Part 13: General Schedule 7: Plan making Section 15HA: Secretary of State powers where local planning authority are failing etc Effect
Subsection (1) consolidates the current provisions in the former section 21(1) and 27(1) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 to enable the Secretary of State to intervene if they think that: a local planning authority are failing to do anything it is necessary or expedient for them to do in connection with the preparation, adoption or revision of a local plan; a local plan or a supplementary plan is going to be or may be unsatisfactory; or a proposed revision to a local plan or a supplementary plan will, or may, result in the plan becoming unsatisfactory.
	Subsection (2) sets out what action the Secretary of State may take in these circumstances, including giving directions in relation to the preparation or adoption of the plan or taking over preparation of the plan.
	Subsection (3) introduces the new concept of a local plan commissioner, who would act on behalf of the Secretary of State. A local plan commissioner may be appointed to investigate and report back to the Secretary of State or to take any of the actions listed in subsection (2), including giving directions in relation to the preparation or adoption of the plan or taking over preparation of the plan.
	Subsections (4) to (11) set out what must happen where the Secretary of State or a local plan commissioner takes over the preparation of a plan or the revision of a plan.
	Subsection (5) requires the Secretary of State or local plan commissioner to publish a timetable for the preparation of the plan and details of any intended departure from anything specified in a local plan timetable in relation to the plan. Subsection (6) requires that an examination is held. Where this happens, subsections (7) and (8) confirm that the relevant provisions in sections 15D and15DA, or 15DB, apply to the examination of a local plan or supplementary plan. Subsections (9) and (10) set out that, following the examination, the recommendations of the examiner must be published and that the Secretary of State or a local plan commissioner may then either approve the plan (so that it comes into force), direct the authority to consider adoption or reject the plan. Subsection (11) sets out that subsections (5) to (10) also apply to the revision of a plan.
	Subsections (12) to (14) set out that the Secretary of State or a local plan commissioner may take account of anything they think is relevant when using intervention powers and must give reasons for the use of any intervention powers.
	Subsection (15) defines ‘relevant authority’.