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Agricultural Land (Utilisation) Act 1931

21 & 22 Geo. 5 c. 41 · Enacted 31 July 1931 · Extends to England, Wales and Scotland

Up to date with all changes known to legislation.gov.uk, revised to 16 June 2025.

An Act to promote the better utilisation of agricultural land in Great Britain and the settlement of unemployed persons thereon, to amend the law relating to small holdings and allotments, and for purposes connected with the matters aforesaid.

[31st July 1931]C1C2C3C4

Annotations to the whole text

Textual amendments

F1

Act repealed (S.) (16.6.2025) by Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024 (asp 11), s. 38(2), sch. 2 Pt. 1; S.S.I. 2025/167, reg. 2, sch.

Modifications

C1

Act restricted (E.W.) by Allotments Act 1950 (c. 31), s. 9

C2

Style and title of Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries now changed to Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by S.I. 1955/554 (1955 I, p. 1200)

C3

Words of enactment omitted under authority of Statute Law Revision Act 1948 (c. 62), s. 3

C4

Certain functions of Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food transferred by S.I. 1978/272, art. 2

Act: Functions of a Minister of the Crown transferred to the National Assembly for Wales (W.) (1.7.1999) by S.I. 1999/672, art. 2, Sch. 1

Contents

  1. Part I: Promotion of Better Utilisation of Agricultural Land in Great Britain
  2. 1—4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  3. Part II: Small Holdings and Allotments
  4. Small Holdings
  5. 5—7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  6. 8—10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  7. 11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  8. 12Power of county councils to provide cottage holdings.
  9. Allotments
  10. 13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  11. 14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  12. 15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  13. 16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  14. General
  15. 17Minor amendments of Small Holdings and Allotments Acts.
  16. 18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  17. 19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  18. 20Interpretation and construction.
  19. Part III: Supplementary
  20. 21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  21. 22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  22. 23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  23. 24Application to Scotland. Repealed
  24. 25Short title, citation and extent.
  25. Schedule FIRSTSchedule FIRST
  26. Schedule SECONDMinor Amendments of Small Holdings and Allotments Acts.

1—4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1F2

5—7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1F2

8—10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1F2

11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F2F1

12Power of county councils to provide cottage holdings.F1

(1)

The power of county councils to provide small holdings for persons who desire to buy or lease them shall include power to provide a cottage holding for any person who is, in the opinion of the council, a suitable person and who satisfies them that—

(a)

he will reside permanently in the dwelling-house comprised in the holding; and

(b)

he has the intention, knowledge and capital to cultivate satisfactorily the land forming part of the cottage holding,

and all the provisions of the Small Holdings and Allotments Acts with respect to small holdings shall apply to cottage holdings accordingly but subject to the modification that section six of the M1Small Holdings and Allotments Act, 1926, shall, in relation to any such holding, whether provided under this section or under the section thereby repealed, have effect as if among the conditions specified in subsection (1) of the said section six there were included a condition that the owner or occupier, as the case may be, shall reside permanently in the dwelling-house comprised in the holding. F2Provided that this section shall have effect subject to section 60 of the Agriculture Act 1970

(F31A)

If the tenant of a cottage holding feels aggrieved by a prohibition such as is mentioned in the proviso to section 47(1) of the Small Holdings and Allotments Act M21908 (prohibition of improvements), he may appeal to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, who may confirm, vary or annul the prohibition, and the decision of the Minister shall be final.

(2)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F4

13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F2F1

14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F2F1

15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F2F1

16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F2F1

17Minor amendments of Small Holdings and Allotments Acts.F1C2

C1(1)

The amendments specified in the second column of the Second Schedule to this Act (which relate to matters in minor detail) shall be made in the enactments specified in the first column of that Schedule.

(2)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F2

18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F2F1

19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F2F1

20Interpretation and construction.F1

(1)

In this Part of this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

  • “Cottage holding” means a holding comprising a dwelling-house, together with not less than forty perches and not more than one acre of agricultural land which can be cultivated by the occupier of the dwelling-house and his family;

  • “Small Holdings and Allotments Acts” means the Small Holdings and Allotments Acts, 1908 to 1926, the Allotments Acts, 1908 to 1925, and this Act;

  • “Society” includes any body of persons, whether incorporated or unincorporated, and shall have the same meaning in all the enactments with which this Act is construed as one.

(2)

Except where the context otherwise requires, references in this Part of this Act to any enactment or to any provision of any enactment shall be construed as references to that enactment or provision as amended by any subsequent enactment, including this Part of this Act, and this Part of this Act shall, except so far as it applies to Scotland, be construed as one with the Small Holdings and Allotments Acts, 1908 to 1926, and the Allotments Acts, 1908 to 1925.

21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F2F1

22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1F2

23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F2F1

24Application to Scotland.F1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

25Short title, citation and extent.F1

(1)

This Act may be cited as the Agricultural Land (Utilisation) Act, 1931, and Part II of this Act and the Small Holdings and Allotments Acts, 1908 to 1926, may be cited as the Small Holdings and Allotments Acts, 1908 to 1931, and so much of the said Part II as relates to allotments and the Allotments Acts, 1908 to 1925, may be cited as the Allotments Acts, 1908 to 1931.

(2)

This Act shall not extend to Northern Ireland.

Schedule FIRSTF1F2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Schedule SECONDMinor Amendments of Small Holdings and Allotments Acts.C1F1

Enactment to be amended.Amendment.
The Small Holdings and Allotments Act, 1908:
F2. . .. . .
. . .. . .
The Allotments Act, 1925:
Section 8After the word “purchased” there shall be inserted the words “or appropriated,” and after the word “consent,” where that word occurs for the second time, there shall be inserted the words “may be given unconditionally or subject to such conditions as the Minister thinks fit, but”
The Small Holdings and Allotments Act, 1926:
. . .. . .
Section 13After the word “repayable” there shall be inserted the words “with interest at such rate as may be agreed between the council and the purchaser”
Section 14After the words “provided by” in both places where those words occur there shall be inserted the words “, or purchased with the assistance of,”