s 139 Action by council on whom purchase notice is served.
(1) The council on whom a purchase notice is served shall serve on the owner by whom the purchase notice was served a notice (a “response notice”) stating either— (a) that the council are willing to comply with the purchase notice; or (b) that another local authority or statutory undertakers specified in the response notice have agreed to comply with it in their place; or (c) that for reasons so specified the council are not willing to comply with the purchase notice and have not found any other local authority or statutory undertakers who will agree to comply with it in their place, and that they have sent the Secretary of State a copy of the purchase notice and of the response notice. (2) A response notice must be served before the end of the period of three months beginning with the date of service of the purchase notice. (3) Where the council on whom a purchase notice is served by an owner have served a response notice on him in accordance with subsection (1)(a) or (b), the council or, as the case may be, the other local authority or statutory undertakers specified in the response notice shall be deemed— (a) to be authorised to acquire the interest of the owner compulsorily in accordance with the relevant provisions, and (b) to have served a notice to treat in respect of it on the date of service of the response notice. (4) Where the council propose to serve such a response notice as is mentioned in subsection (1)(c), they must first send the Secretary of State a copy— (a) of the proposed response notice, and (b) of the purchase notice. (5) A notice to treat which is deemed to have been served by virtue of subsection (3)(b) may not be withdrawn under section 31 of the Land Compensation Act 1961.