15.—(1) An application for an appointment or variation replacing a company as a relevant undertaker shall be made in such manner as may be prescribed.
(2) Within 14 days after making an application under this Article, the applicant shall—
(a)serve notice of the application on the existing appointee and DOE; and
(b)publish a copy of the notice in such manner as may be prescribed.
(3) Before making an appointment or variation replacing a company as a relevant undertaker, the Department or the Authority shall give notice—
(a)stating that it proposes to make the appointment or variation;
(b)stating the reasons why it proposes to make the appointment or variation; and
(c)specifying the period (not being less than 28 days from the date of publication of the notice) within which representations or objections with respect to the proposed appointment or variation may be made.
(4) A notice under paragraph (3) shall be given—
(a)by publishing the notice in such manner as the Department or, as the case may be, the Authority considers appropriate for bringing it to the attention of persons likely to be affected by the making of the proposed appointment or variation; and
(b)by serving a copy of the notice on the existing appointee and DOE.
(5) As soon as practicable after making an appointment or variation replacing a company as a relevant undertaker, the Department or the Authority shall—
(a)serve a copy of the appointment or variation on the existing appointee; and
(b)serve notice of the making of the appointment or variation on DOE.
(6) As soon as practicable after exercising any power to vary the area to which an appointment under this Chapter relates, the Department shall send a copy of the variation to the Authority.
(7) In this Article “the existing appointee”, in relation to an appointment or variation replacing a company as a relevant undertaker, means the company which is replaced in relation to the whole or any part of the area to which the appointment or variation relates or, where there is more than one such company, each of them.
(8) The Department may by regulations impose such additional procedural requirements as it considers appropriate for any case where the conditions mentioned in Article 14(5) are required to be satisfied in relation to an application for an appointment or variation replacing a company as a relevant undertaker.