Agricultural Land (Removal of Surface Soil) Act, 1953 (Ch. 10). Country/Territory United Kingdom Document type Legislation Date 1953 Source FAO, FAOLEX Long titleAn Act to make it an offence to remove surface soil from land in certain circumstances ; and for purposes connected therewith. Subject Land & soil Keyword Soil conservation/soil improvement Soil pollution/quality Environmental fees/charges Erosion Agricultural land Geographical area Atlantic Ocean Islands, Europe, Europe and Central Asia, North Atlantic, North Sea, North-East Atlantic, Northern Europe Abstract This Act declares it to be an offence to remove soil of at least a specified quantity from agricultural land soil, if such removal constitutes development within permission to the meaning of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, if carried out without the grant of permission required under Part III of that Act. The expressions "agriculture" and "agricultural" have the same meanings as in the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947. The prohibition shall not apply to the cutting of peat or to the removal of so much surface soil as it is reasonably necessary to remove in the course of cutting turf. Full text English Website www.opsi.gov.uk