Legislation – Space Industry Act 2018

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Introduction

1 Introduction

2 Duties and supplementary powers of the regulator

3 Prohibition of unlicensed spaceflight etc

4 Exemptions from licence requirement

5 Range

6 Range control services

7 Provision of range control services

8 Grant of licences: general

9 Grant of operator licences: safety

10 Grant of spaceport licence

11 Grant of licences: assessments of environmental effects

12 Terms of licences

13 Conditions of licences

14 Licences granted for specified periods

15 Transfer, variation, suspension or termination of licence

16 Power of Secretary of State to appoint person to exercise functions

17 Informed consent

18 Training, qualifications and medical fitness

19 Safety regulations

20 Investigation of accidents

21 Assistance etc with performance of regulator’s safety functions

22 Offences against the safety of spacecraft etc

23 Security regulations

24 Spaceport byelaws

25 Provision of advice and assistance on security matters

26 Monitoring and enforcement by regulator

27 Power to give directions: breach of licence condition etc

28 Power to give directions: safety, security etc

29 Power to give directions: international obligations of the UK

30 Consultation about directions

31 Further provision about directions

32 Warrants authorising entry or direct action

33 Power to authorise entry etc in emergencies

34 Liability of operator for injury or damage etc

35 Power or duty of Secretary of State to indemnify

36 Obligation to indemnify government etc against claims

37 Regulator etc not liable in respect of spaceflight-related actions

38 Insurance

39 Powers to obtain rights over land

40 Orders under section 39: offences

41 Power to restrict use of land temporarily

42 Power of entry for purposes of survey

43 Challenges to and commencement of orders

44 Powers in relation to land: compensation

45 Registration of orders

46 Special provisions relating to statutory undertakers

47 Compensation in respect of planning decisions relating to spaceport safety etc: England and Wales and Scotland

48 Compensation in respect of planning decisions relating to spaceport safety etc: Northern Ireland

49 Amendment and revocation of orders

50 Powers in relation to land: notices

51 Application of criminal law to spacecraft etc

52 Offences on board spacecraft: supplementary

53 Penalties for offences under this Act

54 Offences under regulations

55 Offences under regulations: extended time limit in case of accident investigation etc

56 Defences

57 Offences by bodies corporate

58 Offences by partnerships

59 Civil sanctions

60 Appeals

61 Register of launches

62 Charging schemes

63 Provision of advice and assistance by or to an appointed person

64 Co-operation between Secretary of State and other public authorities

65 Agreements with other countries: compliance with requirements etc

66 Use of records and documentary evidence

67 Minor and consequential amendments

68 Regulations: general

69 Interpretation

70 Commencement

71 Extent

72 Short title

SCHEDULES

SCHEDULE 1 Particular conditions that may be included in licences

SCHEDULE 2 Training regulations: further provision

SCHEDULE 3 Safety regulations: further provision

SCHEDULE 4 Offences against the safety of spacecraft etc

SCHEDULE 5 Security regulations: further provision

SCHEDULE 6 Orders under sections 39 and 41

SCHEDULE 7 Powers in relation to land: quashing of orders

SCHEDULE 8 Powers in relation to land: compensation

SCHEDULE 9 Powers in relation to land: special provisions relating to statutory undertakers

SCHEDULE 10 Appeals in connection with spaceflight activities

SCHEDULE 11 Charging schemes

SCHEDULE 12 Minor and consequential amendments

Changes to legislation:

Space Industry Act 2018, Cross Heading: Powers in relation to land: supplementary is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 13 April 2026. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations. Help about Changes to Legislation

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Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.


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Changes and effects yet to be applied to Crossheading Powers-in-relation-to-land-supplementary:

  • specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2021/817, Sch. by S.I. 2021/874 reg. 2

Powers in relation to land: supplementary

46Special provisions relating to statutory undertakers

Schedule 9, which makes provision—

(a)

about the assessment of compensation payable to a statutory undertaker in consequence of an order under section 39 or 41, and

(b)

for the adjustment of the functions of statutory undertakers that may be necessary in consequence of such an order,

has effect.

47Compensation in respect of planning decisions relating to spaceport safety etc: England and Wales and Scotland

(1)

A local planning authority is entitled to recover from the relevant person a sum equal to any compensation that authority is liable to pay, if—

(a)

the planning authority becomes liable to pay compensation under any of the provisions set out in subsection (3) (which relate to compensation for certain planning restrictions, for purchase notices that do not take effect and in respect of undertakers’ operational land), and

(b)

the liability is attributable to a planning decision that would not have been taken, or an order that would not have been made, but for the need to secure the safe and efficient operation of—

(i)

a spaceport, or

(ii)

range control apparatus.

(2)

“The relevant person” is—

(a)

where subsection (1)(b)(i) applies, the person authorised to operate the spaceport by a spaceport licence;

(b)

where subsection (1)(b)(ii) applies, the range control service provider who operates the relevant range control apparatus.

