Development of Rural Wales Act 1976
| Year | 1976 |
Development of Rural Wales Act 1976
1976 CHAPTER 75
An Act to establish a Development Board for Rural Wales, to confer power on the Secretary of State to pay housing and rent rebate subsidies to the Board, to make provision in relation to certain other bodies concerned with the development of Wales, to confer power on the Secretary of State to give financial assistance to bodies concerned with the social development of Wales and for purposes connected with those purposes.
[22nd November 1976]
Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
Development Board for Rural Wales
1 Establishment and general function of DevelopmentBoard for Rural Wales.
(1) For the purpose of promoting the economic and social well-being of the people in the area of Wales for which it is responsible under this Act, there shall be a body to be called the Development Board for Rural Wales (in this Act referred to as ‘the Board’) having, in relation to that area, the functions conferred or imposed by this Act.
(2) The area in Wales for which the Board is responsible under this Act is, subject to subsection (3) below, the county of Powys and the districts of Ceredigion and Meirionnydd and such other areas in Wales as the Secretary of State may from time to time designate by order.
(3) The Secretary of State may by order designate an area which is to cease from the coming into operation of the order to be part of the area for which, by virtue of subsection (2) above, the Board is responsible under this Act.
(4) Before making an order under subsection (2) or (3) above, the Secretary of State shall consult—
(a ) in the case of a proposal to make an order under subsection (2), the council of each county and of each district any part of whose area is or, if the order is made, will be included in the area for which the Board is responsible;
(b ) in the case of a proposal to make an order under subsection (3), the council of each county and of each district any part of whose area is included in the area for which the Board is responsible;
(c ) such organisations as appear to the Secretary of State to be representative of local authorities in Wales; and
(d ) such other persons as appear to him to have an interest in the proposed change in the area for which the Board is responsible.
(5) Subject to subsection (6) below, the general function of the Board under this Act is to prepare, concert, promote, support and undertake measures for the economic and social development of the area for which it is responsible and in particular for the development of any area of a new town or new town situated within the area for which it is responsible.
(6) Except so far as it is authorised under section 4(1)(h ) of this Act, the Board shall not engage in farming any land held by it or in forestry or afforestation on such land.
(7) Schedule 1 to this Act shall have effect in relation to the Board.
(8) An order under subsection (3) above may contain such incidental, consequential, transitional or supplemental provisions as appear to the Secretary of State to be necessary or expedient.
2 Directions of the Secretary of State to the Board.
2. The Secretary of State may, after consultation with the Board, give to the Board directions as to the exercise and performance of their functions, and the Board shall give effect to any such directions.
3 Duties of the Board.
(1) In pursuance of its general function under section 1(5) of this Act the Board shall have the following duties—
(a ) to keep under review all matters relating to the economic and social development of the area for which it is responsible;
(b ) from time to time to prepare and submit to the Secretary of State for his approval proposals (whether of a general or specific character) for the economic and social development of the area or any part of it;
(c ) to concert, promote, support or undertake measures to implement any proposals so approved;
(d ) to advise the Secretary of State on such matters relating to the Board's functions as he may refer to the Board or as the Board may think fit;
(e ) as soon as possible after the end of each accounting year, to make to the Secretary of State in accordance with paragraph 17 of Schedule 1 to this Act a report as respects that year on the discharge of its functions.
(2) In relation to any area of a new town or new town situated within the area for which the Board is responsible—
(a ) no development corporation shall be established under section 2 of the New Towns Act 1965 for that town or if one has been so established it shall be dissolved by order of the Secretary of State under this paragraph on such day as may be specified in the order; and
(b ) it shall be for the Board to discharge its functions under this Act and to discharge them under and in accordance with the new towns code in so far as that code confers or imposes functions or applies to the discharge of functions under this Act.
(3) Subsection (2) above applies whether the area of the new town was designated or the development corporation was established before or after the passing of this Act and whether the area of the new town was designated before or after the area of the new town became part of the area for which the Board is responsible.
(4) An order under subsection (2)(a ) above—
(a ) shall include provision transferring to the Board on the date on which the development corporation is dissolved the property, rights, liabilities and obligations of the development corporation;
(b ) may include such further incidental, consequential, transitional or supplemental provisions as appear to the Secretary of State to be necessary or expedient;
and Schedule 2 to this Act shall have effect with respect to the members and staff of a development corporation dissolved by such an order.
(5) Subsection (2)(b ) above applies also in relation to land which is (within the meaning of section 6(3) of this Act) associated with the area of a new town situated within the area for which the Board is responsable.
(6) The Board shall, before it prepares or submits proposals under subsection (1)(b ) above to the Secretary of State for his approval, consult—
(a ) each planning authority having functions in relation to the area for which the Board is responsible or the part of the area to which the proposals relate; and
(b ) such other local authorities and other bodies as appear to the Board to have an interest in the proposals.
(7) The Secretary of State may, subject to paragraph 1 of Schedule 3 to this Act, approve in whole or in part (and with or without modifications) any proposals so submitted to him or may refuse to approve them.
(8) Copies of every report made to the Secretary of State under subsection (1)(e ) above shall be laid by him before each House of Parliament.
4 General powers of the Board.
(1) For the purpose of enabling it to discharge its general function under this Act, the Board shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, have the following powers in relation to the area for which it is responsible, that is to say, power—
(a ) to acquire, hold, manage, develop and dispose of land or other property;
(b ) to carry out building and other operations;
(c ) to provide services for any land or other property;
(d ) to provide finance—
(i) for the taking by any local authority or statutory undertakers of such measures as the Board considers will contribute to the economic or social development of that area; or
(ii) for such activities of other persons as the Board considers will contribute to the social development of that area;
(e ) as agent of the Welsh Development Agency, to provide finance for persons carrying on or intending to carry on industrial undertakings in that area;
(f ) as agent of the Welsh Development Agency, to provide services (other than finance) for any undertaking or business which is or is intended to be carried on in that area;
(g ) to carry on or acquire and carry on any undertaking or business;
(h ) to do anything which is likely to facilitate the discharge of the Board's functions or is incidental or conducive to their discharge.
(2) The things which may be done under paragraph (h ) of subsection (1) above include the carrying out of agricultural operations and the carrying on of forestry and afforestation.
(3) The powers conferred by paragraphs (c ), (d ) and (h ) of subsection (1) above may be exercised outside the area for which the Board is responsible.
(4) Finance may be provided under this section by way of grant, loan or the giving of guarantees or by any combination of those means.
(5) The conditions which may be attached to the provision of finance under this section include conditions for repayment of the whole or any part of a grant in any circumstances.
(6) The Board shall not exercise the powers—
(a ) to dispose of land or other property, or
(b ) to provide finance under subsection (1)(d ) above, or
(c ) to carry on or acquire and carry on any undertaking or business,
without the consent of the...
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