Universities and College Estates Act 1925

17 Power to compromise claims and release restrictions, &c

(1) A university or college may, with the consent of the Minister, either with or without giving or taking any consideration in money or otherwise, compromise, compound, abandon, submit to arbitration, or otherwise settle any claim, dispute, or question whatsoever relating to land belonging to the university or college, including in particular claims, disputes or questions as to boundaries, the ownership of mines and minerals, rights and powers of working mines and minerals, local laws and customs relative to the working of mines and minerals and other matters, manorial incidents, easements, and restrictive covenants, and for any of those purposes may enter into, give, execute, and do such agreements, assurances, releases, and other things as the university or college may, with such consent as aforesaid, think proper.

(2) A university or college may, with the consent of the Minister, at any time, either with or without consideration in money or otherwise, release, waive, or modify, or agree to release, waive, or modify, any covenant, agreement or restriction imposed on any other land for the benefit of land belonging to the university or college, or release, or agree to release, any other land from any easement, right or privilege, including a right of pre-emption, affecting the same for the benefit of land belonging to the university or college.

(3) A university or college may contract that a transaction effected before or after the commencement of this Act, which (subject or not to any variation authorised by this subsection) is affected by section seventy-eight of the [8 & 9 Vict. c. 20.] Railway Clauses Consolidation Act, 1845, or by section twenty-two of the [10 & 11 Vict. c. 17.] Waterworks Clauses Act, 1847 (relating to support by minerals) shall take effect as if some other distance than forty yards or the prescribed distance had been mentioned in such sections or had been otherwise prescribed:

Provided that in any case where section seventy-eight aforesaid has effect as amended and re-enacted by Part II. of the [13 & 14 Geo. 5. c. 20.] Mines (Working Facilities and Support) Act, 1923, a university or college may make any agreement authorised by section 85a of the Railway Clauses Consolidation Act, 1845, as enacted in the said Part II.