Channel Tunnel Act 1987

38 Time within which powers of compulsory acquisition may be exercised

(1) Subject to subsection (3) below, a notice to treat under the Compulsory Purchase Act 1965 (as applied by section 37 of this Act and whether or not as extended by Part III of Schedule 5 to this Act) for the purpose of acquiring any land under section 8 or 36 of this Act shall not be served after 31st December 1992 or such later date as may for the time being be authorised by an order made by the Secretary of State.

(2) An order under subsection (1) above shall be subject to special Parliamentary procedure.

(3) Where the Secretary of State has issued a certificate under the following provisions of this section, a notice to treat under the Act of 1965 (as so applied and whether or not as so extended) for the purpose of acquiring under section 8(1) of this Act the land specified in the certificate may be served at any time before the date specified in the certificate.

(4) The Concessionaires may in relation to any land which they require for purposes of safety in connection with any railway or siding comprised in the tunnel system apply to the Secretary of State for an extension of the time allowed under subsection (1) above for serving a notice to treat for the purpose of acquiring the land under section 8(1) of this Act.

(5) Before making such an application, the Concessionaires shall serve on every owner, lessee and occupier (except tenants for a month or less than a month) of the land in relation to which they propose to seek the extension a notice in a form approved by the Secretary of State—

(a) stating that they propose to make an application under subsection (4) above in relation to the land;

(b) stating what the effect will be if their application is granted; and

(c) specifying the time, which shall not be less than fourteen days from service of the notice, within which and the manner in which representations about the application can be made.

(6) Where the Secretary of State is satisfied—

(a) that the Concessionaires have complied with the requirements of subsection (5) above; and

(b) that all or some part of the land to which the application relates is required for purposes of safety in connection with any railway or siding comprised in the tunnel system;

he may, after taking into consideration any representations about the application duly made by the recipient of a notice under that subsection, issue a certificate specifying which of the land to which the application relates is in his opinion required for those purposes.

(7) The Secretary of State shall specify in any certificate which he issues under this section such date as he thinks fit as the date before which any notice to treat for the purpose of acquiring the land specified in the certificate must be served.