The Access to the Countryside (Means of Access, Appeals) (England) Regulations 2004

Changes of procedure

40.—(1) If, at any time before the Secretary of State or the inspector notifies under regulation 15 her decision on an appeal, the appellant, the access authority or the Secretary of State wishes the appeal to be determined no longer by way of written representations but instead by way of a hearing or inquiry, the Secretary of State shall arrange for the appeal to proceed by way of a hearing or inquiry.

(2) Paragraphs (3) and (4) below apply at any time before the Secretary of State, under regulation 23 or 35, or an inspector, under regulation 24 or 36, notifies her decision on an appeal.

(3) If the appellant or the access authority wish an appeal to be determined no longer by way of a hearing or inquiry but instead by way of written representations, the Secretary of State shall consult the other party, and, if both that party and the Secretary of State agree to such a change in procedure, the Secretary of State shall arrange for the appeal to be determined by way of written representations.

(4) If the appellant, the access authority or the Secretary of State wishes an appeal to be determined –

(a)no longer by way of a hearing but instead by way of an inquiry, or

(b)no longer by way of an inquiry but instead by way of a hearing,

the Secretary of State shall, after consulting the other party or, where the Secretary of State wishes the appeal procedure to be changed, both the parties, decide whether the hearing or inquiry (as the case may be) should be no longer proceed and an inquiry or hearing (as appropriate) be held instead.

(5) Where the appeal procedure is changed by the Secretary of State under this regulation –

(a)the Secretary of State shall –

(i)notify the appellant, the access authority, the local access forum and any interested person of such change, and

(ii)ensure that a copy of such notice is available for inspection on a website maintained by the Planning Inspectorate Executive Agency until the appeal is determined;

(b)any step taken or thing done under these Regulations in relation to the former appeal procedure which could have been taken done under any corresponding provision of these Regulations relating to the new appeal procedure shall have effect as if taken or done under that corresponding provision; and

(c)the Secretary of State may give any consequential directions as to the procedure to be applied in relation to the appeal as she may consider necessary.