Class F Gas suppliers
F. Permitted development
Development by a public gas supplier required for the purposes of its undertaking consisting of—
(a)the laying underground of mains, pipes or other apparatus;
(b)the installation in a gas distribution system of apparatus for measuring, recording, controlling or varying the pressure, flow or volume of gas, and structures for housing such apparatus;
(c)the construction in any storage area or protective area specified in an order made under section 4 of the Gas Act 1965(1) (storage authorisation orders), of boreholes, and the erection or construction in any such area of any plant or machinery required in connection with the construction of such boreholes;
(d)the placing and storage on land of pipes and other apparatus to be included in a main or pipe which is being or is about to be laid or constructed in pursuance of planning permission granted or deemed to be granted under Part III of the Act (control over development);
(e)the erection on operational land of the public gas supplier of a building solely for the protection of plant or machinery;
(f)any other development carried out in, on, over or under the operational land of the public gas supplier.
F.1 Development not permitted
Development is not permitted by Class F if—
(a)in the case of any Class F(b) development involving the installation of a structure for housing apparatus exceeding 29 cubic metres in capacity, that installation would be carried out at or above ground level, or under a highway used by vehicular traffic,
(b)in the case of any Class F(c) development—
(i)the borehole is shown in an order approved by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for the purpose of section 4(6) of the Gas Act 1965; or
(ii)any plant or machinery would exceed 6 metres in height, or
(c)in the case of any Class F(e) development, the building would exceed 15 metres in height, or
(d)in the case of any Class F(f) development—
(i)it would consist of or include the erection of a building, or the reconstruction or alteration of a building where its design or external appearance would be materially affected;
(ii)it would involve the installation of plant or machinery exceeding 15 metres in height, or capable without the carrying out of additional works of being extended to a height exceeding 15 metres; or
(iii)it would consist of or include the replacement of any plant or machinery, by plant or machinery exceeding 15 metres in height or exceeding the height of the plant or machinery replaced, whichever is the greater.
F.2 Conditions
Development is permitted by Class F subject to the following conditions—
(a)in the case of any Class F(a) development, not less than eight weeks before the beginning of operations to lay a notifiable pipe-line, the public gas supplier shall give notice in writing to the local planning authority of its intention to carry out that development, identifying the land under which the pipe-line is to be laid,
(b)in the case of any Class F(d) development, on completion of the laying or construction of the main or pipe, or at the expiry of a period of nine months from the beginning of the development, whichever is the sooner, any pipes or other apparatus still stored on the land shall be removed and the land restored as soon as reasonably practicable to its condition before the development took place (or to any other condition which may be agreed with the local planning authority),
(c)in the case of any Class F(e) development, approval of the details of the design and external appearance of the building shall be obtained, before the development is begun, from—
(i)in Greater London or a metropolitan county, the local planning authority,
(ii)in a National Park, outside a metropolitan county, the county planning authority,
(iii)in any other case, the district planning authority(2).
1965 c. 36; section 4 was amended by paragraph 6 of Schedule 7, and Part I of Schedule 9, to the Gas Act 1986 (c. 44), and by paragraph 12 of Schedule 2 to the Planning (Consequential Provisions) Act 1990 (c. 11).
For cases where functions have been transferred from the county council to the district council or vice versa see regulation 5 of the Local Government Changes for England Regulations 1994 (S.I. 1994/867) and section 1 of the Act.