Agriculture Act 1970

Reorganisation of smallholdings E+W

38 Smallholdings authorities. E+W

The following councils shall be smallholdings authorities, that is to say—

(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1

(b) the council of every county in England F2 . . .;

[F3 (bb) the council of every county or county borough in Wales;]

(c),(d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F4

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 38(a) repealed by Local Government Act 1985 (c. 51, SIF 81:1), s. 102, Sch. 17

F2 Words in s. 38(b) repealed (1.4.1996) by 1994 c. 19, s. 66(6)(8), Sch. 16 para. 38(1), Sch. 18 (with ss. 54(5)(7), 55(5), Sch. 17 paras. 22(1), 23(2)); S.I. 1996/396, art. 4, Sch. 2

F3 S. 38(bb) inserted (1.4.1996) by 1994 c. 19, s. 66(6), Sch. 16 para. 38(1) (with ss. 54(5)(7), 55(5), Sch. 17 paras. 22(1), 23(2)); S.I. 1996/396, art. 4, Sch. 2

F4 S. 38(c)(d) repealed by Local Government Act 1972 (c.70), Sch. 30

39 General aim of statutory smallholdings. E+W

(1) In the performance of their functions under this Part of this Act smallholdings authorities, having regard to the general interests of agriculture and of good estate management, shall make it their general aim to provide opportunities for persons to be farmers on their own account by letting holdings to them being persons who satisfy the requirements of subsection (2) and of any regulations made under subsection (6) of section 44 of this Act and holdings which, unless let in accordance with proposals approved by virtue of section 41(4) of this Act, fall within the upper limit for a smallholding.

(2) For the purposes of the foregoing subsection and section 41(3) and (4) of this Act, a holding shall be treated as falling within the upper limit for a smallholding if in the opinion of the Minister it is capable, when farmed under reasonably skilled management, of providing full-time employment for not more than two men (including the person to whom it is let) with or without additional part-time employment for another man, and in any other case shall be treated as exceeding that upper limit, the number of men for whom it is capable of providing full-time employment being estimated in such manner as the Ministers may by regulations prescribe.

40 Reorganisation of smallholdings estates. E+W

(1) Every smallholdings authority who immediately before the commencement of this Part of this Act hold any land for the purposes of smallholdings shall review the authority’s smallholdings estate and (subject to any direction given under subsection (4) of this section) shall, before the end of the period of eighteen months beginning with the commencement of this Part of this Act or such extended period as in any particular case the Minister may allow, submit to the Minister proposals with respect to the future management of that estate.

(2) For the purposes of this section each smallholdings authority shall in particular consider to what extent (if any), with a view to giving effect to the general aim specified in section 39(1) of this Act and having regard to the general interests of agriculture and of good estate management, the authority’s smallholdings estate should be reorganised—

(a) by enlarging one or more existing smallholdings or amalgamating the whole or part of one or more existing smallholdings with other land (whether that other land is or forms part of an existing smallholding, or is otherwise comprised in the authority’s smallholdings estate, or not) with or without the carrying out of improvements in connection with any such enlargement or amalgamation, or

(b) by improving one or more existing smallholdings without any enlargement or amalgamation, or

(c) by creating one or more new smallholdings, with or without the carrying out of improvements in connection therewith.

(3) Any proposals of a smallholdings authority under this section shall be formulated so as to comply with any general directions given by the Ministers, or with any special directions given to the authority by the Minister, as to the form of the proposals or as to the particulars to be contained in them.

(4) If, on the application of a smallholdings authority, the Minister is satisfied that the authority’s smallholdings estate is not suitable to be reorganised as mentioned in subsection (2) of this section, he may give a direction exempting the authority from the duty to submit proposals under this section.

41 Approval by Minister of proposals for reorganisation. E+W

(1) Where any proposals have been submitted to the Minister by a smallholdings authority under section 40 of this Act, the Minister, subject to the following provisions of this section, may approve the proposals, or may reject them and direct the authority to submit to him new proposals under that section within such time as may be specified in the direction.

(2) Where the Minister approves any such proposals, he may approve them either as submitted or with such modifications as he considers appropriate, and may approve them (with or without such modifications) either unconditionally or subject to conditions; and in the following provisions of this Part of this Act any reference to the approval of any such proposals by the Minister is a reference to his approving them in any way authorised by the preceding provisions of this subsection.

(3) Subject to subsection (4) of this section, the Minister shall not approve any proposals of a smallholdings authority under section 40 of this Act in so far as it appears to him that an existing smallholding as enlarged or improved in accordance with the proposals, or a holding resulting from a proposed amalgamation, or a new smallholding proposed to be created, would exceed the upper limit for a smallholding.

(4) The Minister may approve any such proposals of a smallholdings authority notwithstanding that it appears to him that, in the case of one or more holdings, the upper limit for a smallholding would be exceeded, if it is represented to him by the authority, and he is satisfied—

(a) that the holdings are to be let as smallholdings in accordance with section 44 of this Act, and

(b) that, by reason of the nature or extent of fixed equipment on the holding or holdings, or of the special qualities of the soil, or of other exceptional circumstances, it is necessary or expedient for them to exceed that limit.

(5) Subject to subsections (3) and (4) of this section, in determining whether to approve any proposals of a smallholdings authority submitted under section 40 of this Act the Minister shall have regard to the considerations specified in subsection (2) of that section.

