Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997

22 Default powers of Secretary of State

(1) Where, by virtue of any of the previous provisions of this Part, any structure or local plan is, or proposals for the alteration, repeal or replacement of such a plan are, required to be prepared or submitted to the Secretary of State, or steps are required to be taken for the adoption of any such plan or proposals, then—

(a) if at any time the Secretary of State is satisfied that the planning authority are not taking the steps necessary to enable them to submit or adopt such a plan or proposals within a reasonable period, or

(b) in a case where a period is specified for the submission or adoption of any such plan or proposals, if no such plan or proposals have been submitted or adopted within that period,

the Secretary of State may direct the planning authority to carry out their functions in relation to the matters mentioned in this subsection and may specify in the direction the factors to be taken into account or objectives to be achieved by the planning authority in so doing, or the Secretary of State may carry out a survey in accordance with the provisions of section 4 or prepare and make a structure plan or local plan or, as the case may be, alter, repeal or replace it, as he thinks fit.

(2) Where under subsection (1) the Secretary of State has power to do anything which should have been done by a planning authority (“the defaulting authority”), he may, if he thinks fit, authorise any other planning authority who appear to him to have an interest in the proper planning of the district of the defaulting authority to do it.

(3) Where under subsection (1) the Secretary of State has power to do anything which should have been done by a planning authority acting jointly with another planning authority or authorities, he may, if he thinks fit, authorise one of those authorities to do that thing on behalf of both or all of them.

(4) The previous provisions of this Part shall, so far as applicable, apply with any necessary modifications in relation to the doing of anything under this section by the Secretary of State or an authority other than the defaulting authority and the thing so done.

(5) The defaulting authority—

(a) shall on demand repay to the Secretary of State so much of any expenses incurred by him in connection with the doing of anything which should have been done by them as he certifies to have been incurred in the performance of their functions, and

(b) shall repay to any other authority who do under this section anything which should have been done by the defaulting authority, any expenses certified by the Secretary of State to have been reasonably incurred by that other authority in connection with the doing of that thing.