Section 55 – Compensation: advance entry
185.Section 55 provides that where the Scottish Ministers take advance entry to land under section 39, compensation is payable from the point that entry is taken as if the provisions in the 1845 Lands Act on entry on lands had been complied with or the land had vested in the Scottish Ministers (depending on whether the notice to treat or general vesting declaration procedure is used).
186.Where an acquiring authority, which in the case of the Forth Crossing works will be the Scottish Ministers, have taken possession of any land they are obliged under the terms of section 48 of the Land Compensation (Scotland) Act 1973 to make an advance payment on account of any compensation payable by them for the compulsory acquisition of any interest in that land. The process and the calculation of the amount of the advance payment are set out in section 48 of the 1973 Act. Subsection (2) ensures that the operation of the provision in the 1973 Act is not precluded by sections 37 or 55 of the Act.