Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1931

Treatment of improvement area.

13.—(1) A local authority who have passed a resolution declaring an area to be an improvement area, shall so soon as may be—

(a) in the case of dwelling-houses which are unfit for human habitation, serve notices under Part III of this Act requiring the execution of all necessary works thereon, or the demolition thereof, and enforce compliance with those notices;

(b) in so far as the improvement of the area involves the purchase of land for opening out the area, proceed to purchase that land unless the local authority are satisfied that the opening out of the area will be adequately carried out by the owner or owners of the land.

(2) A local authority who have purchased any land under this section, shall carry out, or secure the carrying out of such demolitions as may be necessary for opening out the area, and, subject thereto, shall deal with that land by sale, letting or appropriation in accordance with the provisions of section 10 of this Act.

(3) Where any action taken by a local authority under this section with respect to a dwelling-house in an improvement area results in the tenant of that house, or any part thereof, removing therefrom, then notwithstanding anything in the Increase of Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Acts, 1923 to 1930, those Acts if applicable to that house or part, shall not cease to apply thereto by reason only of the fact that upon such removal the landlord comes into possession of the house or part of the house.

(4) The declaration of any area to be an improvement area shall not preclude any local authority from exercising any powers which in the absence of such a declaration would have been exercisable by them within that area.