Section 80: Special provision relating to national security
109.Section 80 deals with the arrangements for planning inquiries where matters of national security are at issue. It adds eight new subsections to section 321 of the principal Act and a new section 321A. Section 321 provides that all oral evidence at planning inquiries must be heard in public, and that documents must be open to public inspection. There is, however, an exception. This is when there would be public disclosure of information relating to national security or to the security of any premises or property, and that public disclosure would be contrary to the national interest. The new provisions provide for the appointment and functions of a special advocate to represent the interest of those people who are prevented from seeing the sensitive material. They also provide for the payment of the special advocate, whether or not an inquiry takes place. The remainder of section 80 repeats these provisions for the listed buildings Act and the hazardous substances Act.
