Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997

[F1 23B Default powers of the Scottish Ministers S

(1) This section applies where—

(a) under any of the previous sections of this Part, any strategic development plan or local development plan requires to be prepared, any main issues report requires to be compiled or any proposed strategic development plan or proposed local development plan requires to be submitted to the Scottish Ministers, or steps are required to be taken for the adoption of a proposed local development plan, and

(b) the Scottish Ministers are satisfied that the authority in question—

(i) are not, within a reasonable period, doing what is required, or

(ii) have not met a time limit specified in any of those provisions for doing what is required (or some part of what is required).

(2) Where this section applies, the Scottish Ministers may—

(a) direct the authority in question (the “defaulting authority”) to carry out that authority's functions in relation to the matter and may specify in the direction the factors to be taken into account or objectives to be achieved by that authority in so doing, or

(b) prepare a strategic development plan or local development plan.

(3) Where this section applies and the defaulting authority is a strategic development planning authority, the Scottish Ministers may authorise one of the planning authorities which the defaulting authority comprises to do what is required on behalf of the defaulting authority.

(4) The previous sections of this Part apply, so far as applicable and with any necessary modifications, in relation to the doing of anything—

(a) under subsection (2)(b) by the Scottish Ministers, or

(b) by virtue of subsection (3) by an individual planning authority,

as they apply in relation to the doing of anything by the defaulting authority.

(5) The defaulting authority—

(a) must on demand repay to the Scottish Ministers so much of any expenses incurred by the Scottish Ministers in connection with the doing of anything which should have been done by the defaulting authority as the Scottish Ministers certify to have been incurred in the performance of the defaulting authority's functions, and

(b) must repay to a planning authority who by virtue of subsection (3) do anything which should have been done by the defaulting authority, any expenses certified by the Scottish Ministers to have been reasonably incurred by the planning authority in connection with the doing of that thing.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Pt. 2 substituted (19.5.2008 for specified purposes, 25.6.2008 for specified purposes, 28.2.2009 in so far as not already in force) by Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006 (asp 17), ss. 2, 59(2) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.S.I. 2008/165, arts. 1, 2 and S.S.I. 2008/427, arts. 1(1), 2-5); S.S.I. 2008/164, art. 2(1)(2), sch.; S.S.I. 2009/70, art. 2, sch.