Housing Act 1974

PART V General Improvement Areas

50 Consideration by Secretary of State of suitability of general improvement areas

(1) With a view to affording to the Secretary of State an opportunity to consider in advance the suitability of an area as a general improvement area and, where appropriate, to prevent an area which appears to him to be inappropriate to be declared a general improvement area, for section 28 of the Housing Act 1969 there shall be substituted the sections set out in Part I of Schedule 5 to this Act.

(2) In any case where, on or after 12th June 1973 and before the coming into operation of this section, a local authority have,

(a) by resolution under section 28(1) of the Housing Act 1969, declared an area to be a general improvement area, or

(b) by resolution under section 30(2) of that Act, included any land in an existing general improvement area,

the Secretary of State may, if it appears to him appropriate to do so, at any time within the relevant period serve notice on the authority terminating the status of the area as a general improvement area or, as the case may be, excluding the land from the general improvement area in question, with effect from the date on which the notice is served.

(3) In subsection (2) above " the relevant period ", in relation to a general improvement area or land included in such an area as mentioned in paragraph (b) of that subsection, means the period of 42 days beginning on the day appointed for the coming into operation of this section or, if it is later, the day on which the Secretary of State receives, by virtue of any provision of the [1969 c. 33.] Housing Act 1969, a copy of the resolution declaring the area referred to in subsection (2)(a) above to be a general improvement area or, as the case may be, including the land referred to in subsection (2)(b) above in a general improvement area.

(4) As soon as may be after notice has been served on a local authority under subsection (2) above, they shall—

(a) publish in two or more newspapers circulating in the locality (of which one at least shall, if practicable, be a local newspaper) a notice identifying the general improvement area concerned and either stating that its status as such an area has been terminated by the Secretary of State and the date on which it was so terminated or, as the case may be, identifying the land excluded from the general improvement area and stating the date on which it was so excluded; and

(b) take such further steps as may appear to them best designed to secure that the termination of the general improvement area or, as the case may be, the exclusion of the land from a general improvement area is brought to the attention of persons residing or owning property in the area or, as the case may be, on that land.

51 Further amendments relating to general improvement areas

The provisions of Part II of the Housing Act 1969 (general improvement areas) shall be amended in accordance with Part II of Schedule 5 to this Act.