Section 14A — Housing and Planning Act 2016: Register of land

Register of land 14A 1 The Secretary of State may make regulations requiring a local planning authority in England to prepare, maintain and publish a register of land within (or partly within) the authority's area which—

a is of a prescribed description, or b satisfies prescribed criteria.

2 The regulations may require the register to be kept in two or more parts. A reference to the register in the following subsections includes a reference to a prescribed part of the register.

3 The regulations may make provision permitting the local planning authority to enter in the register land within (or partly within) the authority's area which—

a is of a prescribed description or satisfies prescribed criteria, and b is not required by the regulations to be entered in the register.

4 The regulations may—

a require or authorise a local planning authority to carry out consultation and other procedures in relation to entries in the register;

b specify descriptions of land that are not to be entered in the register;

c confer a discretion on a local planning authority, in prescribed circumstances, not to enter in the register land of a prescribed description that the authority would otherwise be required to enter in it;

d require a local planning authority exercising the discretion referred to in paragraph (c) to explain why they have done so;

e specify information to be included in the register;

f make provision about revising the register.

5 The regulations may specify a description of land by reference to a description in national policies and advice.

6 The regulations may confer power on the Secretary of State to require a local planning authority—

a to prepare or publish the register, or to bring the register up to date, by a specified date;

b to provide the Secretary of State with specified information, in a specified form and by a specified date, in relation to the register. In this subsection “ specified ” means specified by the Secretary of State.

7 In exercising their functions under the regulations, a local planning authority must have regard to—

a the development plan;

b national policies and advice;

c any guidance issued by the Secretary of State for the purposes of the regulations.

8 In this section “ national policies and advice ” means national policies and advice contained in guidance issued by the Secretary of State (as it has effect from time to time).