15.—(1) The vesting of the relevant functions of existing councils in a National Park authority by or under Part III of the 1995 Act shall not affect the validity of anything done by any of those councils before that vesting.
(2) Anything which at 1st April 1996 is in the process of being done by or in relation to an existing council in the exercise of, or in connection with, any relevant functions may be continued by or in relation to the National Park authority by which those functions become exercisable in respect of the National Park in question.
(3) Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5) below, for the purposes of securing the continuity of exercise or relevant functions between an existing council and a National Park authority, section 53(4) to (7) of the 1994 Act shall apply but subject to the following modifications:—
(a)references in those subsections to an old authority shall have effect as if they were references to an existing council;
(b)references to the successor authority shall have effect as if they were references to the National Park authority by which the relevant functions become exercisable in respect of the National Park in question; and
(c)references to relevant functions shall have effect as if they had the same meaning as in this Order.
(4) A purchase notice under section 137 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 or a listed building purchase notice under section 32 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 M1 served prior to 1st April 1996 on a district council, in respect of land all or any part of which on 1st April 1996 lies within a National Park shall be deemed to have been served on the council for the principal area in whose area the land in respect of which the said notice has been served is situated and if the said land is on 1st April 1996 situated in more than one principal area the notice shall be deemed to have been served on the council of the principal area in relation only to that part of the said land as is situated within its area.
(5) The provisions of this article are without prejudice to any other provision made by or under this Order or the 1994 Act or Part III of the 1995 Act in relation to any particular relevant functions and in relation to any particular existing council and any particular National Park authority and shall not be construed as continuing in force any contract of employment made by an existing council.