Housing Act 1957

57Purchase of land for purposes of re-development

(1)When the Minister's approval of a re-development plan has become operative, the local authority may with the approval of the Minister purchase by agreement, or may be authorised by means of an order made and submitted to the Minister and confirmed by him in accordance with Parts I and II of the Third Schedule to this Act to purchase compulsorily,—

(a)land in the re-development area ; and

(b)any land outside that area which they may require for the purpose of providing accommodation for persons occupying premises within that area which they have purchased or agreed to purchase, or in respect of which they have submitted compulsory purchase orders.

(2)It shall be the duty of the local authority within the appropriate period specified in this subsection either to enter into agreements with the approval of the Minister for the purchase, or to make and submit to the Minister orders for the compulsory purchase, of all land in the re-development area other than land in respect of which the local authority have within that period made arrangements with other persons for the carrying out of re-development, or for securing the use of the land, in accordance with the re-development plan.

The appropriate period for the purposes of this subsection shall be—

(a)in the case of land shown in the re-development plan as intended for the provision of houses for the working classes, six months from the date when the Minister's approval of the re-development plan becomes operative;

(b)in the case of other land in the re-development area, two years from that date;

or, in either case, such extended period as the Minister may, on the application of the local authority, allow in respect of any land.

(3)Where a local authority submit to the Minister an order for the compulsory purchase under this section of land which comprises or consists of a house which in their opinion is unfit for human habitation and not capable at reasonable expense of being rendered so fit, the order as submitted shall be in a form prescribed for the purpose of indicating that the house is in that condition, and, if the Minister is of opinion that the house is properly so indicated, the order as confirmed may authorise the authority to purchase the house as being in that condition.

(4)The provisions of the Fourth Schedule to this Act shall have effect with respect to the validity and date of operation of a compulsory purchase order made under this section.

(5)Nothing in this section shall authorise the compulsory acquisition of any land which is the property of a local authority or is the property of statutory undertakers, having been acquired by them for the purposes of their undertaking, and the obligations imposed on the local authority by subsection (2) of this section shall not apply with respect to any such land.

(6)Land purchased by a local authority under this section for the provision of houses for the working classes shall be deemed to have been acquired by them under Part V of this Act.

(7)Land purchased by a local authority under this section otherwise than for the provision of houses for the working classes may, with the consent of the Minister, be sold or leased to any person, or exchanged for other land which the local authority have power to acquire either with or without paying or receiving money for equality of exchange, subject, in the case of land in the re-development area, to conditions for securing that it shall be re-developed or used in accordance with the redevelopment plan.

(8)When the Minister's approval of a re-development plan has become operative and the plan comprises any land of the local authority, the provisions of this Act shall apply in relation to that land as if it had been land in the re-development area purchased by the authority under this section.

(9)Nothing in the Rent Acts shall prevent possession being obtained of any house possession of which is required for the purpose of enabling re-development in accordance with a redevelopment plan to be proceeded with.