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New Towns Act 1981

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  1. Introductory Text

  2. Part I New Towns and Their Development Corporations

    1. New towns

      1. 1. Designation of areas.

      2. 2. Reduction of designated areas.

    2. Development corporations

      1. 3. Establishment of development corporations for new towns.

      2. 4. Objects and general powers of development corporations.

      3. 5. Restrictions on powers of development corporations.

      4. 6. Allocation or transfer of new town functions.

    3. Planning control in new towns

      1. 7. Planning control.

      2. 8. Features of special architectural or historic interest.

      3. 9. Frontages and abutments.

    4. Acquisition of land by development corporations and highway authorities

      1. 10. Acquisition of land by development corporations.

      2. 11. Acquisition of land for highways.

      3. 12. Local land charges under ss. 10 and 11.

      4. 13. Acquisition of statutory undertakers’ operational land.

      5. 14. Application of Compulsory Purchase Act 1965 and modification of Land Compensation Act 1961.

      6. 15. Compensation for acquisition of statutory undertakers’ operational land.

      7. 16. Extinguishment of rights over land compulsorily acquired.

    5. Disposal of land by development corporation

      1. 17. Conditions as to disposal.

      2. 18. Disposal to pre-acquisition occupiers.

    6. Powers exercisable in relation to land acquired by development corporation or highway authority

      1. 19. Power to override easements and other rights.

      2. 20. Consecrated land and burial grounds.

      3. 21. Open spaces.

      4. 22. Possession of houses.

      5. 23. Extinguishment of public rights of way.

      6. 24.(1) Where an order under section 23 of this Act...

      7. 25. Special power to create trunk roads.

    7. Statutory undertakers, and provision of trolley vehicle services

      1. 26. Extinguishment of rights of way and removal of apparatus.

      2. 27. Orders under s. 26.

      3. 28. Extension or modification of functions.

      4. 29. Procedure for orders under s. 28.

      5. 30. Relief from obligations rendered impracticable.

      6. 31. Objections to orders under ss. 28 and 30.

      7. 32. Trolley vehicle services by development corporation.

    8. Public health

      1. 33. New town may be united district for Public Health Acts.

      2. 34.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

  3. Part II Commission for The New Towns and Transfers From and Dissolution of Development Corporations

    1. Commission for the New Towns

      1. 35. Establishment of Commission.

      2. 36. Functions of Commission.

      3. 37. Restrictions on functions of Commission.

      4. 38. Local authorities and work for Commission.

    2. Transfer of property and undertakings of development corporations, and their dissolution

      1. 39. Power of development corporation to transfer undertakings.

      2. 40.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      3. 41. Transfer of property to Commission and dissolution of corporation.

  4. Part III . . .

  5. Part IV Finance

    1. General financial provisions

      1. 58. Advances and grants to development corporations and Commission.

      2. 58A. Grants to development corporations and Commission.

      3. 59. Other borrowing powers of development corporations and Commission.

      4. 60. Limit on borrowing by development corporations and Commission.

      5. 61. Provisions supplemental to s. 58.

      6. 62. Treasury guarantees.

    2. Financial reconstruction

      1. 62A. Power to extinguish loan obligations of development corporations.

      2. 62B. Power to suspend loan obligations of development corporations and Commission.

    3. Payments to Secretary of State

      1. 63. Secretary of State’s general power.

      2. 64. Disposal of land to comply with direction under s. 63.

      3. 65. Disposal of surplus funds.

      4. 66. Payments under ss. 63 and 65 treated as repayments.

  6. Part V General and Supplemental

    1. Accounts and audit

      1. 67. Accounts of Commission and development corporations.

      2. 68. Audit.

      3. 69. Secretary of State’s accounts.

    2. Reports and information

      1. 70. Reports.

      2. 71. Information.

    3. Miscellaneous

      1. 72. Application and exclusion of certain enactments.

      2. 73. Rights of entry.

      3. 74. Local inquiries.

      4. 75. Service of notices.

      5. 76. Ecclesiastical property.

      6. 77. Regulations and orders.

      7. 78. Meaning etc. of “appropriate Minister”.

      8. 79. Meaning of “statutory undertakers” and “operational land”.

      9. 80. General interpretation provisions.

      10. 81. Saving and transitional provisions, consequential amendments and repeals.

      11. 82. Short title, extent and commencement.

  7. SCHEDULES

    1. SCHEDULE 1

      Procedure for Designating Area

      1. Making of orders under section 1

        1. 1.(1) Where the Secretary of State proposes to make an...

        2. 2.(1) Before making the order the Secretary of State shall...

        3. 3.If any objection is duly made to the proposed order...

        4. 4.Subject to paragraph 3 above, the Secretary of State may...

        5. 5.(1) As soon as may be after an order has...

      2. Validity and date of operation of orders under section 1

        1. 6.(1) If any person aggrieved by an order under section...

        2. 7.Subject to paragraph 6 above, an order under section 1...

    2. SCHEDULE 2

      Effect of Order for Reduction of Designated Area

      1. Disposal of land

        1. 1.(1) Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) to (4) below, the development...

