Countryside Act 1968

24 Amendments of Forestry Act 1967

(1) Without prejudice to the provisions of section 11 of this Act, the said Commissioners may, on any land placed at their disposal by the Minister (as defined in the [1967 c. 10.] Forestry Act 1967), plant, care for and manage trees in the interests of amenity, and in section 3(1) of the Forestry Act 1967 (management of forestry land) the reference to the Commissioners' functions under that Act shall include a reference to their functions under this subsection.

(2) The said Minister may acquire, whether by purchase, feu, lease, exchange or excambion, land which in his opinion ought to be used for planting trees in the interests of amenity, or partly for that purpose and partly for afforestation, together with any other land which must necessarily be acquired therewith, and may place any land acquired by him under this subsection at the disposal of the Commissioners.

(3) The said Minister shall have power to dispose of land acquired by him under this section, whether by sale, feu, lease, exchange or excambion, where in his opinion it is no longer required by him for the purpose for which it was acquired.

(4) The definition of " public open space " in section 9(6) of the Forestry Act 1967 shall not include a country park provided under section 7 of this Act, or a park or pleasure ground in the Lee Valley Regional Park which in the opinion of the Minister serves the purpose set out in section 6(1) of this Act when the considerations in paragraphs (a) and (b) of that subsection are taken into account.

(5) This section shall be construed as one with the Forestry Act 1967, and that Act shall have effect as if subsections (2) and (3) above formed part of section 39 of that Act.