Rule 2 Interpretation

In these Rules—

• “the 1990 Act” means the Town and Country Planning Act 1990^f1;

• “the 2025 Order” means the Town and Country Planning (Crown Development Applications) (Procedure and Written Representations) Order 2025^f2;

• “applicable representation period” has the meaning given in the 2025 Order;

• “appointed representative” means a person appointed under section 321(5) or (6) of the 1990 Act^f3;

• “assessor” means a person appointed by the Secretary of State to sit with an inspector at an inquiry or re-opened inquiry to advise the inspector on such matters arising as the Secretary of State may specify;

• “closed evidence” means evidence which is subject to a security direction;

• “Crown development application” means an application made under section 293D of the 1990 Act^f4;

• “document” includes a photograph, map or plan;

• “electronic communication” has the meaning given in section 15(1) of the Electronic Communications Act 2000^f5;

• “inspector” means—

  1. (a)

     in relation to a standard application, a person appointed by the Secretary of State under section 293I of the 1990 Act^f6 to determine the relevant application;

  2. (b)

     in relation to a recovered application, a person appointed by the Secretary of State to assist him in the consideration of written representations or the holding of a hearing or inquiry;

• “land” means the land or building to which the relevant application relates;

• “last representation period” has the meaning given in the 2025 Order;

• “persons entitled to appear at the hearing” means the persons listed in rule 7(2);

• “persons entitled to appear at the inquiry” means the persons listed in rule 19(1);

• “recovered application” means a Crown development application which falls to be determined by the Secretary of State as a consequence of a direction given under section 293J(1) of the 1990 Act^f7;

• “relevant local planning authority” has the meaning given in the 2025 Order;

• “re-opened inquiry” means an inquiry which, having been closed, is re-opened to consider any new evidence or any new matter of fact, or following the quashing of the decision following the original inquiry;

• “security direction” means a direction given by the Secretary of State under section 321(3) of the 1990 Act;

• “standard application” means a Crown development application which falls to be determined by a person appointed by the Secretary of State under section 293I of the 1990 Act;

• “starting date” means the date of the notice given by the Secretary of State under rule 13(1);

• “statement of case” has the meaning given in rule 13(3);

• “statutory party” means a person specified in article 9(1) of the 2025 Order to whom a notice must be sent by the applicant;

• “working day” means a day which is not a Saturday, Sunday, Christmas Day, Good Friday or a day which under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971^f8 is a bank holiday in England.

Any reference in these Rules to a Crown development application, a standard application or a recovered application also includes a reference to any connected listed building application (within the meaning of the 2025 Order).