City of Westminster Act 1996

8Service of notices

(1)Any notice, summons or other document required or authorised to be served or given under this Act may be served or given either—

(a)by delivering it to the person on whom it is to be served or to whom it is to be given; or

(b)by leaving it at the usual or last known place of abode or business of that person, or, in a case where an address for service has been given by that person, at that address; or

(c)by sending it in a prepaid registered letter, or by the recorded delivery service, addressed to that person at his usual or last known place of abode or business, or, in a case where an address for service has been given by that person, at that address; or

(d)in the case of a company or body incorporated in England or Wales, by delivering it to the secretary or clerk of the company or body at their registered or principal office, or sending it in a prepaid registered letter, or by the recorded delivery service, addressed to the secretary or clerk of the company or body at that office.

(2)Where the name of the person on whom the notice, summons or document is to be served cannot be ascertained after reasonable inquiry, or that person is a company or body incorporated outside England or Wales, the notice, summons or document shall be taken to be duly served if a copy of it is affixed conspicuously to some object on the premises and—

(a)it is addressed to that person either by name or by the description of “the owner” or “the manager”, or as the case may be, “the occupier” of the premises (describing them) and is delivered or sent in the manner specified in subsection (1) (a), (b) or (c) above; or

(b)it is so addressed and is marked in such a manner that it is plainly identifiable as a communication of importance and—

(i)it is sent to the premises in a prepaid registered letter or by the recorded delivery service and is not returned to the authority sending it; or

(ii)it is delivered to some person on those premises.

(3)This section is without prejudice to section 233 of the [1972 c. 70.] Local Government Act 1972 (general provisions as to service of notices by local authorities).