Town and Country Planning Act 1968

53 Minimum compensation in case of building deliberately left derelict.

(1) A council proposing to acquire a building compulsorily under section 50 above, if they are satisfied that the building has been deliberately allowed to fall into disrepair for the purpose of justifying its demolition and the development or re-development of the site or any adjoining site, may include in the compulsory purchase order as submitted to the Minister for confirmation an application for a direction for minimum compensation ; and the Minister, if he is so satisfied, may include such a direction in the order as confirmed by him.

(2) Subject to the provisions of this section, where the Minister acquires a building compulsorily under section 50 of this Act, he may, if he is satisfied as mentioned in subsection (1) above, include a direction for minimum compensation in the compulsory purchase order.

(3) The notice required to be served in accordance with paragraph 3(1)(b) of Schedule 1 to the Act of 1946 (notices stating effect of compulsory purchase order or, as the case may be, draft order) shall, without prejudice to so much of that paragraph as requires the notice to state the effect of the order, include a statement that the authority have made application for a direction for minimum compensation or, as the case may be, that the Minister has included such a direction in the draft order prepared by him in accordance with paragraph 7 of that Schedule and shall in either case explain the meaning of the expression " direction for minimum compensation ".

(4) A direction for minimum compensation, in relation to a building compulsorily acquired, is a direction that for the purpose of assessing compensation it is to be assumed, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the [1961 c. 33.] Land Compensation Act 1961 or this Act, that planning permission would not be granted for any development or re-development of the site of the building and that listed building consent would not be granted for any works for the demolition, alteration or extension of the building other than development or works necessary for restoring it to, and maintaining it in, a proper state of repair; and if a compulsory purchase order is confirmed or made with the inclusion of such a direction, the compensation in respect of the compulsory acquisition shall be assessed in accordance with the direction.

(5) Where the local authority include in a compulsory purchase order made by them an application for a direction for minimum compensation, or the Minister includes such a direction in a draft compulsory purchase order prepared by him, any person having an interest in the building may, within twenty-eight days after the service of the notice required by paragraph 3(1)(b) of Schedule 1 to the Act of 1946, apply to a magistrates' court acting for the petty sessions area in which the building is situated for an order that the local authority's application for a direction for minimum compensation be refused or, as the case may be, that such a direction be not included in the compulsory purchase order as made by the Minister; and if the court is satisfied that the building has not been deliberately allowed to fall into disrepair for the purpose mentioned in subsection (1) of this section, the court shall make the order applied for.

(6) A person aggrieved by the decision of a magistrates' court on an application under subsection (5) above may appeal against the decision to a court of quarter sessions.

(7) The rights conferred by subsections (5) and (6) of this section shall not prejudice those conferred by section 50(6) and (7) of this Act.