(1)In section 15 of the Acquisition of Land Act 1981 (notices to be served and published etc after confirmation of compulsory purchase order) after subsection (3) insert—
“(3A)The acquiring authority must comply with subsections (1) and (3) before the end of—
(a)the period of 6 weeks beginning with the day on which the order is confirmed, or
(b)such longer period beginning with that day as may be agreed in writing between the acquiring authority and the confirming authority.
(3B)If the acquiring authority fails to comply with subsections (1) and (3) in accordance with subsection (3A), the confirming authority may—
(a)take any steps that the acquiring authority was required but has failed to take to comply with those subsections, and
(b)recover the reasonable costs of doing so from the acquiring authority.”
(2)The amendment made by this section applies only in relation to a compulsory purchase order which is confirmed after this section comes into force.