(1)Where any land has been acquired or appropriated by a local planning authority for planning purposes, and is for the time being held by the authority for the purposes for which it was so acquired or appropriated, the authority may dispose of the land to such person, in such manner and subject to such conditions as may appear to them to be expedient in order to secure the best use of that or other land and any buildings or works which have been, or are to be, erected, constructed or carried out thereon, whether by themselves or by any other person, or to secure the erection, construction or carrying out thereon of any buildings or works appearing to them to be needed for the proper planning of the area of the authority.
(2)The consent of the Secretary of State shall be requisite to any disposal under this section—
(a)by an authority which is not an authority to whom Part II of the Act of 1959 applies; or
(b)of land acquired or appropriated for planning purposes for a reason mentioned in section 102(1)(a) to (c) of this Act;
and any such consent may be given either in respect of a particular disposal or in respect of disposals of any class, and may be given either subject to or free from any conditions or limitations.
(3)Subject to the provisions of subsection (6) of this section, any land disposed of under this section shall not. except with the consent of the Secretary of State, be disposed of otherwise than at the best price or on the best terms that can reasonably be obtained.
(4)For the purposes of subsections (2) and (3) of section 27 of the Act of 1959 (consent of Ministers to disposals in certain cases), any disposal of land under this section shall be deemed to be a disposal which, apart from that section, could not be effected except with the consent of a Minister; and for the purposes of subsection (4) of that section (disposals for a price less than the best reasonably obtainable) the power of disposal conferred by subsection (1) of this section shall (except in respect of any exercise thereof in circumstances falling within subsection (2) of this section) be deemed to be a power in relation to which subsection (1) of that section has effect.
(5)Where representations are made to the Secretary of State—
(a)that a local planning authority have refused to dispose of any land under this section to any person or to agree with him as to the manner in which, or the terms or conditions on or subject to which, it is to be disposed of to him; and
(b)that the refusal constitutes unfair discrimination against that person or is otherwise oppressive,
the Secretary of State may cause the representations to be intimated to the authority; and after considering any statement in writing made to him by the authority, the Secretary of State may, if he thinks fit, cause a public local inquiry to be held and after considering the report of the person appointed to hold the inquiry (if any), may, if it appears to him that the representations are well founded and that it is expedient as mentioned in subsection (1) of this section that the authority should dispose of the land under this section to that person, require the authority to offer to dispose of it to him, and give directions as to the manner of the disposal and as to all or any of the terms or conditions on or subject to which it is to be offered to him.
(6)In relation to land acquired or appropriated for planning purposes for a reason mentioned in section 102(1)(a) to (c) of this Act the powers conferred by this section on a local planning authority, and on the Secretary of State in respect of the giving of consent to disposals under this section, shall be so exercised as to secure, so far as may be practicable, to persons who were living or carrying on business or other activities on any such land which the authority have acquired as mentioned in subsection (1) of this section, who desire to obtain accommodation on such land, and who are willing to comply with any requirements of the authority as to the development and use of such land, an opportunity to obtain thereon accommodation suitable to their reasonable requirements, on terms settled with due regard to the price at which any such land has been acquired from them.
In this subsection " development" includes redevelopment.
(7)Where land is disposed of under this section by a local planning authority to any person for the erection of a church or other building for religious worship or buildings ancillary thereto, then, unless the parties otherwise agree, such disposal shall be by way of feu.
(8)In relation to any such land as is mentioned in subsection (1) of this section, this section shall have effect to the exclusion of the provisions of any enactment, other than this Act, by virtue of or under which the local planning authority are or may be authorised to dispose of land held by them.