(6) Where any proposals of a smallholdings authority under section 40 of this Act have been approved by the Minister, then, until those proposals are amended or superseded by subsequent proposals so approved, it shall be the duty of the smallholdings authority—

(a) to perform their functions under the following provisions of this Part of this Act in such a way as to give effect to those proposals as so approved, and

(b) if the approval of the Minister is given subject to conditions, to comply with those conditions.

42 Subsequent reviews and proposals for further reorganisation. E+W

(1) Where proposals have been submitted to the Minister by a smallholdings authority under section 40 of this Act, and the Minister has approved those proposals, the Minister, at any time after the end of the period of five years beginning with the date of approval, may direct the smallholdings authority to carry out a further review of their smallholdings estate and to submit to him further proposals with respect to the future management of that estate.

(2) A smallholdings authority to whom the Minister has given a direction under subsection (1) of this section shall comply with that direction within such period as may be specified in the direction or such extended period as the Minister may allow; and any proposals submitted in compliance with such a direction shall indicate how far the authority’s previous proposals, as approved by the Minister, are intended to remain unaltered and how far they are to be amended or superseded by the new proposals.

(3) Subsections (2) and (3) of section 40 and subsections (1) to (5) of section 41 of this Act shall have effect (subject to the necessary modifications) in relation to proposals submitted to the Minister under this section as they have effect in relation to proposals submitted to him under the said section 40.

(4) The power of the Minister under subsection (1) of this section to direct a further review shall include power to direct subsequent reviews where proposals have been approved by him by virtue of this section, but with intervals of not less than five years between the date of approval and any direction requiring a further review; and accordingly—

(a) in subsection (1) of this section the reference to proposals submitted to the Minister under section 40 of this Act shall be construed as including a reference to proposals submitted to him in accordance with subsections (1) and (2) of this section, and

(b) in subsection (2) of this section the reference to a direction given by the Minister under subsection (1) of this section shall be construed accordingly.

(5) Where by virtue of this section the Minister has approved proposals amending or superseding proposals previously approved by him, then, until further proposals amending or superseding the proposals for the time being in force are approved by the Minister, it shall be the duty of the smallholdings authority—

(a) to perform their functions under the subsequent provisions of this Part of this Act in such a way as to give effect to the proposals as approved by the Minister and for the time being in force, and

(b) if the approval of the Minister to the proposals for the time being in force has been given subject to conditions, to comply with those conditions.

(6) Where under subsection (4) of section 40 of this Act the Minister has given a direction exempting a smallholdings authority from the duty to submit proposals under that section, the Minister may revoke that direction at any time after the end of the period of five years beginning with the date on which it was given; and where such a direction is revoked the provisions of sections 40 and 41 of this Act shall have effect in relation to that authority as if, in subsection (1) of the said section 40, the reference to the commencement of this Part of this Act were a reference to the date of the revocation, and any reference in this Part of this Act to proposals submitted under the said section 40 or approved under the said section 41 shall be construed accordingly.

(7) In relation to proposals of which different parts are approved by the Minister on different dates, any reference in this section to the date of approval shall be construed as a reference to the latest of those dates.

43 Submission and approval of proposals otherwise than in connection with reviews. E+W

(1) Where a smallholdings authority, other than an exempt smallholdings authority, propose to carry out any such transaction as is mentioned in paragraph (a), paragraph (b) or paragraph (c) of section 40(2) of this Act, and the transaction—

(a) would be inconsistent with any previous proposals of the authority as approved by the Minister and for the time being in force under the preceding provisions of this Part of this Act, and has not been provided for by any proposals previously approved under this section, and

(b) is intended to be carried out at a time when no review of the authority’s smallholdings estate is required to be carried out by a direction given by the Minister under those provisions,

the authority shall submit to the Minister proposals under this section for carrying out that transaction.

(2) Any proposals submitted by a smallholdings authority under subsection (1) of this section shall be by way of amending the previous proposals of the authority approved by the Minister under the preceding provisions of this Part of this Act, in the form in which (whether as originally approved or as subsequently amended) those proposals are for the time being in force.

(3) Where an exempt smallholdings authority propose to carry out any such transaction as is mentioned in paragraph (a) or paragraph (c) of section 40(2) of this Act, and the transaction has not been provided for by any proposals of the authority previously approved by the Minister under this section, the authority shall submit to the Minister proposals under this section for carrying out that transaction.

(4) An exempt smallholdings authority proposing to carry out any such transaction as is mentioned in paragraph (b) of section 40(2) of this Act may, if (having regard to the provisions of section 51 of this Act) it appears to the authority to be expedient to do so, submit to the Minister proposals under this section for carrying out that transaction.

(5) Subsection (3) of section 40 and subsections (1) to (5) of section 41 of this Act shall have effect (subject to the necessary modifications) in relation to proposals submitted to the Minister under this section as they have effect in relation to proposals submitted to him under the said section 40.

(6) Subject to subsection (7) of this section, where the Minister has approved any proposals under this section, subsection (5) of section 42 of this Act shall have effect as if those proposals had been approved under that section.

(7) In the case of proposals submitted by an exempt smallholdings authority and approved by the Minister under this section, subsection (6) of section 41 of this Act shall have effect as if those proposals had been approved under that section.

(8) In this section “exempt smallholdings authority” means a smallholdings authority in respect of which a direction given under section 40(4) of this Act is for the time being in force.