{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/planning-hazardous-substances-act-1990/section-39",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/planning-hazardous-substances-act-1990/section-39.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1990/10",
  "legislation_title": "Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/planning-hazardous-substances-act-1990",
  "path": "section/39",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "39",
  "heading": "Interpretation.",
  "text": "(1) In this Act —\n“contravention of hazardous substances control” has the meaning given in section 23(2);\n“development consent” means development consent under the Planning Act 2008;\n“hazardous substances authority” is to be construed in accordance with sections 1 and 3;\n“hazardous substances consent” means consent required by section 4;\n“hazardous substances contravention notice” means such a notice as is mentioned in section 24(1);\n“infrastructure consent has the meaning given in section 143 of the Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024;\n“the principal Act” means the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.\n“the safety regulator” means—\n(a)in relation to land which is, or is on, a nuclear site (within the meaning of Part 3 of the Energy Act 2013), the Office for Nuclear Regulation;\n(b)otherwise, the Health and Safety Executive.\n(2) In this Act, except in so far as the context otherwise requires and subject to the following provisions of this section, the following expressions have the same meaning as in the principal Act—\n. . . ;\n. . . ;\n“the Broads”;\n“development”;\n“development plan”;\n“enactment”;\n“functions”;\n“government department”;\n“joint planning board”;\n“land”;\n“local authority”;\n“local planning authority”;\n“London borough”;\n“mineral working deposit”;\n“minerals”;\n“Minister”;\n. . .;\n“owner”;\n“the planning Acts”;\n“prescribed”;\n“public gas supplier”;\n“statutory undertakers”;\n“tenancy”;\n“urban development area” and “urban development corporation”;\n“use”;\n“Valuation Office”;\nbut this subsection does not affect the meaning of “owner” in section 8.\n(3) For the purposes of sections 4 to 21 and 23 to 26 any two bodies corporate are to be treated as being one person if—\n(a) one of them is a body corporate of which the other is a subsidiary (within the meaning of section 1159 of the Companies Act 2006 ); or\n(b) both of them are subsidiaries (within the meaning of that Act) of one and the same body corporate.\n(4) For the purposes of sections . . . 12 and 38(2) a public gas supplier shall be deemed to be a statutory undertaker . . .\n(5) For the purposes of sections . . . 12 and 38(2) the Environment Agency, the Natural Resources Body for Wales and every water or sewerage undertaker shall be deemed to be a statutory undertaker . . .\n(6) For the purposes of section 38(2) a universal service provider (within the meaning of Part 3 of the Postal Services Act 2011 ) in connection with the provision of a universal postal service (within the meaning of that Part ), the Civil Aviation Authority , a person who holds a licence under Chapter I of Part I of the Transport Act 2000 (to the extent that the person is carrying out activities authorised by the licence) and any holder of a licence under section 6(1) of the Electricity Act 1989 shall be deemed to be statutory undertakers . . .\n(7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 39(1) inserted (1.3.2010) by Planning Act 2008 (c. 29), s. 241(8), Sch. 2 para. 47 (with s. 226); S.I. 2010/101, art. 2 (with art. 6)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Word \"and\" substituted (1.1.1992) for \"to\" by Environmental Protection Act 1990 (c. 43, SIF 46:4), s. 144, Sch. 13 Pt. I para. 2(7); S.I. 1991/2829, art. 3"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 39 inserted (15.12.2025) by Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024 (asc 3), s. 147(2), Sch. 3 para. 5(6) (with s. 84(5)); S.I. 2025/698, art. 3(l)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 39(1) inserted (1.4.2014) by The Energy Act 2013 (Office for Nuclear Regulation) (Consequential Amendments, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/469), art. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 10(7) (with Sch. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Entries repealed (1.1.1992) by Environmental Protection Act 1990 (c. 43, SIF 46:4), s. 162(2), Sch. 16 Pt. VII; S.I. 1991/2829, art. 3"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 39(3)(a) substituted (1.10.2009) by The Companies Act 2006 (Consequential Amendments, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/1941), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 116 (with art. 10)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words repealed (1.1.1992) by Environmental Protection Act 1990 (c. 43, SIF 46:4), s. 162(2), Sch. 16 Pt. VII; S.I. 1991/2829, art. 3"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words repealed (1.1.1992) by Environmental Protection Act 1990 (c. 43, SIF 46:4), s. 162(2), Sch. 16 Pt. VII; S.I. 1991/2829, art. 3"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Words in s. 39(5) substituted (1.4.2013) by The Natural Resources Body for Wales (Functions) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/755), art. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 206 (with Sch. 7)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "Words in s. 39(6) substituted (26.3.2001) by S.I. 2001/1149, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 para. 85 (with art. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F11",
      "text": "Words in s. 39(6) substituted (1.10.2011) by Postal Services Act 2011 (c. 5), s. 93(2)(3), Sch. 12 para. 132(a); S.I. 2011/2329, art. 3"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F12",
      "text": "Words in s. 39(6) substituted (1.10.2011) by Postal Services Act 2011 (c. 5), s. 93(2)(3), Sch. 12 para. 132(b); S.I. 2011/2329, art. 3"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F13",
      "text": "Words in s. 39(6) inserted (1.4.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 37, Sch. 5 para. 9; S.I. 2001/869, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F14",
      "text": "S. 39(7)(8) repealed (1.1.1992) by Environmental Protection Act 1990 (c. 43, SIF 46:4), s. 162(2), Sch. 16 Pt. VII; S.I. 1991/2829, art. 3"
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M1",
      "text": "1990 c. 8."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M2",
      "text": "1989 c. 29."
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 39 extended (1.3.1996) by 1995 c. 45, s. 16(1), Sch. 4 para. 2(2)(k); S.I. 1996/218, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 39 wholly in force at 1.6.1992 see S.I. 1992/725, art. 3; s. 39 in force for certain purposes at 11.3.1992 see S.I. 1992/725, art. 2"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "asc/2026/7",
      "affecting_title": "Planning (Consequential Provisions) (Wales) Act 2026"
    },
    {
      "type": "words inserted",
      "affecting": "asc/2026/7",
      "affecting_title": "Planning (Consequential Provisions) (Wales) Act 2026"
    },
    {
      "type": "words inserted",
      "affecting": "asc/2026/7",
      "affecting_title": "Planning (Consequential Provisions) (Wales) Act 2026"
    },
    {
      "type": "words omitted",
      "affecting": "asc/2026/7",
      "affecting_title": "Planning (Consequential Provisions) (Wales) Act 2026"
    },
    {
      "type": "inserted",
      "affecting": "asc/2026/7",
      "affecting_title": "Planning (Consequential Provisions) (Wales) Act 2026"
    },
    {
      "type": "words inserted",
      "affecting": "asc/2026/7",
      "affecting_title": "Planning (Consequential Provisions) (Wales) Act 2026"
    },
    {
      "type": "words inserted",
      "affecting": "asc/2026/7",
      "affecting_title": "Planning (Consequential Provisions) (Wales) Act 2026"
    },
    {
      "type": "words inserted",
      "affecting": "asc/2026/7",
      "affecting_title": "Planning (Consequential Provisions) (Wales) Act 2026"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1990/10/section/39",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:43:19.451060+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}