Undeveloped Land Duty.
16Duty on site value of undeveloped land.
(1)Subject to the provisions of this Part of this Act, there shall be charged, levied, and paid for the financial year ending the thirty-first day of March nineteen hundred and ten, and every subsequent financial year in respect of the site value of undeveloped land a duty, called undeveloped land duty, at the rate of one halfpenny for every twenty shillings of that site value.
(2)For the purposes of this Part of this Act, land shall be deemed to be undeveloped land if it has not been developed by the erection of dwelling-houses or of buildings for the purposes of any business, trade, or industry other than agriculture (but including glasshouses or greenhouses), or is not otherwise used bonâ fide for any business, trade, or industry other than agriculture:
Provided that—
(a)Where any land having been so developed or used reverts to the condition of undeveloped land owing to the buildings becoming derelict, or owing to the land ceasing to be used for any business, trade, or industry other than agriculture, it shall, on the expiration of one year after the buildings have so-become derelict or the land ceases to be so used, as the case may be, be treated as undeveloped land for the purposes of undeveloped land duty until it is again so developed or used ; and
(b)Where the owner of any land included in any scheme of land development shows that he or his predecessors in title have, with a view to the land being developed or used as aforesaid, incurred expenditure on roads (including paving, curbing, metalling, and other works in connexion with roads) or sewers, that land shall, to the extent of one acre for every complete hundred pounds of that expenditure, for the purposes of this section, be treated as land so developed or used although it is not for the time being actually so developed or used, but, for the purposes of this provision, no expenditure shall be taken into account if ten years have elapsed since the date of the expenditure, or if after the date of the expenditure the land having been developed reverts to the condition of undeveloped land, and in a case where the amount of the expenditure does not cover the whole of the land included in the scheme of land development, the part of the land to be treated as land developed or used as aforesaid shall be determined by the Commissioners as being the land with a view to the development or use of which as aforesaid the expenditure has been in the main incurred.
(3)For the purposes of undeveloped land duty, the site value of undeveloped land shall be taken to be the value adopted as the original site value or, where the site value has been ascertained under any subsequent periodical valuation of undeveloped land for the time being in force, the site value as so ascertained :
Provided that where increment value duty has been paid in respect of the increment value of any undeveloped land, the site value of that land shall, for the purposes of the assessment and collection of undeveloped land duty, be reduced by a sum equal to five times the amount paid as increment value duty.
(4)For the purposes of undeveloped land duty undeveloped land does not include the minerals.
17Exemptions from undeveloped land duty, and allowances.
(1)Undeveloped land duty shall not be charged in respect of any land where the site value of the land does not exceed fifty pounds per acre.
(2)In the case of agricultural land of which the site value exceeds fifty pounds per acre, undeveloped land duty shall only be charged on the amount by which the site value of the land exceeds the value of the land for agricultural purposes.
(3)Undeveloped land duty shall not be charged—
(a)On the site value of any parks, gardens, or open spaces which are open to the public as of right; or
(b)On the site value of any woodlands, parks, gardens, or open spaces reasonable access to which is enjoyed by the public or by the inhabitants of the locality (including access regularly enjoyed by any of the naval or military forces of the Crown for the purpose of training or exercise) where, in the opinion of the Commissioners, that access is of public benefit; or
(c)On the site value of any land where it is shown to the Commissioners that the land is being kept free of buildings in pursuance of any definite scheme, whether framed before or after the passing of this Act, for the development of the area of which the land forms part, and where, in the opinion of the Commissioners, it is reasonably necessary in the interests of the public, or in view of the character of the surroundings or neighbourhood, that the land should be so kept free from buildings; or
(d)On the site value of any land which is bonâ fide used for the purpose of games or other recreation where the Commissioners are satisfied that the land is so used under some agreement with the owner which, as originally made, could not be determined for a period of at least five years, or where, in the opinion of the Commissioners, other circumstances render it probable that the land will continue to be so used.
Where any land kept free from buildings in pursuance of any definite scheme has received the benefit of an exemption from undeveloped land duty by virtue of this section, that land shall not be built upon unless the Local Government Board give their consent, on being satisfied that it is desirable in the interests of the public that the restriction on building should be removed; and any such consent may be given subject to such conditions as to the mode in which the land is to be built upon as the Local Government Board think desirable under the circumstances.
The opinion of the Commissioners as to matters which are expressed to be matters for the opinion of the Commissioners under this subsection shall be final and not subject to any appeal.
(4)Undeveloped land duty shall not be charged on the site value of any land not exceeding an acre in extent occupied together with a dwelling-house or on the site value of any land being gardens or pleasure grounds so occupied when the site value of the gardens and pleasure grounds together with the site value of the dwelling-house does not exceed twenty times the annual value of the gardens, pleasure grounds, and dwelling-house as adopted for the purpose of income tax under Schedule A.:
Provided that the exemption under this provision shall not apply so as to exempt more than five acres, and where the land, gardens, or pleasure grounds occupied together with a dwelling-house exceed five acres in extent, those five acres shall be exempted which are determined by the Commissioners to be most adapted for use as gardens or pleasure grounds in connexion with the dwelling-house.
Where the dwelling-house, gardens, and pleasure grounds are valued for the purpose of income tax under Schedule A, together with other land, the total annual value shall be divided between the dwelling-house, gardens, and pleasure grounds and the other land in such manner as the Commissioners may determine.
(5)Where agricultural land is at the time of the passing of this Act held under a tenancy originally created by a lease or agreement made or entered into before the thirtieth day of April nineteen hundred and nine, undeveloped land duty shall not be charged on the site value of the land during the original term of that lease or agreement while the tenancy continues thereunder. Provided that where the landlord has power to determine the tenancy of the whole or any part of the land, the tenancy of the land or that part of the land shall not be deemed for the purposes of this provision to continue after the earliest date after the commencement of this Act at which it is possible to determine the tenancy under that power.
18Exemption of small holdings from undeveloped land duty.
Undeveloped land duty shall not be charged on the site value of any agricultural land, occupied and cultivated by the owner thereof, where the total value of that land, together with any other land belonging to the same owner, does not exceed five hundred
For the purposes of this provision the expression "owner includes a person who holds land under a lease which was originally granted for a term of fifty years or more.
19Recovery of undeveloped land duty.
Undeveloped land duty shall be assessed by the Commissioners and shall be payable at any time after the first day of January of the year for which the duty is charged, and any such duty for the time being unpaid shall be recoverable from the owner of the land for the time being as a debt due to His Majesty, and shall be borne by that owner notwithstanding any contract to the contrary.
If at any time undeveloped land duty is not assessed within the year for which it is charged, owing to there being no value either shown in the provisional valuation or finally settled on which the duty can be assessed, or for any other reason, the duty may be assessed at any time, and shall be payable at any time after the expiration of two months from the date of the assessment, so, however, that no such duty shall be assessed more than three years after the expiration of the year for which it is charged.