Section 94 — Reference of application to Welsh Ministers
326.Section 94(1) and (2) gives the Welsh Ministers power to direct a planning authority to refer an application for listed building consent to them for determination. A direction may relate to a particular application or applications in relation to buildings specified in the direction.
327.The Welsh Ministers may use this power of direction to “call in” a listed building consent application for their own determination. In practice, the Welsh Ministers rarely call in a listed building consent application but may do so if it raises issues of more than local importance and is of exceptional significance or controversial. On the rare occasions when this power is used, it is usually in conjunction with section 95 where the planning authority has indicated that it is minded to grant consent and the notification suggests that the authority has not had proper regard to national policy for the protection of the historic environment.
328.Applications referred to the Welsh Ministers under this section are to be dealt with in accordance with the procedures set out in Chapter 2 of Part 5 of the Act. Section 174 sets out that proceedings on such applications may be conducted in one or more of the following ways:
at a local inquiry,
at a hearing, or
by means of written representations.
