Rates Act 1984

12 (1) For section 70(2) of the principal Act there shall be substituted—

“(2) The owner or occupier of the whole or any part of a hereditament to which the proposal relates may, within twenty-eight days from the date on which a copy of the proposal is transmitted to the occupier under subsection (1) of this section, serve on the valuation officer notice in writing of objection to the proposal; and where—

(a) the rating authority for the area in which the hereditament is situated are not entitled to object by virtue of the foregoing provisions of this subsection; but

(b) the hereditament is of a class or description specified by the authority in accordance with subsection (6) of this section,

the authority may, within twenty-eight days from the date on which a copy of the proposal is transmitted to them under subsection (1) of this section, serve on the valuation officer notice in writing of objection to the proposal.

(3) Where the proposal was made otherwise than by the valuation officer, he shall, within twenty-eight days from the date on which a notice of objection is served on him under subsection (2) of this section, transmit a copy of it to the maker of the proposal.

(4) Where the proposal was made by the valuation officer or by any other person, not being the rating authority, and—

(a) a notice of objection is served on the valuation officer under subsection (2) of this section otherwise than by the rating authority; and

(b) the hereditament in question is of a class or description specified by the authority in accordance with subsection (6) of this section,

the valuation officer shall, within twenty-eight days from the date on which the notice is served on him, transmit a copy of it to the authority.

(5) The valuation officer shall, within twenty-eight days from the date on which a notice of objection is served on him under subsection (2) of this section, serve on the objector a notice in writing stating that unless—

(a) the proposal is withdrawn ; or

(b) all notices of objection to the proposal are unconditionally withdrawn; or

(c) an agreement in respect of the proposal is reached under section 72 of this Act,

a copy of the proposal and of every notice of objection which has not been unconditionally withdrawn will be transmitted to the clerk of the local valuation panel in accordance with section 73 of this Act; and the notice shall explain that the transmission of a copy of the proposal will have effect as an appeal by the maker of the proposal against every objection signified by a notice of which a copy is transmitted.

(6) A rating authority may from time to time serve on the valuation officer for their area a notice in writing specifying a class or description of hereditament in respect of which they wish subsections (2) and (4) of this section to apply to them; and any such notice shall have effect in relation to any proposal made by or served on the valuation officer after the end of the rate period in which the notice is served.

(7) Where a notice served by a rating authority under subsection (6) of this section has effect in relation to a proposal of which a copy is transmitted to the authority under subsection (1) of this section and the authority do not serve a notice of objection to the proposal under subsection (2) of this section, the authority may serve on the valuation officer a notice in writing stating that they wish sections 72(2)(e) and 76(4)(d) of this Act to apply to them in respect of the proposal; and any notice under this subsection shall be served—

(a) in the case of a proposal made by the valuation officer, within twenty-eight days from the date on which a copy of any notice of objection to the proposal is transmitted to the authority under subsection (4) of this section; and

(b) in the case of any other proposal, within twenty-eight days from the date on which a copy of the proposal is served on the authority or from the date mentioned in paragraph (a) of this subsection.”