The Town and Country Planning (Pre-Application Services) (Wales) Regulations 2016

Electronic communications

3.—(1) In these Regulations, and in relation to the use of electronic communications for any purpose of these Regulations which is capable of being effected electronically—

(a) the expression “address” (“cyfeiriad”) includes any number or address used for the purposes of such communications;

(b) references to requests or other documents include references to such documents in electronic form.

(2) Paragraphs (3) to (6) apply where an electronic communication is used by a person for the purpose of fulfilling any requirement in these Regulations to give or send a request or any other document to any other person (“the recipient”).

(3) The requirement is taken to be fulfilled where the request or other document transmitted by means of the electronic communication is—

(a) capable of being accessed by the recipient;

(b) legible in all material respects; and

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

(4) In paragraph (3), “legible in all material respects” (“darllenadwy ym mhob modd perthnasol”) means that the information contained in the request or other document is available to the recipient to no lesser extent than it would be if sent or given by means of a document in printed form.

(5) Where the electronic communication is received by the recipient outside the recipient’s business hours, it will be taken to have been received on the next working day; and for this purpose “working day” (“diwrnod gwaith”) means a day which is not a Saturday, Sunday, Bank Holiday or other public holiday in Wales.

(6) A requirement in these Regulations that any document should be in writing is fulfilled where that document meets the criteria in paragraph (3), and “written” (“ysgrifenedig”) and cognate expressions are to be construed accordingly.