Part 3Inquiries

Pre-inquiry meetings

15.—(1) The inspector must hold a pre-inquiry meeting—

(a)if they expect an inquiry to last for 8 days or more, unless they consider it is unnecessary, or

(b)in respect of shorter inquiries, if the inspector considers it necessary.

(2) An inspector must give at least 2 weeks’ written notice of a pre-inquiry meeting to—

(a)the applicant,

(b)the relevant local planning authority,

(c)any statutory party,

(d)any other person known to be entitled to appear at the inquiry, and

(e)any other person whose presence at the meeting appears to the inspector to be desirable.

(3) The inspector—

(a)must preside at the pre-inquiry meeting,

(b)must determine the matters to be discussed and the procedure to be followed,

(c)may require any person present at the pre-inquiry meeting who, in their opinion, is behaving in a disruptive manner to leave, and

(d)may refuse to permit that person to return or to attend any further pre-inquiry meeting, or may permit that person to return or attend only on such conditions as the inspector may specify.

(4) Subject to paragraph (5), if the inspector requests any further information from the applicant or the relevant local planning authority at the pre-inquiry meeting, the inspector must take steps to ensure that the information has been received by the inspector, and a copy has been received by the applicant, the local planning authority and any statutory party before the end of a period of 4 weeks beginning with the date of the pre-inquiry meeting.

(5) Copies of information provided to the inspector which contains or refers to closed evidence must not be sent to the persons specified in paragraph (4).