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New Towns Act 1981

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Introduction

Introductory Text

CONTENTS |

Part I—New Towns and Their Development Corporations
- New towns
- 1 Designation of areas.
- 1ALocal authority to oversee development of new town
- 2 Reduction of designated areas.
- Development corporations
- 3 Establishment of development corporations for new towns.
- 4 Objects and general powers of development corporations.
- 5 Restrictions on powers of development corporations.
- 6 Allocation or transfer of new town functions.
- Planning control in new towns
- 7 Planning control.
- 8Features of special architectural or historic interest.
- 9 Frontages and abutments.
- Acquisition of land by development corporations and highway authorities
- 10 Acquisition of land by development corporations.
- 11 Acquisition of land for highways.
- 12 Local land charges under ss. 10 and 11.
- 13 Acquisition of statutory undertakers’ operational land.
- 14 Application of Compulsory Purchase Act 1965 and modification of Land Compensation Act 1961.
- 15 Compensation for acquisition of statutory undertakers’ operational land.
- 16 Extinguishment of rights over land compulsorily acquired.
- Disposal of land by development corporation
- 17 Conditions as to disposal.
- 18 Disposal to pre-acquisition occupiers.
- Powers exercisable in relation to land acquired by development corporation or highway authority
- 19 Power to override easements and other rights.
- 20 Consecrated land and burial grounds.
- 21 Open spaces.
- 22 Possession of houses.
- 23 Extinguishment of public rights of way.
- 24(1) Where an order under section 23 of this Act...
- 25 Special power to create trunk roads.
- Statutory undertakers, and provision of trolley vehicle services
- 26 Extinguishment of rights of way and removal of apparatus.
- 27 Orders under s. 26.
- 28 Extension or modification of functions.
- 29 Procedure for orders under s. 28.
- 30 Relief from obligations rendered impracticable.
- 31 Objections to orders under ss. 28 and 30.
- 32 Trolley vehicle services by development corporation.
- Public health
- 33 New town may be united district for Public Health Acts.
- 34. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Part II—Transfers from and dissolution of development corporations etc.
- Functions of Welsh Ministers in relation to certain transferred property
- 35 Establishment of Commission.
- 36 Functions of Welsh Ministers
- 37 Restrictions on functions of Commission.
- 38 Local authorities and work for Commission.
- Transfer of property and undertakings of development corporations, and their dissolution
- 39 Power of development corporation to transfer undertakings.
- 40 Transfer of property and undertakings of development corporations, and their dissolution
- 41 Transfer of property ... and dissolution of corporation.
- 41APart 2: interpretation
Part III—. . .
Part IV—Finance
Part V—General and Supplemental
SCHEDULE 1—Procedure for Designating Area
- Application of Schedule: Wales only
- A1This Schedule applies only in relation to an order under...
- Making of orders under section 1
- 1(1) Where the Secretary of State proposes to make an...
- 2(1) Before making the order the Secretary of State shall...
- 3If any objection is duly made to the proposed order...
- 4Subject to paragraph 3 above, the Secretary of State may...
- 5(1) As soon as may be after an order has...
- Validity and date of operation of orders under section 1
- 6(1) If any person aggrieved by an order under section...
- 7Subject to paragraph 6 above, an order under section 1...
SCHEDULE 2—Effect of Order for Reduction of Designated Area
- Disposal of land
- 1(1) Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) to (4) below, the development...
- Licensing
- 2Section 111 of the Licensing Act 1964 shall continue to...
- “Excluded land”
- 3Land ceasing to be contained in the area of a...
SCHEDULE 3—Constitution and Proceedings of Development Corporations
- Appointment of members and tenure of office
- 1(1) The members of a development corporation (in this Schedule...
- 2Subject to the following provisions of this Schedule, a member...
- 3If the chairman or deputy chairman of the corporation ceases...
