The Housing (Northern Ireland) Order 1992

Further powers of the Executive in connection with acquisition and disposal of land N.I.

92.  After Article 88B of the Order of 1981 (disposal of Executive's interest as mortgagee of land) there shall be inserted the following Articles—

“Disposal of houses let by the Executive to secure tenants

88C.— (1) Subject to the following provisions of this Article, the Executive may, with the consent of the Department, dispose of its interest as landlord of any house occupied by a secure tenant.

(2) The Department's consent may be given—

(a) either generally in relation to all houses or in relation to any particular house or description of house; and

(b) subject to conditions.

(3) The Department shall not entertain an application for its consent under paragraph (2) unless it is satisfied that the Executive—

(a) has, in accordance with the requirements of paragraphs (4) and (5), consulted—

(i) every tenant of a house to which the application relates, or

(ii) every such tenant other than one expected to have vacated the house in question before the disposal; and

(b) has in relation to each house to which the application relates, obtained the appropriate agreement (within the meaning of paragraph (6)) to its disposal.

(4) For the purposes of paragraph (3) the requirements as to consultation are that the Executive shall serve notice in writing on the tenant informing him of—

(a) such details of its proposal as the Executive considers appropriate, but including the identity of the person to whom the disposal is to be made,

(b) the likely consequences of the disposal for the tenant, and

(c) the effect of the provisions of this Article,

and informing him that he may, within such reasonable period as may be specified in the notice, make representations to the Executive.

(5) The Executive shall consider any representations made to it within that period and shall serve a further written notice on the tenant informing him—

(a) of any significant changes in its proposal, and

(b) that he may within such period as is specified (which must be at least 28 days after the service of the notice) communicate to the Executive his objection to the proposal,

and informing him of the effect of paragraph (3)(b).

(6) In paragraph (3) “the appropriate agreement” means—

(a) in the case of an application for the disposal to a registered housing association of—

(i) a building (including a house) which is divided into flats, or

(ii) a group of houses which is provided with special facilities to assist the tenants (for example, a common room in close proximity to the houses),

the agreement of the majority of the tenants of the flats within the building or of the houses within the group, as the case may be;

(b) in any other case, the agreement of the tenant of the house to which the application relates.

(7) For the purposes of this Article the grant of an option which if exercised would result in a secure tenant of the Executive becoming the tenant of another landlord shall be treated as a disposal of the interest which is the subject of the option.

(8) Where a disposal of land by the Executive is in part a disposal to which this Article applies, the provisions of this Article apply to that part as to a separate disposal.

(9) The Department's consent to a disposal is not invalidated by a failure on its part or that of the Executive to comply with the requirements of this Article.

Extinguishment of public rights of way

88D.— (1) Where the Executive considers it necessary or expedient to do so, the Executive may submit to the Department an order (an “extinguishment order”) to extinguish any public right of way existing over land which the Executive has acquired or proposes to acquire.

(2) An extinguishment order shall not have effect until approved by the Department; and Article 88E shall apply with respect to that approval.

(3) An extinguishment order may—

(a) provide for the retention or removal of any cables, wires, mains, pipes or other apparatus placed along, across, over or under the land over which the right of way exists; and

(b) provide for the extinction, modification or preservation of any rights as to the use or maintenance of such cables, wires, mains, pipes or apparatus;

and may contain such consequential, incidental and supplementary provisions as appear to the Executive to be necessary or expedient for the purposes of the order.

(4) Where the Department approves an extinguishment order, the Executive shall—

(a) meet the costs of any works which by any provision of the order any person is required to carry out; and

(b) pay compensation in respect of the extinction or modification by the order of any right of any person.

(5) Any question of disputed compensation arising under this Article shall be referred to and determined by the Lands Tribunal.

(6) An extinguishment order approved in advance of the acquisition of land by the Executive shall not have effect earlier than the date on which the land is acquired.

Procedures for approving extinguishment orders

88E.— (1) On submitting an extinguishment order to the Department, the Executive shall publish in at least one newspaper circulating in the relevant area a notice—

(a) stating the general effect of the order;

(b) specifying a place in the relevant area where a copy of the order and of any relevant map or plan may be inspected by any person at all reasonable hours during a period of 28 days from the date of publication of the notice; and

(c) stating that, within that period, any person may by notice to the Department object to the making of the order.

(2) Not later than the date on which that notice is so published, the Executive shall serve a copy of the notice, together with a copy of the extinguishment order and of any relevant map or plan, on—

(a) every district council in whose area any land to which the order relates is situated;

(b) any gas or electricity undertaker having any cables, mains, pipes, or wires laid along, across, under or over any land over which a right of way is to be extinguished, under the order; and

(c) the operator of any telecommunications code system for the purposes of which any telecommunication apparatus is kept installed along, across, under or over any such land.

(3) The Department may cause a public local inquiry to be held to hear objections to the extinguishment order.

(4) After considering any objections to the extinguishment order which are not withdrawn and, where a public local inquiry is held, the report of the person who held the inquiry, the Department may approve the order either without modification or subject to such modifications as it thinks fit.

(5) Where the Department approves an extinguishment order the Executive shall publish, in the manner specified in paragraph (1), a notice stating that the order has been approved, and naming a place where a copy of the order may be seen at all reasonable hours; and paragraph (2) shall have effect in relation to any such notice as it has effect in relation to a notice under paragraph (1).

(6) In this Article—

(a) “electricity undertaker” means a holder of a licence under Article 10(1) of the Electricity (Northern Ireland) Order 1992F1 ; and

(b) “the relevant area”, in relation to an extinguishment order, means the area in which any land to which the order relates is situated.”

F1 1992 NI 1