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164
HOUSING AND TOWN PLANNING ACT, 1909.
The object of this Act as stated in its title is " to amend the law relating to
" the Housing of the Working Classes, to provide for the making of Town
" Planning Schemes, and to make further provision with respect to the
" appointment and duties of County Medical Officers of Health, and to provide
" for the establishment of Public Health and Housing Committees of County
" Councils." It is divided into four Parts and six Schedules, but Parts II.
and III. which relate to town planning and to County Medical Officers, etc., do
not directly concern Metropolitan Borough Councils. The Act came into force
on the 3rd December, 1909.
The chief provisions of the Act affecting the Metropolitan Borough Councils
are summarised below.
Part III. of the principal Art to take effect without adoption.
Part III. of the principal Act, i.e., the Housing of the Working Classes Act,
1890, as amended by the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1900, could
only be put into operation in araas for which it had been formally adopted.
The effect of Section 1 of the new Act is that Part III. of the principal Act
extends to and takes effect in every urban or rural district or other place in
England and Wales for which it has not been adopted, as if it had been so
adopted.
Acquisition of land for purpose of Part III. of the principal Act.
Prior to the passing of the new Act a local Authority could only acquire
land otherwise than by agreement for the purpose of Part III of the principal
Act by means of a Provisional Order, which was of no effect until confirmed
by Parliament. Now, however, under the provisions of Section 2(1) and (2)
of the new Act a local authority may be authorised to purchase land compulsorily
for these purposes by means of an order submitted to the Board and
•confirmed by them in accordance with Schedule 1 to the Act, and this procedure
is substituted for the former procedure for the same purpose.
By Section 2 (3) of the new Act the Council are expressly empowered, with
the consent of, and subject to any conditions imposed by, the Board, to acquire
land by agreement for the purposes of Part III. of the principal Act, notwithstanding
that the land is not immediately required for these purposes.
This enactment only enables the Council to acquire land by agreement, and
doss not extend to compulsory purchase.
Loans by Public Works Loan Commissioners to local authorities for purposes
of the Housing Acts.
Under the Housing Acts, the Council are empowered to borrow, with the
sanction of the London County Council, for a period not exceeding 80 years;
but hitherto the maximum period for which the Public Works Loan
Commissioners could lend the money has been 50 years, and the longer the
duration of the loan the greater was the rate of interest chargeable.