      2. Licensing

        1. 2.Section 111 of the Licensing Act 1964 shall continue to...

      3. “Excluded land”

        1. 3.Land ceasing to be contained in the area of a...

    3. SCHEDULE 3

      Constitution and Proceedings of Development Corporations

      1. Appointment of members and tenure of office

        1. 1.(1) The members of a development corporation (in this Schedule...

        2. 2.Subject to the following provisions of this Schedule, a member...

        3. 3.If the chairman or deputy chairman of the corporation ceases...

        4. 4.Any member of the corporation may, by notice in writing...

        5. 5.If the Secretary of State is satisfied that a member...

        6. 6.A member of the corporation who ceases to be a...

      2. Remuneration

        1. 7.The corporation shall pay to their members, in respect of...

      3. Pension benefits for chairmen

        1. 8.In the case of any such person, who is or...

      4. Meetings and proceedings

        1. 9.The quorum of the corporation and the arrangements relating to...

        2. 10.The validity of any proceeding of the corporation shall not...

      5. Instruments, etc.

        1. 11.The fixing of the seal of the corporation shall be...

        2. 12.Any contract or instrument which, if made or executed by...

        3. 13.Any document purporting to be a document duly executed under...

    4. SCHEDULE 4

      Procedure for Authorising Compulsory Acquisitions

      1. Part I

        1. Acquisitions by development corporations and local highway authorities

          1. 1.(1) A compulsory purchase order made under this Act by...

          2. 2.(1) After submitting the order to the Secretary of State,...

          3. 3.Subject to the provisions of paragraph 4 below in any...

          4. 4.(1) If any objection is duly made to the order...

          5. 5.As soon as may be after the order has been...

          6. 6.Where— (a) proceedings are necessary for the purposes of paragraphs...

      2. Part II

        1. Special provisions applying to acquisitions by local highway authorities

          1. 7.(1) Subject to this paragraph, where a compulsory purchase order...

          2. 8.Where there is submitted to the Secretary of State a...

      3. Part III

        1. Acquisitions by the Secretary of State

          1. 9.(1) A compulsory purchase order made under section 11(2) above...

          2. 10.Where the Secretary of State proposes to make such an...

          3. 11.Paragraphs 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 above shall have...

      4. Part IV

        1. Special provisions as to certain descriptions of land

          1. 12.In so far as a compulsory purchase order authorises the...

          2. 13.(1) In so far as a compulsory purchase order authorises...

      5. Part V

        1. Validity and date of operation of compulsory purchase orders and certificates

          1. 14.(1) If any person aggrieved by a compulsory purchase order,...

          2. 15.Subject to paragraph 14 above, a compulsory purchase order or...

          3. 16.This Part of this Schedule— (a) shall not apply to...

    5. SCHEDULE 5

      Procedure for Authorising Compulsory Acquisition of Statutory Undertakers’ Operational Land

      1. Part I

        1. Acquisitions by development corporations and local highway authorities

          1. 1.An application by a development corporation or local highway authority...

          2. 2.As soon as may be after submitting the application to...

          3. 3.(1) If— (a) no objection is duly made by any...

          4. 4.A compulsory purchase order made on such an application shall...

          5. 5.As soon as may be after a compulsory purchase order...

      2. Part II

        1. Acquisitions by Secretary of State

          1. 6.A compulsory purchase order made by the Secretary of State...

          2. 7.Where the Secretary of State and the appropriate Minister propose...

          3. 8.Paragraphs 3 and 5 above have effect in relation to...

      3. Part III

        1. Modification of Schedule 4 Part V in relation to compulsory purchase orders made in pursuance of s. 13

          1. 9.Part V of Schedule 4 to this Act has effect...

    6. SCHEDULE 6

      Modifications of Enactments for Purposes of this Act

      1. Part I

        1. Compulsory Purchase Act 1965

          1. 1.(1) Part I of the Compulsory Purchase Act 1965 as...

          2. 2.Nothing— (a) in Part I of the Compulsory Purchase Act...

          3. 3.The acquiring authority shall, without prejudice to any power in...

          4. 4.(1) If the acquiring authority have, in respect of any...

          5. 5.Section 30(3) of the Compulsory Purchase Act 1965 (service of...

      2. Part II

        1. Land Compensation Act 1961

          1. 6.The Lands Tribunal shall not take into account any interest...

    7. SCHEDULE 7

      Assessment of Compensation to Statutory Undertakers

      1. Measure of compensation

        1. 1.(1) Where statutory undertakers are entitled to compensation as mentioned...

      2. Exclusion of paragraph 1 at option of statutory undertakers

        1. 2.(1) Where statutory undertakers are entitled to compensation in respect...

      3. Procedure for assessing compensation where paragraph 1 applies

        1. 3.(1) Where the amount of any such compensation as is...

    8. SCHEDULE 8

      Procedure for Dealing with Objections to Orders Under sections 23, 28 and 30

      1. 1.In this Schedule, “the relevant Minister” means—

      2. 2.Unless the relevant Minister decides apart from the objection not...

      3. 3.In so far as the relevant Minister, after considering the...

      4. 4.If— (a) after considering the grounds of the objection as...

