SID: Costs

During an application, participants in a case may have had costs to make their observation about the application. The Board has the power to award a contribution towards reasonable costs. The Board has the power to decide what costs are reasonable and can decide to award all, some or none of the costs requested by the participant.

Cost requests apply in:

• 7th Schedule cases,
• electricity transmission cases,
• gas infrastructure cases,
• railway projects cases,
• local authority sponsored development cases,
• local authority compulsory acquisitions cases,
• road developments, and
• compulsory acquisitions relating to the 1976 Gas Act and the 1998 Air Navigation Act.

In the case of 7th Schedule cases, electricity transmission and gas infrastructure, the Board must make the costs award at the same time as it makes its decision on the planning application. Therefore, the Board will generally request submissions from the relevant participants about the awarding of costs. This request will normally be at an intermediate stage in the case. For example: after an oral hearing has finished, if one has been held. A time period will be set in which applications for costs can be sent to the Board. The Board will not accept applications for costs after this time period.

In railway order applications, applications for cost recovery can be processed after the Board has made its decision.