(3)

The provisions are—

(a)

sections 107, 108, 144(2) and 279(1) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (“the 1990 Act”);

(b)

sections 76, 77, 95(2) and 232(1) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 (“the 1997 Act”).

(4)

Where a sum is payable or paid by the relevant person to a local planning authority under subsection (1), the authority must refund to the relevant person any amount received by the authority in respect of compensation under sections 111 and 112 of the 1990 Act or section 82 of the 1997 Act (which relate to compensation on subsequent development).

(5)

A local authority may by notice require the relevant person to purchase an interest from it for the relevant sum, if—

(a)

a purchase notice is served under section 137 of the 1990 Act or section 88 of the 1997 Act in respect of a planning decision that would not have been made but for the need to secure the safe and efficient operation of the relevant spaceport or (as the case may be) the range control apparatus, and

(b)

the local authority is deemed under section 139(3) or 143(1) of the 1990 Act or section 90(3) or 94(1) of the 1997 Act to have served a notice to treat in respect of the interest specified in the purchase notice.

“The relevant sum” is the amount of compensation payable by the local authority for the interest specified in the purchase notice.

(6)

A notice under subsection (5)—

(a)

must be in writing;

(b)

must be given to the relevant person before the end of the period of one month beginning with the day on which the amount of compensation payable by the local authority for the interest specified in the purchase notice is agreed or determined.

(7)

Where a notice is given to a relevant person under subsection (5), the relevant person is deemed to have contracted with the relevant local authority to purchase the interest for the relevant sum.

(8)

Any dispute as to—

(a)

whether a planning decision would not have been taken but for the need to secure the safe and efficient operation of a spaceport or range control apparatus, or

(b)

whether an order would not have been made but for that need,

is to be referred to, and determined by, the Secretary of State.

(9)

In this section—

local planning authority”, in relation to England and Wales, includes any authority to which functions of a local planning authority are delegated;

planning decision” means a decision made on an application under Part 3 of the 1990 Act or Part 3 of the 1997 Act;

range control apparatus” means apparatus operated by a range control service provider for the purposes of providing range control services.

48Compensation in respect of planning decisions relating to spaceport safety etc: Northern Ireland

(1)

A district council in Northern Ireland is entitled to recover from the relevant person a sum equal to any compensation that council is liable to pay, if—

(a)

the council becomes liable to pay compensation to any person because of a planning decision taken under the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 by a council, the Department for Infrastructure, or the Planning Appeals Commission, and

(b)

the liability is attributable to a planning decision that would not have been taken but for the need to secure the safe and efficient operation of—

(i)

a spaceport, or

(ii)

range control apparatus.

(2)

“The relevant person” is—

(a)

where subsection (1)(b)(i) applies, the person authorised to operate the spaceport by a spaceport licence;

(b)

where subsection (1)(b)(ii) applies, the range control service provider who operates the relevant range control apparatus.

(3)

In this section—

planning decision” includes a revocation or modification of a planning permission under Part 3 of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011;

range control apparatus” means apparatus operated by a range control service provider for the purposes of providing range control services.

49Amendment and revocation of orders

(1)

A power to make an order that is conferred by section 39 or by paragraph 4 or 5 of Schedule 9 includes a power exercisable in the same manner and subject to the same conditions or limitations—

(a)

to amend the order, or

(b)

to revoke the order.

(2)

The power to make an order that is conferred by section 41(1) includes a power—

(a)

to amend the order to shorten, or remove, a period specified as required by subsection (3) of that section;

(b)

otherwise to amend the order;

(c)

to revoke the order.

(3)

Immediately after making an order under the power specified in subsection (2)(a) or (c) the Secretary of State must serve on the relevant persons—

(a)

a copy of the order, and

(b)

a notice explaining the effect of the order and stating when it became operative.

(4)

“The relevant persons” are—

(a)

where the original order is a land order—

(i)

every owner, lessee and occupier of any of the land;

(ii)

every local authority within whose area any of the land is situated;

(b)

where the original order is not a land order—

(i)

any person who the Secretary of State thinks is particularly well able to bring the new order to the attention of those likely to be affected by it;

(ii)

every person who was served with a copy of a notice, under paragraph 8(1)(b) of Schedule 6, in respect of the original order.

(5)

An order made under the power specified in subsection (2)(a) or (c) becomes operative immediately after it is made.

(6)

The power specified in subsection (2)(b) is exercisable in the same manner and subject to the same conditions or limitations as the power to make the original order.

50Powers in relation to land: notices

(1)

Section 56 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982 applies to a notice required to be given or served under a specified provision of this Act as it applies to a notice required to be served under a provision to which that section applies.

(2)

The specified provisions are—

(a)

section 39;

(b)

section 41;

(c)

section 42 as it relates to the service of a notice by a person other than the Secretary of State;

(d)

section 47;

(e)

Schedule 6.