General Rate Act 1967

17Liability to be rated in respect of certain unoccupied property.

(1)A rating authority may resolve that the provisions of Schedule 1 to this Act with respect to the rating of unoccupied property—

(a)shall apply, or

(b)if they for the time being apply, shall cease to apply,

to their area, and in that case those provisions shall come into operation, or, as the case may be, cease to be in operation, in that area on such day as may be specified in the resolution.

(2)The day to be specified in a resolution under subsection (1) of this section shall be—

(a)in the case of a resolution providing that the said provisions shall apply to the area in question, the first day of a rate period for that area beginning after the day on which the resolution is passed, not being earlier, if those provisions have previously applied to the area, than the expiration of the period of seven years beginning with the day when those provisions ceased or last ceased to apply to the area or of such shorter period as the Minister authorises in any particular case ;

(b)in the case of a resolution providing that the said provisions shall cease to apply to the area in question, the last day of a rate period for that area ending after the day on which the resolution is passed, not being earlier than the expiration of the period of seven years beginning with the day when those provisions came or last came into operation in the area or of such shorter period as the Minister authorises in any particular case.

(3)As soon as may be after a resolution is passed by a rating authority under this section, the authority shall cause a copy of the resolution to be published in the London Gazette and in one or more newspapers circulating in the area of the authority.

(4)A document purporting to be a copy of the minutes of a resolution passed by a rating authority under this section or under section 20 of the [1966 c. 42.] Local Government Act 1966 and to be certified under the hand of the clerk of the authority as a true copy of the minutes of the resolution shall be evidence that the resolution was passed by the authority.

(5)This section and the said Schedule 1 shall not apply to the Temples, and in their application to the City of London the expression " rate " shall mean the poor rate and cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly.