot be reasonably avoided.

(2) Section 61(9) (consent for work on construction site to include statement that it does not of itself constitute a defence to proceedings under section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990) of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 and section 65(8) (corresponding provision in relation to consent for registered noise level to be exceeded) of that Act, do not apply where the consent relates to the use of premises by the undertaker for the purposes of, or in connection with the construction, maintenance or decommissioning of the authorised development.

Certification of plans and documents, etc.

37.—(1) The undertaker must, as soon as practicable after the making of this Order, submit to the Secretary of State copies of all documents and plans listed in the table at Schedule 13 (documents and plans to be certified) for certification that they are true copies of the documents referred to in this Order.

(2) A plan or document so certified is admissible in any proceedings as evidence of the contents of the document of which it is a copy.

Service of notices

38.—(1) A notice or other document required or authorised to be served for the purposes of this Order may be served—

(a) by post;

(b) by delivering it to the person on whom it is to be served or to whom it is to be given or supplied; or

(c) with the consent of the recipient and subject to paragraphs (6) to (8), by electronic transmission.

(2) Where the person on whom a notice or other document to be served for the purposes of this Order is a body corporate, the notice or document is duly served if it is served on the secretary or clerk of that body.

(3) For the purposes of section 7 (references to service by post) of the Interpretation Act 1978(3) as it applies for the purposes of this article, the proper address of any person in relation to the service on that person of a notice or document under paragraph (1) is, if that person has given an address for service, that address and otherwise—

(a) in the case of the secretary or clerk of a body corporate, the registered or principal office of that body; and

(b) in any other case, the last known address of that person at that time of service.

(4) Where for the purpose of this Order a notice or other document is required or authorised to be served on a person as having an interest in, or as the occupier of, land and the name or address of that person cannot be ascertained after reasonable enquiry, the notice may be served by—

(a) addressing it to that person by the description of “owner”, or as the case may be “occupier” of the land (describing it); and

(b) either leaving it in the hands of the person who is or appears to be resident or employed on the land or leaving it conspicuously affixed to some building or object on or near the land.

(5) Where a notice or other document required to be served or sent for the purposes of this Order is served or sent by electronic transmission the requirement is to be taken to be fulfilled only where—

(a) the recipient of the notice or other document to be transmitted has given consent to the use of electronic transmission in writing or by electronic transmission;

(b) the notice or document is capable of being accessed by the recipient;

(c) the notice or document is legible in all material respects; and

(d) the notice or document is in a form sufficiently permanent to be used for subsequent reference.

(6) Where the recipient of a notice or other document served or sent by electronic transmission notifies the sender within seven days of receipt that the recipient requires a paper copy of all or any part of that notice or other document the sender must provide such a copy as soon as reasonably practicable.

(7) Any consent to the use of an electronic transmission by a person may be revoked by that person in accordance with paragraph (8).

(8) Where a person is no longer willing to accept the use of electronic transmission for any of the purposes of this Order—

(a) that person must give notice in writing or by electronic transmission revoking any consent given by that person for that purpose; and

(b) such revocation is final and takes effect on a date specified by the person in the notice but that date must not be less than seven days after the date on which the notice is given.

(9) This article does not exclude the employment of any method of service not expressly provided for by it.

Procedure in relation to certain approvals etc

39.—(1) Where an application is made to or request is made of, a consenting authority for any consent, agreement or approval required or contemplated by any of the provisions of the Order (not including the requirements), such consent, agreement or approval to be validly given, must be given in writing.

(2) Where paragraph (1) applies to any consent, agreement or approval, such consent, agreement or approval must not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.

(3) Schedule 11 (procedure for discharge of requirements) has effect in relation to all consents, agreements or approvals required, granted, refused or withheld in relation to the requirements.

(4) Save for applications made pursuant to Schedule 11 (procedure for discharge of requirements) and where stated to the contrary if, within eight weeks (or such longer period as may be agreed between the undertaker and the relevant consenting authority in writing) after the application or request has been submitted to a consenting authority it has not notified the undertaker of its disapproval and the grounds of disapproval, it is deemed to have approved the application or request.

(5) Where any application is made as described in paragraph (1), the undertaker must include a statement in such application that refers to the timeframe for consideration of the application and the consequences of failure to meet that timeframe as prescribed by paragraph (4).

(6) Schedule 11 (procedure for discharge of requirements) does not apply in respect of any consents, agreements, or approvals contemplated by the provisions of Schedule 12 (protective provisions) or any dispute under article 32(6) (protective works to buildings) to which paragraph (4) applies.

