Water Resources Act 1991

157 Restriction on disposals of compulsorily acquired land

(1) The Authority shall not dispose of any of its compulsorily acquired land, or of any interest or right in or over any of that land, except with the consent of, or in accordance with a general authorisation given by, one of the Ministers.

(2) A consent or authorisation for the purposes of this section—

(a) shall be set out in a notice served on the Authority by the Minister who is giving the consent or authorisation; and

(b) in the case of an authorisation, may be combined with an authorisation for the purposes of section 156 of the [1991 c. 56.] Water Industry Act 1991 (restrictions on disposals of land by a water or sewerage undertaker).

(3) A consent or authorisation for the purposes of this section may be given on such conditions as the Minister who is giving it considers appropriate.

(4) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (3) above, the conditions of a consent or authorisation for the purposes of this section may include a requirement that, before there is any disposal, an opportunity of acquiring the land in question, or an interest or right in or over that land, is to be made available to such person as may be specified in or determined under provision contained in the notice setting out the consent or authorisation in question.

(5) A requirement under subsection (4) above may require the opportunity to be made available in such manner and on such terms as may be specified in or determined under provision contained in the notice setting out the consent or authorisation in question.

(6) In this section “compulsorily acquired land”, in relation to the Authority, means any land of the Authority which—

(a) was acquired by the Authority compulsorily under the provisions of section 154 above or of an order under section 168 below;

(b) was acquired by the Authority at a time when it was authorised under those provisions to acquire the land compulsorily;

(c) being land which has been transferred to the Authority in accordance with a scheme under Schedule 2 to the [1989 c. 15.] Water Act 1989, was acquired by a predecessor of the Authority compulsorily under so much of any enactment in force at any time before 1st September 1989 as conferred powers of compulsory acquisition; or

(d) being land which has been so transferred, was acquired by such a predecessor at a time when it was authorised to acquire the land by virtue of any such powers as are mentioned in paragraph (c) above.