The Housing (Right to Acquire and Right to Buy) (Designated Rural Areas and Designated Regions) (Wales) Order 2003

Name and commencement

1.  The name of this Order is the Housing (Right to Acquire and Right to Buy) (Designated Rural Areas and Designated Regions) (Wales) Order 2002 and it comes into force on 7th February 2003.

Designation of rural areas

2.  The communities specified in the Schedule to this Order are designated as rural areas for the purposes of section 157(1)(c) of the Housing Act 1985 (restriction on disposal of dwelling houses in National Parks, etc.) and section 17(1)(b) of the Housing Act 1996 (right of tenant to acquire dwelling).

Designated regions

3.  In relation to a dwellinghouse in Wales other than one to which Article 4 of this order applies, which is situated in a National Park or an area designated under section 82 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000(1), or section 87 of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949(2) or an area designated by Article 2 of this order as a rural area, the designated region for the purposes of section 157(3) of the Housing Act 1985 shall comprise the following:

(a)that National Park or area of outstanding natural beauty or designated rural area, as the case may be; and

(b)so much of the county or county borough in which the dwellinghouse is situated as is not within that National Park, area of outstanding natural beauty or designated rural area.

Wye Valley Area

4.—(1) This article applies to dwellinghouses situated in the areas designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty for the purposes of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 by the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Designation) (Wales) Order 1971.

(2) In relation to a dwellinghouse to which this article applies, the designated region for the purposes of section 157(3) of the 1985 Act shall be the area comprising the following:

(a)the area designated by that order, and

(b)so much of the county in which the dwellinghouse is situated as is not within the area designated by that order.

Revocation and amendment

5.—(1) The Housing (Right to Buy) (Designated Rural Areas and Designated Regions) (Wales) Order 1980(3) is revoked;

(2) For every dwellinghouse in the communities specified in the Schedule to this Order which has been occupied by its current tenant or tenants on or after the 7th of February 2003, Article 3 of the Leasehold Reform and Housing (Excluded Tenancies) (Designated Rural Areas) (Wales) Order 1997(4) shall be read as if paragraph (b) has been deleted; and

(3) For every dwellinghouse in the communities specified in the Schedule to this Order which was occupied by its current tenant or tenants before the 7th of February 2003, Article 3 of the Leasehold Reform and Housing (Excluded Tenancies) (Designated Rural Areas) (Wales) Order 1997(5) paragraph (b) shall continue to have effect instead of the provisions of this Order.

Signed on behalf of the National Assembly for Wales under section 66(1) of the Government of Wales Act 1998(6).

D.Elis-Thomas

The Presiding Officer of the National Assembly

14th January 2002