Procedure at inquiry
33.—(1) The appointed person presides at any inquiry and must determine the procedure at the inquiry, subject to these Regulations.
(2) Unless in any particular case the appointed person otherwise determines, the applicant is to begin and the local planning authority and other persons taking part are to be heard in such order as the appointed person may determine.
(3) At the start of the inquiry the appointed person must identify what are, in the appointed person’s opinion, the matters on which the appointed person requires representations at the inquiry.
(4) The applicant, the local planning authority and any person invited to take part in an inquiry may call evidence.
(5) The appointed person may permit any other person to call evidence.
(6) The applicant and the local planning authority are entitled to cross-examine persons giving evidence, subject to paragraph (6).
(7) The appointed person may refuse to permit—
(a)the giving or production of evidence;
(b)the cross-examination of persons giving evidence; or
(c)the presentation of any other matter,
which the appointed person considers to be irrelevant or repetitious.
(8) Where the appointed person refuses to permit the giving of oral evidence, any person wishing to give the evidence may submit the evidence in writing to the appointed person before the close of the inquiry.
(9) The appointed person may—
(a)require any person taking part in, or present at, an inquiry who, in the appointed person’s opinion, is behaving in a disruptive manner to leave; and
(b)refuse to permit that person to return; or
(c)permit that person to return only on such conditions as the appointed person may specify,
but any such person may submit to the appointed person representations in writing before the close of the inquiry.
(10) Regulation 15(2) to (6) apply to any evidence or representation in writing submitted to the appointed person in accordance with paragraph (7) or (8) of this regulation.
(11) The appointed person may direct that facilities are afforded to any person taking part in an inquiry to take or obtain copies of documents open to public inspection.
(12) The appointed person may take into account any written representation or any other document received by the appointed person from any person before an inquiry opens or during the inquiry provided that the appointed person discloses it at the inquiry.
(13) The appointed person may invite any person taking part in the inquiry to make closing submissions.
(14) Any person who makes closing submissions must by the close of the inquiry provide the appointed person with a copy of those closing submissions in writing.