189Control of disposals
(1)Subject to subsection (9) below, this section applies to any disposal of land which is made after 22nd July 1987.
(2)Except with the consent of the Secretary of State, ILEA shall not after the passing of this Act make a disposal to which this section applies.
(3)Subject to section 191(3)(b) of this Act, if at any time after 22nd July 1987 and before the passing of this Act ILEA has made a disposal which would have been in contravention of the provisions of subsection (2) above if they had then been in force, the same consequences shall follow as if those provisions had been contravened by ILEA.
(4)Any consent for the purposes of this section may be given either in respect of a particular disposal or in respect of disposals of any class or description and either unconditionally or subject to conditions.
(5)Any signification of consent, or of consent subject to specified conditions, given by the Secretary of State before the passing of this Act in respect of any disposal to which this section applies shall be treated for the purposes of this section as a consent, or a consent subject to those conditions, given under this section.
(6)This section has effect notwithstanding anything in section 123 of the [1972 c. 70.] Local Government Act 1972 (general power to dispose of land) or in any other enactment; and the consent required by this section shall be in addition to any consent required by subsection (2) of that section or by any other enactment.
(7)A disposal shall not be invalid or, in the case of a disposal which consists of a contract, void by reason only that it has been made or entered into in contravention of this section; and (subject to the provisions of section 190 of this Act) a person acquiring land, or entering into a contract to acquire land, from ILEA shall not be concerned to enquire whether any consent required by this section has been given or complied with.
(8)In this section references to disposing of land include references to—
(a)granting or disposing of any interest in land;
(b)entering into a contract to dispose of land or to grant or dispose of any such interest; and
(c)granting an option to acquire any land or any such interest.
(9)This section does not apply to a disposal falling within subsection (8)(a) above if it is made in pursuance of a contract entered into, or an option granted, on or before 22nd July 1987.