Agriculture Act 1967

Condition restricting transfers without Minister’s consent U.K.

3 (1) It shall be a condition that, except with the written consent of the appropriate Minister, no person shall transfer to any other a part only, or any estate or interest in a part only, of the land comprised in the unit. U.K.

(2) References in this paragraph to the transfer of land, or of an estate or interest in land, include references to devolution on death or under the terms of a settlement and the High Court may, on the application of a person affected by this sub-paragraph, vary the way in which property is to devolve on a death or under a settlement so that there is no breach of the conditions specified in this paragraph but, subject to that, so that the persons interested in the unit of land, including those to whom property would devolve on the death or under the settlement, so far as required to surrender any interest in the unit of land, are compensated by receiving part of the proceeds of sale of the land or in any other way.

(3) References in this paragraph to the transfer of land, or an estate or interest in land—

(a) include, subject to paragraph (b) below, references to transfer by way of the creation or assignment of a lease, agreement for a lease or tenancy, including in each case a sublease or sub-tenancy,

(b) do not include references to the granting or assignment of any right of occupation the grant of which is made (whether or not expressly to that effect) in contemplation of the use of the land only for grazing or mowing during some specified period of the year, and, without prejudice to the foregoing words, in Northern Ireland do not include references to the transfer or assignment of any rights arising by virtue of a conacre agreement,

(c) do not include references to any reconveyance or other transaction by way of discharge of a mortgage, heritable security or charge, or of the release or disburdening of any land from a mortgage, heritable security or charge.

(4) The application of this paragraph to any transaction shall not invalidate that transaction, but this sub-paragraph shall not be taken as affecting the terms written into a lease, agreement or tenancy by paragraph 1 of this Schedule.