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Universities and College Estates Act 1925

1925 CHAPTER 24 15 and 16 Geo 5

An Act to consolidate the Universities and College Estates Acts 1858 to 1898, and enactments amending those Acts.

[9th April 1925]

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1Act extended with modification by Universities and Colleges (Trusts) Act 1943 (c. 9), s. 2(3)

C3Act applied (E.W.) (1.11.1993) by 1993 c. 28, s. 61, Sch. 14 para.10 (with ss. 94(2), 95); S.I. 1993/2134, art. 5(a).

Commencement Information

I1Act wholly in force at 1. 1. 1926 by s. 45(2) (now repealed)

1 Universities and Colleges to which the Act applies.U.K.

The universities and colleges to which this Act applies are the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Durham, and the colleges or halls in those universities, and the Colleges of Saint Mary of Winchester, near Winchester, and of King Henry the Sixth at Eton, and for the purposes of this Act the Cathedral or House of Christ Church in Oxford shall be considered to be a college in the University of Oxford.

[F1General power over landU.K.

Textual Amendments

F1S. 1A and cross-heading inserted (19.5.2025) by Charities Act 2022 (c. 6), ss. 24(2), 41(4); S.I. 2024/265, reg. 4, Sch. 2 para. 2

1AGeneral power over landU.K.

(1)A university or college has in relation to land belonging to the university or college all the powers of an absolute owner.

(2)The power conferred by subsection (1) is subject to—

(a)any restriction, condition or limitation imposed by, or arising under, any enactment,

(b)any rule of law or equity, or

(c)the statutes regulating the university or college.]

Sale and ExchangeU.K.

F22 Powers of sale and exchange.U.K.

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F23 Regulations respecting sales.U.K.

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F24 Regulations respecting exchanges.U.K.

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F25 Payment to Minister of money payable on sale or exchange. U.K.

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Textual Amendments

Leasing PowersU.K.

F26 Powers to lease for building or mining or ordinary purposes.U.K.

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Textual Amendments

F27 Regulations respecting leases generally.U.K.

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F28 Leasing powers for special objects.U.K.

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F29 Regulations respecting building leases.U.K.

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F210 Regulations respecting mining leases.U.K.

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F211 Variation of building or mining lease according to circumstances of district.U.K.

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F212 Application of mineral rents, &c.U.K.

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Surrenders and RegrantsU.K.

F213 Surrenders and regrants.U.K.

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Miscellaneous PowersU.K.

F214 Power to grant water rights to statutory bodies.U.K.

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Textual Amendments

F215 Power to grant land for public and charitable purposes.U.K.

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F216 Dedication for streets, open spaces, &c.U.K.

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F217 Power to compromise claims and release restrictions, &c.U.K.

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F218 Power to vary leases and grants.U.K.

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F219 Power to apportion rents.U.K.

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F220 Provisions as to consideration.U.K.

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F221 General power to effect any transaction under an order of the Minister.U.K.

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F222 Separate dealing with surface and minerals, with or without wayleaves, &c.U.K.

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F223 Power to grant options.U.K.

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F224 Power to enter into contracts.U.K.

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F225 Exercise of powers; limitation of provisions, &c.U.K.

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Investment or other application of Capital MoneyU.K.

F226 Modes of investment or application of capital money. U.K.

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Textual Amendments

F227 Provisions as to money in court.U.K.

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F228 Provision as to money payable into court or to trustees.U.K.

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F229 Application of money paid for lease or reversion.U.K.

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Power of raising MoneyU.K.

F230 Power to raise money with consent of the Minister for improvements. U.K.

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Textual Amendments

F231 Power to raise money by way of compensation for loss of fines on non-renewal of leases.U.K.

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Textual Amendments

F232 Provision for the discharge of money borrowed on mortgage. U.K.

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Special Provisions as to Advowsons, & c.U.K.

F233 Power to sell advowsons, &c.U.K.

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Textual Amendments

F234 Power to purchase advowsons, &c.U.K.

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F235 Power to substitute lands, &c. for rents, &c. as endowments of benefices.U.K.

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Textual Amendments

F236 Severances of benefices from headships of colleges.U.K.

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F237 Power to transfer advowsons, &c. gratuitously.U.K.

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Provisions as to the MinisterU.K.

F238 Provisions as to consents by Minister.U.K.

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39. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F3U.K.

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Supplemental ProvisionsU.K.

