Procedure for confirming reorganisation schemes
1Before confirming a reorganisation scheme the Secretary of State shall—
(a)serve on every owner and every occupier of land to which the draft scheme applies a copy of the draft scheme together with a notice naming a place within the locality in which such land is situated where a copy of the maps and plans submitted with the draft scheme may be inspected at all reasonable hours and stating that such owner or occupier may, within twenty-eight days from the date of the service of the notice, object in such manner as may be specified in the notice to the draft scheme or to any provision contained therein; and
(b)in two successive weeks publish in one or more newspapers circulating in the locality in which the land to which the scheme applies is situated a notice stating that the draft scheme has been submitted to him, specifying the land to which the scheme applies, naming a place within the locality where a copy of the draft scheme and of the maps and plans submitted therewith may be inspected at all reasonable hours, and stating that any person having an interest in any land to which the scheme applies may, within twenty-eight days from the date of the first publication of the notice, object in such manner as may be specified in the notice to the draft scheme or to any provision contained therein.
2If no objection is made under the foregoing paragraph or if all objections so made are withdrawn, the Secretary of State may, subject to the provisions of paragraph 4 of this Schedule, confirm the draft scheme with or without modifications.
3If any objection made as aforesaid is not withdrawn, the Secretary of State shall, before deciding whether to confirm the draft scheme, cause a public local inquiry to be held, and after considering the objection and the report of the person who held the inquiry the Secretary of State may, if he thinks fit and subject to the provisions of the next following paragraph, confirm the draft scheme with or without modifications.
4Where the Secretary of State proposes to make any modification in the draft scheme by virtue either of paragraph 2 of this Schedule or of the last foregoing paragraph, he shall, before deciding to confirm the draft scheme as so modified, serve on each of the persons referred to in sub-paragraph (a) of paragraph 1 of this Schedule and on any other person who in his opinion may be substantially affected by such modification a notice specifying the modification and stating that such person may, within fourteen days from the date of the service of the notice, make representations in writing concerning the modification to the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of State shall consider any representations so made before he decides whether to confirm the draft scheme as so modified.
5Notwithstanding anything in paragraph 3 of this Schedule, the Secretary of State may require any person who has made an objection to state in writing the grounds thereof and may disregard the objection for the purposes of this Schedule if it is an objection which in the opinion of the Secretary of State is frivolous, or which relates exclusively to the assessment of any sum which will fall to be fixed under this Act or any other enactment by the Land Court, or which relates to the assessment of compensation on the compulsory acquisition of land or of an interest in land by virtue of section nine of this Act.
6The provisions of subsections (2) to (9) of section three hundred and fifty-five of the Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1947 (which relate to the holding of local inquiries) shall apply in relation to a public local inquiry held under paragraph 3 of this Schedule as they apply in relation to local inquiries held under the said section three hundred and fifty-five.