s 17 Duty of local authority to make demolition or closing order or to purchase house where no undertaking is accepted
(1) If no such undertaking as is mentioned in the last foregoing section is accepted by the local authority, or if, in a case where they have accepted such an undertaking,— (a) any work to which the undertaking relates is not carried out within the specified period, or (b) the premises are at any time used in contravention of the terms of the undertaking, then, subject to the provisions of this section, the local authority shall forthwith make a demolition order for the demolition of the premises to which the notice given under the last foregoing section relates: Provided that if in the case of any house the local authority consider it inexpedient to make a demolition order having regard to the effect of the demolition of that house upon any other house or building, they may make a closing order as respects that house instead of a demolition order. (2) Where a local authority would under the foregoing subsection be required to make a demolition or closing order in respect of a house they may, if it appears to them that the house is or can be rendered capable of providing accommodation which is adequate for the time being, purchase the house instead of making a demolition or closing order. (3) If in the case of any house— (a) a building preservation order under section twenty-nine of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, is in force as respects that house, or (b) the house is included in a list compiled or approved under section thirty of that Act by the Minister, or (c) a notice is in force given by the Minister to the local authority and stating that the architectural or historic interest of the house is sufficient to render it inexpedient that the house should be demolished pending determination of the question whether or not it should be made the subject of such a building preservation order as aforesaid or included in such a list as aforesaid, subsection (2) of this section shall not apply and the order to be made under subsection (1) of this section shall be a closing order and not a demolition order.