40 Power to transfer to the university or college lands vested in individual members thereof.U.K.

When any lands are vested in any person being a member of a university or college in trust or for the benefit of the university or college, or the head or any other member thereof, it shall be lawful for such person F4... to convey and transfer such lands in such manner as that the same may be vested in the university or college in its corporate capacity, upon the trusts nevertheless affecting the same lands respectively.

Textual Amendments

F4Words in s. 40 omitted (19.5.2025) by virtue of Charities Act 2022 (c. 6), ss. 24(4), 41(4); S.I. 2024/265, reg. 4, Sch. 2 para. 2

41 Land to which Act applies and mode of exercise of powers.U.K.

(1)The powers and provisions of this Act relating to land belonging to a university or college shall extend and be applicable not only to land vested in the university or college, or in any body constituted for holding land belonging to the university or college, and held as the property or for the general purposes of the university or college, but also to land so vested which may be held upon any trusts, or for any special endowment or other purposes, connected with the university or college.

(2)The power conferred by this Act on a university or college may as respects each particular university or college be exercised by such body and in such manner as may be provided by the statutes regulating that university or college.

42 Saving of existing powers.U.K.

Nothing in this Act contained shall restrain a university or college, or other body constituted for holding land belonging to a university or college, from exercising any powers of sale, exchange, purchase, or borrowing, or from granting any leases or making any grants, whether by way of renewal or otherwise, which the university or college might have exercised or granted under the provisions of any Act of Parliament, whether public general or local or private, or under any other authority, or in any other manner whatsoever, in case this Act had not been passedF5...

Textual Amendments

F5Words in s. 42 omitted (19.5.2025) by virtue of Charities Act 2022 (c. 6), ss. 24(5), 41(4); S.I. 2024/265, reg. 4, Sch. 2 para. 2

43 Definitions.U.K.

In this Act F6...:—

F7(i). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F8(ii). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(iii)“Hereditaments” mean real property which on an intestacy might before the commencement of the M1Law of Property Act 1922, have devolved on an heir;

(iv)“Land” includes land of any tenure, and mines and minerals whether or not held apart from the surface, buildings or parts of buildings (whether the division is horizontal, vertical or otherwise) and all other corporeal hereditaments; also a manor, an advowson, and a rent and all other incorporeal hereditaments, and an easement, right, privilege, or benefit in, over, or derived from land [F9, but not an undivided share in land];

(v)“Lease” includes an agreement for a lease;

(vi)“Manor” includes lordship, and reputed manor or lordship; and “manorial incidents” has the same meaning as in the M2Law of Property Act 1922;

(vii)“Mines and minerals” mean mines and minerals whether already opened or in work or not, and include all minerals and substances in, on, or under the land, obtainable by underground or by surface working; and “mining purposes” include the sinking and searching for, winning, working, getting, making merchantable, smelting or otherwise converting or working for the purposes of any manufacture, carrying away, and disposing of mines and minerals, in or under [F10any] land, and the erection of buildings, and the execution of engineering and other works suitable for those purposes; and a “mining lease” is a lease for any mining purposes or purposes connected therewith, and includes a grant or licence for any mining purposes;

F11(viii). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(ix)“Rent” includes yearly or other rent, and toll, duty, royalty, or other reservation, by the acre, or the ton, or otherwise; and, in relation to rent, “payment” includes delivery; and “fine” includes premium or fore-gift, and any payment, consideration, or benefit in the nature of a fine, premium, or fore-gift;

F12(x). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F9Words in s. 43(iv) repealed (E.W.) (1.1.1997) by 1996 c. 47, s. 25(2), Sch. 4 (with ss. 24(2), 25(4)(5)); S.I. 1996/2974, art.2

Marginal Citations

44 Repeals.U.K.

(1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F13 nothing in this repeal shall affect the validity of anything done before the commencement of this Act, or shall affect any consent, order, authority, or direction given under any enactment so repealed; but any such consent, order, authority, or direction shall have effect as if made under the corresponding provisions of this Act.

(2)References in any document to any enactment repealed by this Act shall be construed as references to this Act or the corresponding provisions of this Act.

Textual Amendments

45 Short title.U.K.

(1)This Act may be cited as the Universities and College Estates Act 1925.

(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F14

Textual Amendments

F14S. 45(2), Sch. 2 repealed by Statute Law Revision Act 1950 (c. 6), Sch. 1

SCHEDULES

F15FIRST SCHEDULEU.K.

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F16F16SECOND SCHEDULEU.K.

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