Environmental Protection Act 1990

Part IE+W+S Countryside Functions

PreliminaryE+W+S

1E+W+SIn this Part of this Schedule—

• “the appointed day” means the day appointed under section 130(4) of this Act;

• “the Commission” means the Countryside Commission;

• “the Council” means the Countryside Council for Wales;

• “relevant”, in relation to anything done by or in relation to the Commission before the appointed day, means anything which, if it were to be done on or after the appointed day, would be done by or in relation to the Council or, as the case may be, by or in relation to both the Commission (so far as concerning England) and the Council (so far as concerning Wales).

Continuity of exercise of functionsE+W+S

2(1)Any relevant thing done by or in relation to the Commission before the appointed day shall, so far as is required for continuing its effect on and after that date, have effect as if done by or in relation to the Council or, as the case may be, by or in relation to both the Council and the Commission.E+W+S

(2)Any relevant thing which, immediately before the appointed day, is in the process of being done by or in relation to the Commission may be continued by or in relation to the Council or, as the case may be, by or in relation to both the Council and the Commission.

Construction of references to the Countryside CommissionE+W+S

3(1)This paragraph applies to any provision of any agreement, or of any instrument or other document, subsisting immediately before the appointed day which refers (in whatever terms) to the Commission and does so (or is to be construed as doing so) in relation to, or to things being done in or in connection with, Wales.E+W+S

(2)Any provision to which this paragraph applies shall, subject to sub-paragraphs (3) and (4) below, have effect on and after the appointed day with the substitution for, or the inclusion in, any reference to the Commission of a reference to the Council, according as the reference concerns Wales only or concerns both England and Wales.

(3)Any provision to which this paragraph applies which refers in general terms to members of or to persons employed by or agents of the Commission shall have effect on and after the appointed day with the substitution for, or the inclusion in, any such reference of a reference to members of or persons employed by or agents of the Council, according as the reference concerns Wales only or concerns both England and Wales.

(4)Any provision to which this paragraph applies which refers to a member or employee of the Commission shall have effect on and after the appointed day with the substitution for, or the inclusion in, any such reference of—

(a)a reference to such person as the Council may appoint, or

(b)in default of appointment, to the member or employee of the Council who corresponds as nearly as may be to the member or employee in question,

according as the reference concerns Wales only or concerns both England and Wales.

4(1)This paragraph applies to any provision of a local Act passed, or subordinate legislation made, before the appointed day which refers (in whatever terms) to the Commission and relates to, or to things being done in or in connection with, Wales.E+W+S

(2)The Secretary of State may by order make such consequential modifications of any provision to which this paragraph applies as appear to him to be necessary or expedient.

(3)Subject to any exercise of the power conferred by sub-paragraph (2) above, any provision to which this paragraph applies shall have effect on and after the appointed day with the substitution for, or inclusion in, any reference to the Commission of a reference to the Council, according as the reference concerns Wales only or concerns both England and Wales.

Existing areas of outstanding natural beauty and long distance routesE+W+S

5(1)This paragraph applies to—E+W+S

(a)any area of land which immediately before the appointed day is an area of outstanding natural beauty designated under section 87 of the 1949 Act of which part is in England and part is in Wales (referred to as “the two parts” of such an area); and

(b)any long distance route under Part IV of that Act of which some parts are in England and other parts in Wales.

(2)On and after the appointed day the two parts of an area to which this paragraph applies shall be treated as if each were a distinct area of outstanding natural beauty; and accordingly, so far as may be necessary for the purpose of applying paragraphs 2 and 3 above, anything done by or in relation to the Commission in relation to both parts of that area shall be treated as having been done in relation to the part in Wales by or in relation to the Council.

(3)On and after the appointed day any route to which this paragraph applies shall not cease, by virtue of this Part of this Act to be a single route for the purposes of Part IV of the 1949 Act; but any function which before that day is exercisable by or in relation to the Commission shall, on and after that day be exercisable by or in relation to the Commission (so far as concerns parts of the route in England) and by or in relation to the Council (so far as concerns parts of the route in Wales).

(4)On or after the appointed day the Commission and the Council shall each exercise any function of theirs in relation to an area or route to which this paragraph applies only after consultation with the other; and the Commission and the Council may make arrangements for discharging any of their functions in relation to such an area or route jointly.