(2) The appeal process is as follows— 

(a) any appeal by the undertaker must be made within 42 days of the date of the notice of the decision or determination, or (where no determination has been made) the expiry of the time period set out in paragraph 17(1), giving rise to the appeal referred to in sub- paragraph (1); 

(b) the undertaker must submit the appeal documentation to the Secretary of State and must on the same day provide copies of the appeal documentation to the discharging authority and any consultee specified under the relevant requirement contained in Part 1 of this Schedule; 

(c) as soon as is practicable after receiving the appeal documentation, the Secretary of State must appoint a person to consider the appeal (“the adjudicator”) and must notify the appeal parties of the identity of the adjudicator and the address to which all correspondence for the attention of the adjudicator must be sent; 

(d) the discharging authority and any consultee (if applicable) must submit their written representations together with any other representations to the adjudicator in respect of the appeal within 10 business days of the start date specified by the adjudicator and must ensure that copies of their written representations and any other representations as sent to the adjudicator are sent to each other and to the undertaker on the day on which they are submitted to the adjudicator; 

(e) the appeal parties must make any counter-submissions to the adjudicator within 10 business days of receipt of written representations pursuant to sub-paragraph (c) above; and 

(f) the adjudicator must make a decision and notify it to the appeal parties, with reasons, as soon as reasonably practicable after the end of the 10 day period for counter-submissions under paragraph (e). 

(3) The appointment of the adjudicator pursuant to sub-paragraph (2)(c) may be undertaken by a person appointed by the Secretary of State for this purpose instead of by the Secretary of State. 

(4) In the event that the adjudicator considers that further information is necessary to enable the adjudicator to consider the appeal the adjudicator must as soon as practicable notify the appeal parties in writing specifying the further information required, the appeal party from whom the information is sought, and the date by which the information is to be submitted. 

(5) Any further information required pursuant to sub-paragraph (4) must be provided by the party from whom the information is sought to the adjudicator and to the other appeal parties by the date specified by the adjudicator. The adjudicator must notify the appeal parties of the revised timetable for the appeal on or before that day. The revised timetable for the appeal must require submission of written representations to the adjudicator within 10 business days of the date specified by the adjudicator but must otherwise be in accordance with the process and time limits set out in sub-paragraphs (2)(c) to (e). 

(6) On an appeal under this paragraph, the adjudicator may— 

(a) allow or dismiss the appeal; or 

(b) reverse or vary any part of the decision of the discharging authority (whether the appeal relates to that part of it or not), 

and may deal with the application as if it had been made to the adjudicator in the first instance. 

(7) The adjudicator may proceed to a decision on an appeal taking into account such written representations as have been sent within the relevant time limits and in the sole discretion of the adjudicator such written representations as have been sent outside of the relevant time limits. 

(8) The adjudicator may proceed to a decision even though no written representations have been made within the relevant time limits, if it appears to the adjudicator that there is sufficient material to enable a decision to be made on the merits of the case. 

(9) The decision of the adjudicator on an appeal is final and binding on the parties, and a court may entertain proceedings for questioning the decision only if the proceedings are brought by a claim for a judicial review. 

