Part I

Listed Buildings
Chapter V

Prevention of Deterioration and Damage

Compulsory acquisition of listed building in need of repair

Repairs notice as preliminary to acquisition under s. 47.
48
1
The compulsory purchase of a building under section 47 shall not be started by the appropriate authority or by the Secretary of State unless at least two months previously the authority or, as the case may be, the Secretary of State has served on the owner of the building a notice under this section (in this section referred to as a “repairs notice”)—
a
specifying the works which the appropriate authority or, as the case may be, the Secretary of State considers reasonably necessary for the proper preservation of the building; and
b
explaining the effect of sections 47 to 50,
and the repairs notice has not been withdrawn.
2
Where—
a
a building is demolished after a repairs notice has been served in respect of it by an appropriate authority or the Secretary of State, but
b
the Secretary of State is satisfied that he would have confirmed or, as the case may be, would have made a compulsory purchase order in respect of the building had it not been demolished,
the demolition of the building shall not prevent the authority or the Secretary of State from being authorised under section 47 to acquire compulsorily the site of the building.
3
An appropriate authority or the Secretary of State may at any time withdraw a repairs notice served by them on any person; and if they do so, they shall immediately give him notice of the withdrawal.
4
The Secretary of State shall consult with the Commission before he serves or withdraws a repairs notice in relation to a building ....
5
Where a repairs notice has been served on a person in respect of a building, he shall not be entitled to serve a listed building purchase notice in respect of it—
a
until the expiration of three months beginning with the date of the service of the repairs notice; or
b
if during that period the compulsory acquisition of the building is begun under section 47, unless and until the compulsory acquisition is discontinued.
6
For the purposes of this section a compulsory acquisition—
a
is started when the notice required by section 12 of the Acquisition of Land Act 1981 or, as the case may be, paragraph 3(1) of Schedule 1 to that Act is served; and
b
is discontinued—
i
in the case of acquisition by the Secretary of State, when he decides not to make the compulsory purchase order; and
ii
in any other case, when the order is withdrawn or the Secretary of State decides not to confirm it.
7
In this section “appropriate authority” has the same meaning as in section 47.
Ss. 47–50 modified by S.I. 1990/1519, reg. 13(1)
S. 48 amended (19.9.1995) by 1995 c. 25, ss. 70, 125(2), Sch. 9 para. 13(1) (with ss. 7(6), 115, 117, Sch. 8 para. 7)
S. 48: functions of local authority not to be responsibility of an executive of the authority (E.) (16.11.2000) by virtue of S.I. 2000/2853, reg. 2(1), Sch. 1 Table A25
1981 c.67.
Pt. I Ch. V (ss. 47–49): power to apply conferred by Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (c. 8, SIF 123:1), s. 243(3)(b)
Ss. 32-50 applied in part (Isles of Scilly) (with modifications) (2.10.2013) by The Town and Country Planning (Isles of Scilly) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/2148), arts. 1(1), 3, Sch. 1 (with art. 1(2))
Words in s. 48(4) omitted (4.11.2024) by virtue of Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2023 (asc 3), s. 212(2), Sch. 13 para. 126 (with Sch. 14 paras. 1-3); S.I. 2024/860, art. 3(d)