Part IX           

Treatment of Existing Provisions

[NB:

                                           (1)             Numbers in italics and square brackets refer to paragraph numbers of the report where the issue is discussed.

                                           (2)             Proposals marked (G)follow, or are based on, proposals already adopted in Government policy statements.

                                           (3)             Section numbers in bold are proposals for new provisionssections, rather than replacements or amendments of existing sections. (Theirnumbering and positioning in the list is for illustration only.)

                                           (4)             Proposals for replacement marked (*) are directed principally to modernisation or simplification rather than substantive change.

                                           (5)             The drafting of any statutory provisions or amendments is a matter for Parliamentary Counsel.

                                      (1)Where a section to be retained is marked (#), modernisation or simplification would be desirable as part of a future consolidation, but we have not made specific proposals at this stage.]

Making and authorisation of compulsory purchase orders

Acquisition of Land Act 1981

Retain unamended subject to the following:

Part I - General

S 6 (Service of documents)

            Amend to provide for “special service” (by fixing site notices) on those with interests or rights to occupy not presently entitled to notice of the order (to be defined by regulations) [3.268] (G)

S 7(Interpretation)

            Add definition of “statutory objector”, as a person who is entitled to notice of making under the statuteunder s 12, and who lodges an objection in accordance with the notice [4.83.21] (G)

[Team note: we need a cross-reference in Part 4 to the proposals for statutory objectors]

Part II - Non-ministerial orders    

S 12 (Notices in newspapers)

            Amend:

                                                                   (a)              to confer right to notice of the order on any person with a private interest over the land, or right to occupy any part of it; [4.83.23] (G)

                                                                   (b)              to provide that, for categories of interest or right defined by regulations, “special service” will be sufficient service. [3.268] (G)

S 13(Confirmation of order)

            Amend:

                                                                   (a)              to provide for transfer of unopposed orders for confirmation by the acquiring authority; [4.136] (G)

                                                                   (b)              for consideration of objections by written representations, where parties agree; [4.6(4)5(e), n 17] (G)

                                                                   (c)              to provide for confirmation in stages. [4.148] (G)

Part IV - Validity

S 23(Grounds for application to High Court)

            Amend s 23(1), to substitute (for the right to challenge the compulsory purchase order) a right to challenge the confirmation of the order, or the decision refusing confirmation; [4.2114]  

S 24(Powers of the court)

            Amend s 24(2), to allow the court (instead of quashing the order) to quash the confirmation of the order, or the refusal of confirmation, or to make such other order (including quashing the order as a whole) as is appropriate having regard to the grounds of challenge; [4.2315]

S 25(Restriction on other court proceedings)

            Amend s 25 to provide (following the decision of the confirming authority, but not before) immunity from challenge in other proceedings for the confirmed order or the refusal of confirmation;[1] [4.2214]

Schedule 1 - Purchases by Ministers

            Amend paras 3-4, to correspond with ss 12-13 above.[2]

Implementation of compulsory purchase

Compulsory Purchase Act 1965

Part I – Compulsory purchase under Acquisition of land act of [1981][3]

Preliminary

S 1(Application of Part I and interpretation)

            Retain [3.6]

S 2(Persons without power to sell) (also Schedule 1)

            Repeal [5.463]

S 3(Acquisition by agreement)

            Retain, save to delete reference to Schedule 1.

Compulsory Purchase

S 4(Time limits)

            Replace by Proposal 5 (Time limits) [5.1573] (G)

S4AAdd new section on limitation periods  [7.13-17]

S 5(Notice to treat and untraced owners) (also Schedule 2)

            (1),(2) (Notice to treat procedure) – retainplace by Proposal, subject to –

(i) provision for a prescribed form

(ii) up-dating of reference to “compensation”[5.198-220]*.

