Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997

96 Counter-notice requiring purchase of remainder of agricultural unit

(1) This section applies where—

(a) an acquiring authority is deemed under this Chapter to have served notice to treat in respect of any agricultural land on a person (“the claimant”) who has a greater interest in the land than as tenant for a year or from year to year (whether or not he is in occupation of the land), and

(b) the claimant has such an interest in other agricultural land (“the unaffected area”) comprised in the same agricultural unit as that to which the notice relates.

(2) Where this section applies the claimant may serve on the acquiring authority a counter-notice—

(a) claiming that the unaffected area is not reasonably capable of being farmed, either by itself or in conjunction with other relevant land, as a separate agricultural unit, and

(b) requiring the acquiring authority to purchase his interest in the whole of the unaffected area.

(3) Subject to subsection (4), “other relevant land” in subsection (2) means—

(a) land which is comprised in the same agricultural unit as the land to which the notice to treat relates and in which the claimant does not have such an interest as is mentioned in subsection (1), and

(b) land which is comprised in any other agricultural unit occupied by the claimant on the date on which the notice to treat is deemed to have been served and in respect of which he is then entitled to a greater interest than as tenant for a year or from year to year.

(4) Where a notice to treat has been served or is deemed under this Chapter or Schedule 15 to have been served in respect of any of the unaffected area or in respect of other relevant land as defined in subsection (3), then, unless and until the notice to treat is withdrawn, this section and section 97 shall have effect as if that land did not form part of the unaffected land or, as the case may be, did not constitute other relevant land.

(5) Where a counter-notice is served under subsection (2) the claimant shall also serve a copy of it on any other person who has an interest in the unaffected area (but failure to comply with this subsection shall not invalidate the counter-notice).

(6) A counter-notice under subsection (2) and any copy of that notice required to be served under subsection (5) must be served within the period of 2 months beginning with the date on which the notice to treat is deemed to have been served.

(7) This section is without prejudice to the rights conferred by sections 91 and 92 of the [1845 c. 19.] Lands Clauses Consolidation (Scotland) Act 1845 (provisions as to divided land).