(7) In this article “consenting authority” means the relevant planning authority, highway authority, traffic authority, street authority, the owner of a watercourse, sewer or drain or the beneficiary of any of the protective provisions contained in Schedule 12 (protective provisions).

Arbitration

40.—(1) Any difference under any provision of this Order, unless otherwise provided for, is to be referred to and settled by a single arbitrator to be agreed between the parties or, failing agreement, to be appointed on the application of either party (after giving notice in writing to the other) by the Secretary of State.

(2) Any matter for which the consent or approval of the Secretary of State is required under any provision of this Order is not subject to arbitration.

Guarantees in respect of payment of compensation

41.—(1) The undertaker must not exercise the powers conferred by the provisions referred to in paragraph (2) in relation to any land unless it has first put in place either—

(a) a guarantee, the form and amount of which has been approved by the Secretary of State in respect of the liabilities of the undertaker to pay compensation pursuant to the provisions referred to in paragraph (2); or

(b) an alternative form of security, the form and amount of which has been approved by the Secretary of State in respect of the liabilities of the undertaker to pay compensation pursuant to the provisions referred to in paragraph (2).

(2) The provisions are—

(a) article 17 (power to override easements and other rights);

(b) article 19 (compulsory acquisition of rights);

(c) article 20 (private rights);

(d) article 24 (rights under or over streets);

(e) article 25 (temporary use of land for constructing the authorised development);

(f) article 26 (temporary use of land for maintaining the authorised development); and

(g) article 27 (statutory undertakers).

(3) A guarantee or alternative form of security given in respect of any liability of the undertaker to pay compensation under this Order is to be treated as enforceable against the guarantor or person providing the alternative form of security by any person to whom such compensation is payable and must be in such a form as to be capable of enforcement by such a person.

(4) Nothing in this article requires a guarantee or alternative form of security to be in place for more than 15 years after the date on which the relevant power is exercised.

Electronic communications

42.—(1) In this Order—

(a) references to documents, maps, plans, drawings, certificates or other documents, or to copies, include references to them in electronic form; and

(b) references to a form of communication being “in writing” include references to an electronic communication that satisfies the conditions in paragraph (2) and “written” and other cognate expressions are to be construed accordingly.

(2) The conditions are that—

(a) the recipient of the notice or other document to be transmitted has given consent to the use of electronic transmission in writing or by electronic transmission; and

(b) the communication is—

(i) capable of being assessed by the recipient;

(ii) legible in all material respects; and

(iii) sufficiently permanent to be used for subsequent reference.

(3) Where the recipient of a notice or other document served or sent by electronic transmission notifies the sender within seven days of receipt that the recipient requires a paper copy of all or part of that notice or other document the sender must provide such a copy as soon as reasonably practicable.

(4) Any consent to the use of electronic communication given by a person may be revoked by that person in accordance with paragraph (5).

(5) Where a person is no longer willing to accept the use of electronic transmission for any of the purposes of this Order—

(a) that person must give notice in writing or by electronic transmission revoking any consent given by that person for that purpose; and

(b) such revocation is final and takes effect on a date specified by the person in the notice but that date may not be less than seven days after the date on which the notice is given.

Crown rights

43.—(1) Nothing in this Order affects prejudicially any estate, right, power, privilege, authority or exemption of the Crown and in particular, nothing in this Order authorises the undertaker or any licensee to take, use, enter upon or in any manner interfere with any land or rights of any description—

(a) identified as Crown land on the crown land plan;

(b) belonging to His Majesty in right of the Crown and forming part of The Crown Estate without the consent in writing of the Crown Estate Commissioners;

(c) belonging to His Majesty in right of the Crown and not forming part of The Crown Estate without the consent in writing of the government department having the management of that land; or

(d) belonging to a government department or held in trust for His Majesty for the purposes of a government department without the consent in writing of that government department.

(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to the exercise of any right under this Order for the compulsory acquisition of an interest in any Crown Land (as defined in the 2008 Act) which is for the time being held otherwise than by or on behalf of the Crown.

(3) A consent under paragraph (1) may be given unconditionally or subject to terms and conditions and is deemed to have been given in writing where it is sent electronically.

(1)

1990 c. 43. Section 82 was amended by section 103 to the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 (c. 16); Section 79 was amended by sections 101 and 102 of the same Act.

(2)

1974 c. 40. Sections 61(9) and 65(8) were amended by section 162 of, and paragraph 15 of Schedule 3 to, the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (c. 25). There are other amendments to the 1974 Act which are not relevant to this Order.

(3)

1978 c. 30. Section 7 was amended by paragraph 19 of Schedule 10 to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (c. 27). There are other amendments not relevant to this Order.