Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1972

1 Local planning authorities

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section the local planning authority for the purposes of this Act shall be—

(a) in the case of a large burgh, the town council;

(b) in the case of a county (including, subject as after-mentioned, any small burghs therein), the county council or, in the case of a county combined with another county for the purposes mentioned in section 118(1) of the [1947 c. 43.] Local Government (Scotland) Act 1947, the joint county council of the combined county; and

(c) in the case of a small burgh, to the town council of which powers and duties have been transferred under section 2(2) of the [1932 c. 49.] Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1932, the town council,

and the district of the local planning authority shall be the burgh or the county or the combined county, as the case may be.

(2) Two or more local planning authorities may, with the consent of the Secretary of State, combine for any of the purposes of any provision of this Act on such terms and conditions as may be agreed between them and approved by the Secretary of State.

(3) If it appears to the Secretary of State that the combination of any local planning authority with any other local planning authority or authorities for any of the purposes of any provision of this Act would be of public or local advantage he may make an order combining those authorities as respects their districts or parts thereof for such of the purposes aforesaid as are specified in the order:

Provided that the Secretary of State shall not make such an order except after holding a local inquiry unless all the authorities concerned have consented to the making of the order.

(4) The provisions of Schedule 1 to this Act shall have effect with respect to the combination of authorities under this section.