Interim development

(1) When the Central Authority has passed a resolution for the making of a scheme, the Central Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, at any time after passing such resolution and before such scheme comes into operation, do all or any of the following things, that is to say, (a) grant to any person applying therefor permission in writing to develop land, construct, demolish, alter, extend, repair, or renew a particular building in the area in which it is proposed to apply such scheme; (b) prohibit the further proceeding with the of land or construction, demolition, alteration, extension, repair, or renewal of any particular building situate in the said area, stating in writing its reasons for such prohibition. (2) The Central Authority may attach to a permission granted under this section such conditions as it thinks proper. (3) Where an application is duly made to the Central Authority for permission under this section and no decision on such application is made by the Central Authority within a period of three months after the receipt of such application, or within such extended period or periods as provided in subsection (4) of this section, such application shall be deemed for all purposes to have been granted by the Central Authority at the expiration of the said period or the last of such extended periods. (4) The period of three months may be extended for such further period or periods as the Minister considers necessary in any particular case, provided that the applicant is notified of such extension before the expiration of the preceding period. (5) A prohibition made by the Central Authority may either prohibit absolutely the further proceeding with the work to which such prohibition relates or prohibit the further proceeding with such work otherwise than under and in accordance with conditions specified in such prohibition. (6) When the Central Authority has passed a resolution for the making of a scheme and has, before such scheme comes into operation, made a prohibition in relation to any work or other operation as provided for in this section, the Minister may, if he is of the opinion that the prejudicial effect of proceeding with or doing the work or other operation to which such prohibition relates would be of such a nature as to be incapable of being remedied, or to involve excessive expenditure of public money, after the coming into operation of such scheme, declare, at any time before such scheme comes into operation, that any contravention of such prohibition before such coming into operation shall be unlawful. (7) Every person who proceeds with or does any work which is a contravention of a prohibition commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding two hundred and fifty dollars together with, in the case of a continuing offence, a further fine not exceeding twenty-five dollars for every day during which the offence is continued. (8) Every person who has proceeded with the development of land or construction, demolition, alteration, extension, repair or renewal of any particular building after he has been prohibited to do so shall, unless he returns such land or building to the state it was in at the time of prohibition, be guilty of a continuing offence and, in addition to any penalty which may be imposed under subsection (7) of this section, the Central Authority may cause such land or building, as the case may be, to be returned to the state it was in at the time of the prohibition and may recover the cost of such return from such 52