Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979

[F1 Temporary stop notices S

Textual Amendments

F1 Ss. 9A-9O and cross-heading inserted (S.) (30.6.2011 for specified purposes, 1.12.2011 in so far as not already in force) by Historic Environment (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2011 (asp 3), ss. 6(1), 33(2); S.S.I. 2011/174, art. 2, Sch.; S.S.I. 2011/372, art. 2, Sch. (with savings in S.S.I. 2015/239, arts. 1(1), 8)

9K Temporary stop notices S

(1) Where it appears to the Scottish Ministers that—

(a) any works have been, or are being, executed to a scheduled monument or to land in, on or under which there is a scheduled monument,

(b) the works are such as to involve a contravention of section 2(1) or (6), and

(c) it is expedient that the works are (or any part of the works is) stopped immediately,

they may, if they consider it expedient to do so having regard to the effect of the works on the character of the monument as one of national importance, issue a temporary stop notice.

(2) The notice must be given in writing and must—

(a) specify the works in question,

(b) prohibit execution of the works (or so much of the works as is specified in the notice), and

(c) set out the Scottish Ministers' reasons for issuing the notice.

(3) A temporary stop notice may be served on any of the following—

(a) a person who appears to the Scottish Ministers to be executing, or causing to be executed, the works,

(b) a person who appears to the Scottish Ministers to have an interest in the scheduled monument or the land in, on or under which the monument is situated (whether as owner or occupier or otherwise).

(4) The Scottish Ministers must display on the land in, on or under which the monument is situated or on the monument (except where doing so might damage it)—

(a) a copy of the notice, and

(b) a statement as to the effect of section 9M.

(5) A temporary stop notice has effect from the time a copy of it is first displayed in pursuance of subsection (4).

(6) A temporary stop notice ceases to have effect at the end of the period of 28 days starting on the day the copy notice is so displayed.

(7) But if a shorter period starting on that day is specified in the notice, the notice instead ceases to have effect at the end of that shorter period.

(8) And if the notice is withdrawn by the Scottish Ministers before that period of 28 days (or, as the case may be, that shorter period) expires, the notice ceases to have effect on being so withdrawn.

9L Temporary stop notices: restrictions S

(1) A second or subsequent temporary stop notice must not be issued in respect of the same works unless the Scottish Ministers have in the meantime taken some other enforcement action in relation to the contravention of section 2(1) or (6) which is constituted by the works.

(2) In subsection (1), “enforcement action” includes obtaining the grant of an interdict under section 9O.

9M Temporary stop notices: offences S

(1) A person who contravenes a temporary stop notice—

(a) which has been served on the person, or

(b) a copy of which has been displayed in pursuance of section 9K(4),

is guilty of an offence.

(2) Contravention of a temporary stop notice includes causing or permitting its contravention.

(3) An offence under this section may be charged by reference to a day or to a longer period of time.

(4) A person may, in relation to the same temporary stop notice, be convicted of more than one offence under this section by reference to different days or different periods.

(5) It is a defence in any proceedings under this section that—

(a) the temporary stop notice was not served on the accused, and

(b) the accused did not know, and could not reasonably have been expected to know, of its existence.

(6) A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding £20,000,

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine.

(7) In determining the amount of the fine, the court is in particular to have regard to any financial benefit which has accrued or appears likely to accrue to the convicted person in consequence of the execution of the works which constituted the offence.

9N Temporary stop notices: compensation S

(1) A person who, at the date on which a temporary stop notice is first displayed in pursuance of section 9K(4), has an interest (whether as owner or occupier or otherwise) in the scheduled monument to which the notice relates or the land in, on or under which the monument is situated is entitled to be compensated by the Scottish Ministers in respect of any loss or damage directly attributable to the prohibition effected by that notice.

(2) But subsection (1) applies only if the circumstances are as set out in one or both of the following paragraphs—

(a) the works specified in the notice are authorised by scheduled monument consent granted on or before the date mentioned in that subsection,

(b) the Scottish Ministers withdraw the notice other than following such grant of scheduled monument consent as is mentioned in paragraph (a).

(3) Subsections (4) and (5) of section 9I apply to compensation payable under this section as they apply to compensation payable under that section; and for the purpose of that application references in subsection (5) of that section to a stop notice are to be taken to be references to a temporary stop notice.]