- 4Any member of the corporation may, by notice in writing...
- 5If the Secretary of State is satisfied that a member...
- 6A member of the corporation who ceases to be a...
- Remuneration
- 7The corporation shall pay to their members, in respect of...
- Pension benefits for chairmen
- 8In the case of any such person, who is or...
- Meetings and proceedings
- 9The quorum of the corporation and the arrangements relating to...
- 10The validity of any proceeding of the corporation shall not...
- Instruments, etc.
- 11The fixing of the seal of the corporation shall be...
- 12Any contract or instrument which, if made or executed by...
- 13Any document purporting to be a document duly executed under...
SCHEDULE 4—Procedure for Authorising Compulsory Acquisitions
- Part I—
  - Acquisitions by development corporations and local highway authorities
  - 1(1) A compulsory purchase order made under this Act by...
  - 2(1) After submitting the order to the Secretary of State,...
  - 3Subject to the provisions of paragraph 4 below in any...
  - 4(1) If any objection is duly made to the order...
  - 5As soon as may be after the order has been...
  - 5A(1) A development corporation submitting an order to the Secretary...
  - 6Where— (a) proceedings are necessary for the purposes of paragraphs...
- Part II—
  - Special provisions applying to acquisitions by local highway authorities
  - 7(1) Subject to this paragraph, where a compulsory purchase order...
  - 8Where there is submitted to the Secretary of State a...
- Part III—
  - Acquisitions by the Secretary of State
  - 9(1) A compulsory purchase order made under section 11(2) above...
  - 10Where the Secretary of State proposes to make such an...
  - 11Paragraphs 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 above shall have...
- Part IV—
  - Special provisions as to certain descriptions of land
  - 12In so far as a compulsory purchase order authorises the...
  - 13(1) In so far as a compulsory purchase order authorises...
- Part V—
  - Validity and date of operation of compulsory purchase orders and certificates
  - 14(1) If any person aggrieved by a compulsory purchase order,...
  - 15Subject to paragraph 14 above, a compulsory purchase order or...
  - 16This Part of this Schedule— (a) shall not apply to...
SCHEDULE 5—Procedure for Authorising Compulsory Acquisition of Statutory Undertakers’ Operational Land
- Part I—
  - Acquisitions by development corporations and local highway authorities
  - 1An application by a development corporation or local highway authority...
  - 2As soon as may be after submitting the application to...
  - 3(1) If— (a) no objection is duly made by any...
  - 4A compulsory purchase order made on such an application shall...
  - 5As soon as may be after a compulsory purchase order...
  - 5A(1) A development corporation making an application under this Part...
- Part II—
  - Acquisitions by Secretary of State
  - 6A compulsory purchase order made by the Secretary of State...
  - 7Where the Secretary of State and the appropriate Minister propose...
  - 8Paragraphs 3 and 5 above have effect in relation to...
- Part III—
  - Modification of Schedule 4 Part V in relation to compulsory purchase orders made in pursuance of s. 13
  - 9Part V of Schedule 4 to this Act has effect...
SCHEDULE 6—Modifications of Enactments for Purposes of this Act
- Part I—
- Part II—
  - Land Compensation Act 1961
  - 6The Upper Tribunal shall not take into account any interest...
SCHEDULE 7—Assessment of Compensation to Statutory Undertakers
- Measure of compensation
- 1(1) Where statutory undertakers are entitled to compensation as mentioned...
- Exclusion of paragraph 1 at option of statutory undertakers
- 2(1) Where statutory undertakers are entitled to compensation in respect...
- Procedure for assessing compensation where paragraph 1 applies
- 3(1) Where the amount of any such compensation as is...
SCHEDULE 8—Procedure for Dealing with Objections to Orders Under sections 23, 28 and 30
SCHEDULE 9—Additional Provisions as to the Commission
- Appointment, resignation and removal of members
- 1 Additional Provisions as to the Commission
- Remuneration, pensions, et ceteralaetc., of members
- 2 Additional Provisions as to the Commission
