Acquisition of Land Act 1981

7 Interpretation.E+W

(1)In this Act, except where the context otherwise requires—

  • “acquiring authority”, in relation to a compulsory purchase, means the Minister, local authority or other person who may be authorised to purchase the land compulsorily,

  • “compulsory purchase order” means an order under section 2(1) above,

  • “confirming authority”, in relation to a compulsory purchase, means, where the acquiring authority is not a Minister, the Minister having power to authorise the acquiring authority to purchase the land compulsorily,

  • “land”—

(a)includes messuages, tenements and hereditaments, and

(b)in relation to compulsory purchase under any enactment, includes anything falling within any definition of the expression in that enactment,

  • [F1“local authority” means—

(a)a charging authority, a precepting authority, a combined police authority or a combined fire authority, as defined in section 144 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988;

(b)a levying body within the meaning of section 74 of that Act;

(c)a body as regards which section 75 of that Act applies;

(d)any joint board or joint committee if all the constituent authorities are such authorities as are described in paragraphs (a) to (c); and

(e)the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple or the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple,]

  • “National Trust” means the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty incorporated by the M1National Trust Act 1907,

  • “owner” in relation to any land, means a person, other than a mortgagee not in possession, who is for the time being entitled to dispose of the fee simple of the land, whether in possession or in reversion, and includes also a person holding or entitled to the rents and profits of the land under a lease or agreement, the unexpired term whereof exceeds three years,

  • “prescribed”: see subsection (2) below.

(2)Anything which, by Part II or III of this Act, or Schedule 1 or 3 of this Act, is required or authorised to be prescribed shall be prescribed by regulations made by the Secretary of State by statutory instrument.

Textual Amendments

Marginal Citations

M11907 c. cxxxvi.