New Towns Act 1981

Part II E+W Commission for The New Towns and Transfers From and Dissolution of Development Corporations

Commission for the New TownsE+W

35 Establishment of Commission.E+W

(1)The body corporate established by the name of the Commission for the New Towns (in this Act referred to as the Commission) continues in being.

(2)In relation to the Commission—

(a)it is not to be regarded as the servant or agent of the Crown or as enjoying any status, immunity or privilege of the Crown, and

(b)its property is not to be regarded as property of, or held on behalf of, the Crown,

and nothing in this Act, except the express provision relating to stamp duty in section 72(1), shall be construed as exempting the Commission from liability to any tax, duty, rate, levy or other charge whatsoever, whether local or general.

(3)Part V of the M1Reserve and Auxiliary Forces (Protection of Civil Interests) Act 1951 (which provides for the making to service men of payments to make up their civil remuneration) has effect as if in Part I of Schedule 2 to that Act the capacities specified in the first column included that of employee of the Commission, and the Commission were specified as respects that capacity in the second column.

(4)Schedule 9 to this Act has effect with respect to—

(a)the constitution and proceedings of the Commission, and

(b)other matters relating to the Commission and its members [F1including the winding-up of the Commission].

36 [F2Functions of Welsh Ministers]E+W

[F3[F4( 1 )The Welsh Ministers may—

(a)take over and, with a view to its eventual disposal, hold, manage and turn to account—

(i)the property of the Commission for the New Towns transferred to them under a scheme made under section 51(1) of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008;

(ii)the property of development corporations transferred to them under this Act; and

(iii)the property of urban development corporations transferred to them by order under section 165A of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980; and

(b)as soon as they consider it expedient to do so, dispose of property so transferred or any other property arising out of such property.

(1A)In exercising their functions under subsection (1), the Welsh Ministers must have regard to the considerations specified in subsection (2).]

(2)Those considerations, in relation to any new town [F5or urban development area], are—

(a)the convenience and welfare of persons residing, working or carrying on business there, and

(b)until disposal, the maintenance and enhancement of the value of the land held and the return obtained from it.]

F6(3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F7(3A). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4)A transaction between a person and the [F8Welsh Ministers] shall not be invalidated by reason of any non-compliance by the [F8Welsh Ministers] with [F9the obligation to have regard to the considerations specified in subsection (2) above] F10...

[F11(4A)In this section “urban development area” means land which is or was, or is or was part of, an urban development area (within the meaning of Part XVI of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980) and—

(a)any reference to property transferred to the [F12Welsh Ministers by order under section 165A] of that Act includes a reference to rights and liabilities so transferred; and

(b)in relation to liabilities so transferred, any reference to disposal includes a reference to extinguishment.]

(5). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F13

F1437 Restrictions on functions of Commission.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1538 Local authorities and work for Commission.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Transfer of property and undertakings of development corporations, and their dissolutionE+W

39 Power of development corporation to transfer undertakings. E+W

(1)Subject to the provisions of this section, a development corporation may, by an agreement made with any local authority or any statutory undertakers and approved by the [F16appropriate national authority] with the concurrence of the Treasury—

(a)transfer to that local authority any part of the undertaking of the corporation, or

(b)transfer to those statutory undertakers any part of the undertaking of the corporation which consists of a statutory undertaking,

upon such terms as may be prescribed by the agreement.

The foregoing provision is without prejudice to the powers of development corporations under this Act to dispose of any of their property, including any trade or business carried on by them.

(2)Before approving an agreement under this section the [F17appropriate national authority] shall consult with the council of every county and of every district in which the whole or any part of the area of the new town is situated, except, in the case of an agreement made with such a council, the council with whom it is made.

[F18(2A)Subsection (2) above shall have effect [F19in the case of a development corporation established by the Welsh Ministers] as if for “and of every district” there were substituted or county borough.]

(3)Before approving an agreement under this section for the transfer of a statutory undertaking, the [F20appropriate national authority] shall publish in the London Gazette, and in one or more newspapers circulating in the area in which the new town is situated, a notice stating that the agreement has been submitted for approval, and describing the general effect of the agreement.

