1908.] 



Small Holdings Act. 



755 



powers of compulsory acquisition on behalf of the Parish Council. Any land so 

 acquired by a County Council will be handed over to the Parish Council, who must 

 pay all the expenses incurred by the County Council in the matter. 



The price or rent to be paid by the Parish Council must not exceed such an 

 amount as will, in the opinion of the Council, permit of all expenses being recouped 

 out of the rents to be obtained from the allotments. The rents to be charged for the 

 allotments must be such as may reasonably be expected to secure the Council against 

 loss. 



Parish Councils may improve and adapt any land acquired by them ior allotments 

 by draining, fencing, &c. , and may erect thereon cottages and buildings or may make 

 adaptations of existing buildings, but not more than one cottage may be erected for 

 occupation with any one allotment, and no cottage may be erected for occupation with 

 any allotment of less than one acre. 



Parish Councils can borrow money for the acquisition or adaptation of land for 

 allotments under and in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Act, 

 1894. No expense or liability involving a loan may be incurred without the consent 

 of the Parish Meeting and the County Council, and a Parish Council must obtain the 

 consent of the County Council and the Local Government Board before they proceed 

 to raise a loan. Money may be borrowed under the Local Government Act, 1894, to 

 be repaid within such time not exceeding 60 years as the Parish Council, with the 

 sanction of the Local Government Board, may determine, but the Public Works Loan 

 Commissioners, who are authorised to lend money to Parish Councils for the acquisi- 

 tion, improvement or adaptation of land for allotments, can only do so for a period 

 not exceeding 50 years. Parish Councils may raise a loan in the open market, but 

 probably they will be able to get the money on better terms if they borrow from the 

 Public Works Loan Commissioners, or from the County Council, who are empowered 

 to lend to a Parish Council any money which the Parish Council are authorised to 

 borrow. By section 11 of the Local Government Act, 1894, Parish Councils are not 

 permitted to raise for general expenses a sum exceeding the amount of a rate of 3^. 

 in the pound without the consent of the Parish Meeting, or of 6d. in the pound if such 

 consent is obtained, and the general expenses to which these limits apply include the 

 amount of any annual charge, whether of principal or interest, in respect of any loan. 

 Any money borrowed by a Parish Council for the acquisition, improvement or adapta- 

 tion of land for allotments is not, however, to be reckoned as part of the debt of the 

 parish for the purpose of the limitation on borrowing under section 12 of the Local 

 Government Act, 1894, which restricts the total outstanding loans of a Parish Council 

 to one-half of the assessable value of the parish. 



A Parish Council may let any land acquired by them for allotments to persons 

 belonging to the labouring population resident in the parish, but no person may hold 

 any allotment or allotments acquired under the Acts exceeding five acres in extent, 

 except in special cases with the consent of the County Council. 



A Parish Council may let land for allotments to persons working on a co-operative 

 system or, with the consent of the Board, to an association formed for the purpose of 

 creating or promoting the creation of allotments, and so constituted that the division 

 of profits among the members of the association is prohibited or restricted. 



Parish Councils may make regulations, subject to the confirmation of the Board, 

 with respect to the letting of allotments under the Acts, and the Board have, there- 

 fore, drawn up draft model regulations for the purpose, two copies of which are 

 enclosed.* If your Council have not already done so, the Board suggest that they 

 should consider the advisability of making regulations relating to the letting of allot- 

 ments in general accordance with the model regulations, and it will be convenient that 

 any regulations proposed to be made should be submitted to the Board for their pro- 

 visional sanction, before steps are taken to advertise them in accordance with the. 

 provisions of section 184 of the Public Health Act, 1875. 



Not printed. 



3 B 2 