            (2A) – (2E) (time limits and compensation) – replace by amended s 4Proposal ? (time-limits) [5.1573](G), and s 5AProposal ? (abortive orders) [8.15, 8.38-8.42] (G)

            (3) and Schedule 2 (absent owners) – replace by Proposal 8 [5.4138]

S 5AAdd new sections on compensation for abortive orders [Part VIII][4] (G)

S 6(Reference to Lands Tribunal)

            Retain, subject to s 4AProposal ? (limitation periods) [7.13-17]

S 7(Compensation for severance)

            Repeal, to be replaced in Compensation Code [Compensation Report, Part V, paras 5.3-5.16]

S 8(Divided land)

            Replace by Proposal 11 (divided property) [6.49-6.5646-] (G)

Deposit of compensation and execution of deed poll

S 9 (Refusal to convey)

            Replace by Proposal 7 (deed poll procedure) [5.374]*

Further provision for compensation

S 10(Injurious affection where no land is taken)

            Repeal, to be replaced in the Compensation Code  [Compensation Report, Part IX, paras 9.10-9.24, 9.82]

Entry on land

S 11(Powers of entry)

                  (1) (notice of entry procedure) – retain, subject to amended s 4 (time     limits [5.28]

                  (2) (alternative procedure under Sched 3) – repeal [5.231]

                 (3) (entry for survey) - retain [37..30     29-32]

S 12(Unauthorised entry)

            Repeal [7.19, 7.22]

S 13(Refusal to give possession)

            Replace by Proposal 13 [7.27-7.29]*

S13A  Add new section – “Limitation Periods” – as in Proposal ? [7.13-7.17]

Special interests

S 14-16(Mortgages)

            Retainpeal and replace with Proposal ? [6.70-6.714]*

S 18(Rentcharges)

            Retainpeal and replace with Proposal ? [6.70-6.714]*

S 19(Apportionment of rent under leases)

            Retain [6.41?]# [Team note: we need to refer to this section? It is mentioned in the proposal for “divided interests”, but not I think in the text – 6.46]

S 20(Tenants at will etc)

            Restate as in Proposal 1tain [6.8]#*

S 21(Common land)

            Retain [not part of this project][5]

S 21AAdd new section – “Easements and other private rights” – as in Proposal 10 [6.22-25]

Supplemental

S 22     (Omitted interests)

     Retain [7.22-7.26]#

S 23     (Costs of conveyance etc)

            Replace (1) – (5) by proposal 16 [7.42-7.435]* [Team note: we need a proposal for a simple discretion]]

            Retain (6), Schedule 5 (forms of conveyance)[5.31][6]

S 24-25(Payment into court)

            Replace with Proposal 7 (deed poll procedure) [5.37, 7.39]*

S 26(Costs in respect of money in court)

            Replace with proposal 15 [7.39]*

S 27(Repealed)[7]

S 28(Provisions as to deed polls)[8]

            Retain, as part of new s 9 (deed poll procedure)[9] [5.37]*

S 29(Irregularities in distress proceedings)

            Repeal [7.30-7.315-6]

S 30(Service of notices)

            Retain[10] [3.24-3.267-9]

S 31(Ecclesiastical property)

            Retain [not part of this project][11]

S 32(Commencement)

            Retain#

Part II 

            Retain [not part of this project][12]

Sch 1(Persons without power to sell)

            Repeal (see s 2 above)

Sch 2(Absent and untraced owners)

            Replace (see s 5(3) above)

Sch 3(Alternative procedure for entry)

            Repeal (see s 11 above)

Sch 4(Common land)

            Retain [not part of this project][13]

Sch 5(Forms of conveyance)

            Retainpeal [5.3128][14] [Team note: we need to make this proposal clear, and consult on whether there is any purpose in retaining the forms]

Sch 7-8 (Consequential amendments and repeals)

            Retain [not part of this project][15]

Compulsory Purchase (Vesting Declarations) Act 1981

Retain [5.47], subject to:-

            Time-limits (Proposal 5 above) [5.12] (G)

            Easements and other private rights (Proposal 10 above) [6.22-4]

            Divided interests (Proposal 11 above) [6.49-6.56](G)

Other statutes[16]

Land Compensation Act 1973

S 53-57(Provisions for divided agricultural interests)

Retain, or incorporate in Proposal 11 (divided interests)[6.52-4]*

Local Land Charges Act 1975

S1        Amend definition of “local land charge” (or legislate separately) to include stages of compulsory purchase order in definition of “local land charge” [7.52ff5] (G)

Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976

S 29(Repayment of unclaimed compensation in court)

            Amend, and to extend to all acquiring authorities [7.1543] [Team note: is this a proposal?]