Local Government Act, 1991

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Report by boundary committee with respect to a boundary.

33.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this section a boundary committee shall, if requested to do so by the Minister under subsection (2) or (3) of section 31 or subsection (1) (a) or (2) of section 32 —

(a) review the boundary to which the request relates and, in the case of a request by the Minister under subsection (2) of section 31 , the terms of the proposal or the amended proposal (as the case may be) with respect thereto, and

(b) make such recommendations with respect to the boundary that it considers to be necessary in the interests of effective and convenient local government,

and shall prepare and furnish to the Minister a report in writing of that review and its recommendations and the Minister shall publish the report.

(2) The Minister may include in a request as aforesaid a requirement that the boundary committee is to have regard to such considerations or matters in preparing its report as he specifies in the request and the committee shall comply with any such requirement.

(3) A report under this section shall include, where the Minister so specifies in a request as aforesaid, a review by, and the recommendations of, the boundary committee in relation to such matters specified in the request as may be consequential on or otherwise related to any alteration of the boundary recommended in the report.

(4) In preparing a report under this section a boundary committee shall—

(a) consult any local authority concerned, and

(b) where the report relates to a boundary of a county or a county borough publish a notice stating that a report is being prepared under this section in relation to a specified boundary inviting submissions from any person concerned,

and shall have regard to any such consultations and submissions made by any such person.

(5) A boundary committee may, for the purposes of a report by it under this section, by notice in writing, request any local authority to furnish to it such information (including documents) as it may reasonably require within such period as shall be specified in the notice and the local authority shall comply with the request.

(6) (a) A boundary committee shall have an absolute discretion to hold an oral hearing in relation to a report by it under this section and the hearing may be conducted by one or more members of the boundary committee or by a person appointed by the committee for that purpose.

(b) The member or members of a boundary committee or other person appointed to conduct an oral hearing under paragraph (a) shall make a report in writing on the hearing to the boundary committee and shall include in the report such recommendations as are considered appropriate with respect to the boundary concerned.

(c) The boundary committee shall consider a report made to it under paragraph (b) before deciding on the recommendations that it will make with respect to the boundary concerned.

(d) The Minister may make regulations in relation to the conduct of an oral hearing as aforesaid, the procedures at such a hearing and the attendance by local authorities and other persons at such a hearing.