Local Government Reform Act 2014

11

Preparation of maps showing county boundaries

11. (1) In this section—

“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Act 2001;

“successor local authority” means a successor authority to which paragraph (a) of the definition of “successor authority” in section 3 relates.

(2) As soon as may be after the enactment of this Act the Commissioner shall prepare for each of the proposed local government areas formed by the amalgamations referred to in section 9 a map, in triplicate, drawn to such convenient scale and in such convenient number of separate sheets as the Commissioner thinks fit, showing the boundaries of each such area. When such maps have been prepared, the Commissioner shall seal each such map and shall, as soon as may be thereafter, deposit them as follows:

(a) one of them in the principal office of the Commissioner,

(b) one of them in the offices of the Minister, and

(c) in respect of the local government area of each successor local authority, the map of that area in the principal office of the relevant successor local authority when established.

(3) Every map deposited pursuant to subsection (2) shall be retained in the office in which it is so deposited, and each such map, or true copies thereof, shall be open for inspection free of charge at the office (other than the office of the Minister) in which it is so deposited by any person at any time at which such office is open for the transaction of public business. It shall be lawful for the Commissioner or the successor local authority concerned to prepare and supply to any person requesting the same a true copy of any map so deposited or any particular part thereof and to charge for such copy such sum as the Commissioner, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, or that authority may fix.

(4) Whenever required so to do by any Court of Justice, it shall be the duty of the Commissioner and of each successor local authority—

(a) to prepare and produce to that Court a true copy of a map deposited with the Commissioner or the successor local authority pursuant to subsection (1) or any specified part thereof, and

(b) to verify the copy to that Court by the oath of an officer of the Commissioner or the successor local authority,

and the Court shall receive the copy in evidence and thereupon the copy shall, unless the contrary is shown, be sufficient evidence of the boundary (in so far as the same is shown on the copy) of the county or the city and county to which the copy purports to relate, notwithstanding any discrepancy between the copy and any other description of the boundary or any ambiguity or uncertainty in such description or in the application thereof.

(5) A copy of every map deposited with a successor local authority pursuant to subsection (2) shall be displayed by it on its internet website as soon as practicable after being so deposited.