A Planning Inquiry Commission shall, for the purpose of complying with paragraph 3(2), hold a local inquiry; and they may hold such an inquiry, if they think it necessary for the proper discharge of their functions, notwithstanding that neither the applicant nor the local planning authority want an opportunity to appear and be heard.

Where a Planning Inquiry Commission are to hold a local inquiry under sub-paragraph (1) in connection with a matter referred to them, and it appears to the responsible Minister or Ministers, in the case of some other matter falling to be determined by a Minister of the Crown and required or authorised by an enactment other than this paragraph to be the subject of a local inquiry, that the two matters are so far cognate that they should be considered together, he or, as the case may be, they may direct that the two inquiries be held concurrently or combined as one inquiry.

An inquiry held by a commission under this paragraph shall be treated for the purposes of the Tribunals and Inquiries Act F11992 as one held by a Minister in pursuance of a duty imposed by a statutory provision.

An inquiry held by a commission under this paragraph shall be a statutory inquiry for the purposes of Schedule 7 to the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 (functions etc. of Administrative Justice and Tribunals Council).

Subsections (2) to (5) of section 250 of the M1Local Government Act 1972 (local inquiries: evidence and costs) shall apply in relation to an inquiry held under sub-paragraph (1) as they apply in relation to an inquiry caused to be held by a Minister under subsection (1) of that section, with the substitution for references to the Minister causing the inquiry to be held (other than the first reference in subsection (4)) of references to the responsible Minister or Ministers.