Housing Act 1985

241 Functions of Secretary of State with respect to declaration of housing action area.

(1) When a local housing authority have declared an area to be a housing action area and have sent to the Secretary of State the documents referred to in section 240(4), he shall send them a written acknowledgement of the recipt of those documents.

(2) If it appears to the Secretary of State appropriate to do so, he may, at any time within the period of 28 days beginning with the day on which he sent the acknowledgement, notify the authority—

(a) that the area declared by them to be a housing action area is no longer to be such an area, or

(b) that land defined on a map accompanying the notification is to be excluded from the area,

or notify them that he requires more time to consider their declaration of the area as a housing action area.

(3) Where the Secretary of State notifies an authority that he requires more time, he may direct the authority to send him such further information and documents as are specifed in the direction; and on completion of his consideration of the matter, he shall either—

(a) notify the authority as mentioned in subsection (2)(a) or (b), or

(b) notify them that he proposes to take no further action with respect to their declaration.

(4) Where the Secretary of State notifies the authority as mentioned in subsection (2)(a) or (b) (whether under that subsection or under subsection (3)), the area concerned shall cease to be a housing action area or, as the case may be, the land concerned shall be excluded from the housing action area, with effect from the date on which the authority is so notified.

(5) The authority shall, as soon as may be after the receipt of the notification, publish in two or more newspapers circulating in the locality (of which one at least shall, if practicable, be a local newspaper) a notice—

(a) stating the effect of the Secretary of State’s notification, and

(b) naming a place where a copy of the notification and, in the case of a notification excluding land from the area, a copy of the amended map of the housing action area, may be inspected at all reasonable times,

and take such further steps as may appear to them best designed to secure that the effect of the notification is brought to the attention of persons residing or owning property in the area declared by them to be a housing action area.