HC Deb 02 July 1982 vol 26 c1177

Lords amendment: No. 83, in page 37, line 24, at beginning insert Subject to subsection (3A) of this section,".

Mr. Macfarlane

I beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said amendment.

Mr. Deputy Speaker

With this we may take Lords amendment No. 84.

Mr. Macfarlane

The purpose of these two minor amendments to clause 31 is to introduce into the new section 109A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 a new subsection (3A), which has the effect of modifying the obligation on a district council to give advance notice of its intention to remove or obliterate an illegal placard or poster in cases where it cannot readily find out where the person responsible for displaying it lives or works. The council's obligation is now to be limited so that it is entitled to proceed to remove or obliterate the illegal "fly-posting", without giving advance warning, when "reasonable inquiry" fails to establish the whereabouts of the person who should be notified. This is a sensible relaxation of what might otherwise be a somewhat onerous responsibility for district councils to discharge. It has been introduced following consideration of comments made in Committee in the other place, largely at the instance of the Association of Metropolitan Authorities.

Question put and agreed to.

Lords amendments Nos. 84 to 87 agreed to.

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