The council on whom a listed building purchase notice is served by an owner shall serve on him a notice stating either—
that the council are willing to comply with the purchase notice; or
that another local authority or statutory undertakers specified in the notice under this subsection have agreed to comply with it in their place; or
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 transmitted to the Secretary of State a copy of the purchase notice and of the notice under this subsection.
A notice under subsection (1) must be served before the end of the period of three months beginning with the date of service of the listed building purchase notice.
Where such a notice as is mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b) of subsection (1) has been duly served, the council or, as the case may be, the other local authority or statutory undertakers specified in the notice shall be deemed—
to be authorised to acquire the interest of the owner compulsorily in accordance with the provisions of section 47; and
to have served a notice to treat in respect of it on the date of service of the notice under that subsection.
Where the council propose to serve such a notice as is mentioned in subsection (l)(c), they shall first send to the Secretary of State a copy of—
the proposed notice; and
the listed building purchase notice which was served on them.