(4)[F21In a case in which the appropriate national authority is the Secretary of State,] if within 28 days from the publication of the notice in the London Gazette in accordance with subsection (3) above any objection to the agreement is made by any statutory undertakers—

(a)who are carrying on, or are authorised to carry on, a statutory undertaking of a character similar to the statutory undertaking proposed to be transferred by the agreement, and

(b)who do so within the area in which the new town is situated or any adjacent area,

subsection (1) above shall apply in relation to the agreement as if for the reference to the [F22appropriate national authority] there were substituted a reference to the Secretary of State and the appropriate Minister.

(5)If the [F23appropriate national authority] is satisfied that it is expedient, having regard to any agreement made or proposed to be made under this section, that the liability of the development corporation in respect of advances made to them under the following provisions of this Act should be reduced, [F23the authority] may, [F24with the Treasury’s consent, by order], reduce that liability to such extent as may be specified in the order.

[F25(5A)No order shall be made under subsection (5) above—

(a)by the Secretary of State unless a draft of the order has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, the House of Commons;

(b)by the Welsh Ministers unless a draft of the order has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, the National Assembly for Wales.]

(6)The payment of any sums payable by a local authority for the purposes of an agreement under this section shall be a purpose for which that authority may borrow money.

[F26(7)This section shall have effect as if references to satutory undertakers included references to the operator of [F27an electronic communications code network] and as if for this purpose—

(a)references to a statutory undertaking were references to [F28the provision of such a network]; and

(b)references to the appropriate Minister were references to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.]

40. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F29E+W

41 Transfer of property F30... and dissolution of corporation.E+W

(1)Where, after consultation with the council of every county and of every district in which the whole or any part of the area of a new town is situated, the [F31appropriate national authority] is satisfied that the purposes for which the development corporation is established under this Act have been substantially achieved, [F32the authority] shall by order direct—

(a)that on such date as may be specified in the order the property of the corporation (other than property excepted under the following provisions of this Act) shall vest in the [F33relevant transferee], and the corporation shall cease to act except for the purpose of taking such steps (if any) as may be authorised or required by the order to dispose of any property so excepted, to prepare its final accounts and report, or otherwise to wind up its affairs; and

(b)that on that date or such later date as may be fixed by or under the order, the corporation shall be dissolved.

[F34(1A)Subsection (1) above shall have effect [F35in the case of a development corporation established by the Welsh Ministers] as if for “and of every district” there were substituted “or county borough”.]

(2)With respect to the transfer to the [F36relevant transferee] by an order under this section of the property of a development corporation and with respect to matters arising out of the transfer or out of the dissolution of the corporation—

(a)Schedule 10 to this Act has effect; and

(b)the [F37appropriate national authority] may by order under this section make such further incidental or supplementary provisions as appear to [F38the authority] to be necessary or expedient in relation to any such matter.

(3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F39

(4)Where by virtue of an order under section 6 above a development corporation discharges functions in relation to more than one new town, the [F40appropriate national authority] may make an order under subsection (1) above in relation—

(a)to that corporation, and

(b)to any of those towns without the other or others,

as if the corporation were not concerned with the other or others, but without providing for the dissolution of the corporation.

(5)In the case of any such order, Schedule 10 shall apply subject to such modifications as may be provided by the order for the purpose in particular of determining what part of the corporation’s property, rights, liabilities and obligations is to be transferred to the [F41relevant transferee].

[F4241APart 2: interpretationE+W

In this Part—

• “the appropriate national authority”—

  (a)

  in relation to a development corporation established by order made by the Secretary of State, means the Secretary of State; and

  (b)

  in relation to a development corporation established by order made by the Welsh Ministers, means the Welsh Ministers;

• “the relevant transferee”—

  (a)

  in relation to an order made under section 41 by the Secretary of State, means the Homes and Communities Agency; and

  (b)

  in relation to an order made under section 41 by the Welsh Ministers, means the Welsh Ministers.]