s 140 Procedure on reference of purchase notice to Secretary of State.
(1) Where a copy of a purchase notice is sent to the Secretary of State under section 139(4), he shall consider whether to confirm the notice or to take other action under section 141 in respect of it. (2) Before confirming a purchase notice or taking such other action, the Secretary of State must give notice of his proposed action— (a) to the person who served the purchase notice; (b) to the council on whom it was served; (c) in England outside Greater London— (i) to the county planning authority and also, where that authority is a joint planning board, to the county council; and (ii) if the district council on whom the purchase notice in question was served is a constituent member of a joint planning board, to that board; (cc) in Wales, to the local planning authority, where it is a joint planning board; and (d) if the Secretary of State proposes to substitute any other local authority or statutory undertakers for the council on whom the notice was served, to them. (3) A notice under subsection (2) shall specify the period (which must not be less than 28 days from its service) within which any of the persons on whom it is served may require the Secretary of State to give those persons an opportunity of appearing before, and being heard by, a person appointed by the Secretary of State for the purpose. (4) If within that period any of those persons so require, before the Secretary of State confirms the purchase notice or takes any other action under section 141 in respect of it he must give those persons such an opportunity. (5) If, after any of those persons have appeared before and been heard by the appointed person, it appears to the Secretary of State to be expedient to take action under section 141 otherwise than in accordance with the notice given by him, the Secretary of State may take that action accordingly.