Part I New Towns and Their Development Corporations

New towns

1AF1Local authority to oversee development of new town

1

This section applies where the Secretary of State is considering designating an area of land in England as the site of a proposed new town in an order under section 1.

2

The Secretary of State may, in an order under section 1, appoint one or more local authorities to oversee the development of the area as a new town.

3

But a local authority may only be appointed if the area of land mentioned in subsection (1) is wholly or partly within the area of the local authority.

4

The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision about how a local authority is to oversee the development of an area as a new town.

5

Regulations under subsection (4) may, for example—

a

provide that a local authority is to exercise specified functions under this Act which would otherwise be exercisable by the Secretary of State, the appropriate Minister or the Treasury;

b

provide that a local authority is to exercise such functions subject to specified conditions or limitations;

c

provide that specified functions under this Act may be exercised only with the consent of a local authority;

d

make provision about the membership of a corporation established under section 3, including the proportion of the members of the corporation who may be members of or employed by a local authority;

e

modify provisions of this Act;

f

make different provision for different purposes;

g

make incidental, supplementary or consequential provision.

6

In subsection (5)(a) the reference to “functions” does not include a power to make regulations or other instruments of a legislative character.

7

Where two or more local authorities are appointed in an order containing provision by virtue of subsection (2), the Secretary of State may in that order provide—

a

that a specified function is to be exercised by a specified local authority, or

b

that a specified function is to be exercised by two or more specified local authorities jointly.

8

In this section—

  • “local authority” means—

    1. a

      a district council,

    2. b

      a county council, or

    3. c

      a London borough council;

  • “specified” means specified in—

    1. a

      an order containing provision by virtue of subsection (2), or

    2. b

      regulations under subsection (4).