Site inspections
20.—(1) The appointed person may at any time make an unaccompanied inspection of the land without giving notice of an intention to do so to the appellant or the respondent.
(2) During, or after the close of, a hearing, the appointed person—
(a)may, after announcing during the hearing the date and time at which the inspection is proposed to be made, inspect the land in the company of the parties and any other person who has been permitted to attend and take part in the hearing; and
(b)must make such an inspection if so requested by the parties before or during a hearing.
(3) If an appeal is being determined by written representations, the appointed person—
(a)may, after giving to the parties reasonable notice in writing of an intention to do so, inspect the land in the company of the parties and any other person whom the inspector considers it reasonable to be invited; and
(b)must make such an inspection if so requested by the parties before the appointed person makes a decision.
(4) An appellant must take such steps as are reasonably within the appellant’s power to enable the appointed person to obtain access to the land to be inspected.
(5) The appointed person is not required to defer an inspection of the kind referred to in paragraph (2) or (3) where any person mentioned in those paragraphs is not present at the time appointed.