§ Baroness Scott of Needham Marketasked Her Majesty's Government:
What criteria are used by the Highways Agency in deciding whether to hold a public inquiry into a road scheme. [HL913]
62WA
§ Lord Davies of OldhamA public inquiry may be held into draft orders under the Highways Act 1980 and Acquisition of Land Act 1981, to which objections have been submitted. If there is a statutory objection to these orders, then a public inquiry will be held. In other cases a public inquiry will be held where the weight or nature of the objection means that the issues can be properly explored only by a public hearing.
If there are no draft orders but an environmental statement is published and representations have been received, the decision on whether an inquiry should be dispensed with in a particular case will be taken by the Government Office for the Region on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport and the First Secretary of State.