Housing Act 1985

289 Declaration of clearance area.

(1) A clearance area is an area which is to be cleared of all buildings in accordance with the following provisions of this Part.

(2) The local housing authority shall declare an area to be a clearance area if they are satisfied—

(a) that the houses in the area are unfit for human habitation or are by reason of their bad arrangement, or the narrowness or bad arrangement of the streets, dangerous or injurious to the health of the inhabitants of the area, and

(b) that the other buildings, if any, in the area are for a like reason dangerous or injurious to the health of the inhabitants of the area,

and that the most satisfactory method of dealing with the conditions in the area is the demolition of all the buildings in the area.

(3) If the authority are so satisfied they shall—

(a) cause the area to be defined on a map in such manner as to exclude from any area any building which is not unfit for human habitation or dangerous or injurious to health, and

(b) pass a resolution declaring the area so defined to be a clearance area.

(4) Before passing such a resolution the authority shall satisfy themselves—

(a) that, in so far as suitable accommodation does not already exist for the persons who will be displaced by the clearance of the area, the authority can provide, or secure the provision of, such accommodation in advance of the displacements which will from time to time become necessary as the demolition of the buildings in the area, or in different parts of it, proceeds, and

(b) that the resources of the authority are sufficient for the purposes of carrying the resolution into effect.

(5) The authority shall forthwith transmit to the Secretary of State a copy of any resolution passed by them under this section, together with a statement of the number of persons who on a day specified in the statement were occupying the buildings comprised in the clearance area.

(6) A clearance area shall not be so defined as to include land in a general improvement area.