      5. 5.Subject to paragraphs 3 and 4 above, the relevant Minister—...

      6. 6.(1) Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing provisions of this Schedule,...

    9. SCHEDULE 9

      Additional Provisions as to the Commission

      1. Appointment, resignation and removal of members

        1. 1.(1) The members of the Commission, of whom there shall...

      2. Remuneration, pensions, etc., of members

        1. 2.(1) The Secretary of State may, out of moneys provided...

      3. Committees

        1. 3.(1) The Commission may make arrangements for any part of...

      4. Remuneration and expenses of members of committees

        1. 4.In the case of any such person as the Secretary...

      5. Quorum, procedure and validity of proceedings of Commission and committees

        1. 5.(1) The quorum of the Commission and the arrangements relating...

      6. Sealing and execution of documents

        1. 6.(1) The fixing of the seal of the Commission shall...

      7. Power to dissolve Commission

        1. 7.(1) If at any time it appears to the Secretary...

      8. Delegation of powers

        1. 8.Anything authorised or required to be done by the Commission...

    10. SCHEDULE 10

      Additional Provisions as to Transfer to Commission of Property of Development Corporation

      1. 1.(1) Subject to the following provisions of this Schedule, where...

      2. 2.(1) Any such order as aforesaid may, if the Secretary...

      3. 3.(1) Subject to the following provisions of this Schedule, on...

      4. 4.(1) In respect of expenditure of a development corporation on...

      5. 5.(1) The Secretary of State’s power to make advances to...

      6. 6.In this Schedule “enactment” means any Act of Parliament and...

    11. SCHEDULE 11

      Saving and Transitional Provisions

      1. General

        1. 1.Where any period of time specified in or under an...

        2. 2.(1) Any provision of this Act relating to anything done...

      2. Advances to Commission and to development corporations under previous enactments

        1. 3.For the purposes of section 58(6) above—

        2. 4.For the purposes of section 60 above—

        3. 5.For the purposes of section 60 above—

      3. Saving as to certain provisions relating to housing

        1. 6.Notwithstanding the repeal by this Act of subsections (2) and...

      4. Land Compensation Act 1961

        1. 7.Notwithstanding the repeal by this Act of the New Towns...

      5. National Loans Act 1968

        1. 8.Section 24(2) of and Part I of Schedule 6 to...

        2. 9–10.. . . . . . . . . ....

      6. Land Compensation Act 1973

        1. 11.Nothing in this Act affects the operation of the savings...

      7. House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975

        1. 12.Notwithstanding the repeal by this Act of the New Towns...

      8. Schedule 25 to the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980

        1. 13.(1) Nothing in— (a) paragraphs (a) and (b) of section...

    12. SCHEDULE 12

      Consequential Amendments

      1. Licensing Act 1964 c. 26

        1. 1.In the Licensing Act 1964— (a) in section 116(1), for...

      2. National Loans Act 1968 c. 13

        1. 2.In Schedule 1 to the National Loans Act 1968, in...

      3. New Towns (Scotland) Act 1968 c. 16

        1. 3.In the New Towns (Scotland) Act 1968—

      4. Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1968 c. 34

        1. 4.In section 13(2) of the Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1968,...

      5. Post Office Act 1969 c. 48

        1. 5.In paragraph 93(1)(xxv) and (4)(e) of Part II of Schedule...

        2. 6.. . . . . . . . . ....

        3. 7–8.. . . . . . . . . ....

      6. Land Compensation Act 1973 c. 26

        1. 9.In section 51 of the Land Compensation Act 1973—

        2. 10.In section 57(2) of the Land Compensation Act 1973, for...

        3. 11.. . . . . . . . . ....

      7. Water Act 1973 c. 37

        1. 12.In section 15(10) of the Water Act 1973 for “New...

        2. 13–14.. . . . . . . . . ....

      8. House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 c. 24

        1. 15.In Part II of Schedule 1 to the House of...

        2. 16.. . . . . . . . . ....

      9. Community Land Act 1975 c. 77

        1. 17.In section 1(2) of the Community Land Act 1975 for...

        2. 18.In section 6(1) of the Community Land Act 1975 (in...

        3. 19.. . . . . . . . . ....

      10. Development of Rural Wales Act 1976 c. 75

        1. 20.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

        2. 21.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

        3. 22.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      11. Rent (Agriculture) Act 1976 c. 80

        1. 23.In section 5(3)(e) of the Rent (Agriculture) Act 1976, for...

      12. Rent Act 1977 c. 42

        1. 24.In section 14(e) of the Rent Act 1977, for “New...

        2. 25.. . . . . . . . . ....

      13. National Health Service Act 1977 c. 49

        1. 26.In section 123(1) of the National Health Service Act 1977,...

      14. Housing Act 1980 c. 51

        1. 27.In the Housing Act 1980— (a) . . . ....

      15. Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 c. 65

        1. 28.In the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980—

        2. 29.In section 133 of the Local Government, Planning and Land...

      16. British Telecommunications Act 1981 c. 38

        1. 30.In Part II of Schedule 3 to the British Telecommunications...

    13. SCHEDULE 13

      Repeals

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