- Committees
- 3 Additional Provisions as to the Commission
- Remuneration and expenses of members of committees
- 4 Additional Provisions as to the Commission
- Quorum, procedure and validity of proceedings of Commission and committees
- 5 Additional Provisions as to the Commission
- Sealing and execution of documents
- 6 Additional Provisions as to the Commission
- Power to dissolve Commission
- 7 Additional Provisions as to the Commission
- Delegation of powers
- 8 Additional Provisions as to the Commission
SCHEDULE 10—Additional Provisions as to Transfer ... of Property of Development Corporation
SCHEDULE 11—Saving and Transitional Provisions
- General
- 1Where any period of time specified in or under an...
- 2(1) Any provision of this Act relating to anything done...
- Advances to Commission and to development corporations under previous enactments
- 3For the purposes of section 58(6) above—
- 4For the purposes of section 60 above—
- 5For the purposes of section 60 above—
- Saving as to certain provisions relating to housing
- 6Notwithstanding the repeal by this Act of subsections (2) and...
- Land Compensation Act 1961
- 7Notwithstanding the repeal by this Act of the New Towns...
- National Loans Act 1968
- 8Section 24(2) of and Part I of Schedule 6 to...
- 9–10 Saving and Transitional Provisions
- Land Compensation Act 1973
- 11Nothing in this Act affects the operation of the savings...
- House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975
- 12Notwithstanding the repeal by this Act of the New Towns...
- Schedule 25 to the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980
- 13(1) Nothing in— (a) paragraphs (a) and (b) of section...
SCHEDULE 12—Consequential Amendments
- Licensing Act 1964 c. 26
- 1In the Licensing Act 1964— (a) in section 116(1), for...
- National Loans Act 1968 c. 13
- 2In Schedule 1 to the National Loans Act 1968, in...
- New Towns (Scotland) Act 1968 c. 16
- 3In the New Towns (Scotland) Act 1968—
- Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1968 c. 34
- 4In section 13(2) of the Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1968,...
- Post Office Act 1969 c. 48
- 5In paragraph 93(1)(xxv) and (4)(e) of Part II of Schedule...
- 6. . . . . . . . . ....
- 7–8. . . . . . . . . ....
- Land Compensation Act 1973 c. 26
- 9In section 51 of the Land Compensation Act 1973—
- 10In section 57(2) of the Land Compensation Act 1973, for...
- 11. . . . . . . . . ....
- Water Act 1973 c. 37
- 12In section 15(10) of the Water Act 1973 for “New...
- 13–14. . . . . . . . . ....
- House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 c. 24
- 15In Part II of Schedule 1 to the House of...
- 16. . . . . . . . . ....
- Community Land Act 1975 c. 77
- 17In section 1(2) of the Community Land Act 1975 for...
- 18In section 6(1) of the Community Land Act 1975 (in...
- 19. . . . . . . . . ....
- Development of Rural Wales Act 1976 c. 75
- 20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- Rent (Agriculture) Act 1976 c. 80
- 23In section 5(3)(e) of the Rent (Agriculture) Act 1976, for...
- Rent Act 1977 c. 42
- 24In section 14(e) of the Rent Act 1977, for “New...
- 25. . . . . . . . . ....
- National Health Service Act 1977 c. 49
- 26In section 123(1) of the National Health Service Act 1977,...
- Housing Act 1980 c. 51
- 27In the Housing Act 1980— (a) . . . ....
- Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 c. 65
- 28In the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980—
- 29In section 133 of the Local Government, Planning and Land...
- British Telecommunications Act 1981 c. 38
- 30In Part II of Schedule 3 to the British Telecommunications...
SCHEDULE 13—Repeals

Prepared for Unknown User. © ICLR 2026

Changes to legislation: New Towns Act 1981 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 11 Jan 2026. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.

1981 c. 64

An Act to consolidate certain enactments relating to new towns and connected matters, being (except for section 43 of the New Towns Act 1965 and sections 126 and 127 of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 and certain related provisions) enactments which apply only to England and Wales.

[30th October 1981]

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