British Railways Act 1992

32 For protection of electricity, gas and water undertakers

For the protection of the several undertakers referred to in this section, the following provisions shall, unless otherwise agreed in writing between the Board and the undertakers concerned, have effect:—

(1) In this section—

• “adequate alternative apparatus” means alternative apparatus adequate to enable the undertakers to fulfill their statutory functions in a manner not less efficient than previously;

• “apparatus” means—

  (a)

  in the case of electricity undertakers, electric lines or electrical plant (as defined in the [1989 c. 29.] Electricity Act 1989) belonging to or maintained by such undertakers; or

  (b)

  in the case of gas or water undertakers, any mains, pipes or other apparatus belonging to or maintained by such undertakers;

  (not being in either case apparatus in respect of which the relations between the Board and the undertakers are regulated by, until the commencement of Part III of the [1991 c. 22.] New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, the provisions of Part II of the [1950 c. 39.] Public Utilities Street Works Act 1950 or, on the commencement of Part III of the said Act of 1991, by the provisions of that Part of that Act) and includes any building, structure or works for the lodging therein of apparatus;

• “functions” includes powers and duties;

• “in” in a context referring to apparatus or alternative apparatus in land includes a reference to apparatus or alternative apparatus under, over or upon land;

• “the undertakers” means any person authorised to carry on, in any area within which the Board are by this Act authorised to purchase land or execute works, an undertaking for the supply of gas or water or for the generation, transmission or supply of electricity; and, in relation to any apparatus, means the undertakers to whom it belongs or by whom it is maintained:

(2) Notwithstanding the temporary stopping up or diversion of any highway under the powers of section 16 (Temporary stoppage of highways) of this Act, the undertakers shall be at liberty at all times to execute and do all such works and things in, upon or under any such highway as may be reasonably necessary or desirable to enable them to inspect, repair, maintain, renew, remove or use any apparatus which at the time of the stopping up or diversion was in that highway:

(3) The Board, in the case of power conferred by section 17 (Underpinning of buildings near works) of this Act, shall, so far as is reasonably practicable, so exercise those powers as not to obstruct or render less convenient the access to any apparatus and, if by reason of the exercise of those powers any damage to any apparatus (other than apparatus the repair of which is not reasonably necessary in view of its intended removal or abandonment) or property of the undertakers or any interruption in the supply of electricity, gas or water, as the case may be, by the undertakers shall be caused, the Board shall bear and pay the cost reasonably incurred by the undertakers in making good such damage or restoring the supply; and shall—

(a) make reasonable compensation to the undertakers for any loss sustained by them; and

(b) indemnify the undertakers against all claims, demands, proceedings, costs, damages and expenses which may be made or taken against or recovered from or incurred by the undertakers;

by reason or in consequence of any such damage or interruption:

Provided that—

(i) nothing in this paragraph shall impose any liability on the Board with respect to any damage or interruption to the extent that such damage or interruption may be attributable to the act, neglect or default of the undertakers or their contractors or workmen;

(ii) the undertakers shall give to the Board reasonable notice of any claim or demand as aforesaid and no settlement or compromise thereof shall be made without the prior consent of the Board:

(4) Notwithstanding anything in section 18 (Use of sewers, etc., for removing water) of this Act, no use shall be made by the Board in the construction of the authorised works of pumping or other like modes of removing water except where reasonably necessary or in case of emergency or unforeseen accident or for the purpose of removing rainwater or other small amounts of water, and until the commencement of Part III of the [1991 c. 22.] New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 the provisions of section 26 of the [1950 c. 39.] Public Utilities Street Works Act 1950 shall apply to, and in relation to, the laying down, taking up or altering of conduits, pipes or other works under the said section 18 as if executed by the Board as operating undertakers within the meaning of the said section 26 for purposes other than the purposes of a railway undertaking:

(5) Notwithstanding anything in this Act or shown on the deposited plans the Board shall not acquire any apparatus under the powers of this Act otherwise than by agreement:

(6) If the Board, in the exercise of the powers of this Act, acquire any interest in any land in which any apparatus is placed, that apparatus shall not be removed under this section and any right of the undertakers to maintain, repair, renew or inspect that apparatus in that land shall not be extinguished until adequate alternative apparatus shall have been constructed and be in operation to the reasonable satisfaction of the undertakers:

(7) If the Board, for the purpose of executing any authorised works in, on or under any land purchased, held, appropriated or used under this Act, require the removal of any apparatus placed in that land, and shall give to the undertakers written notice of such requirement, together with a plan and section of the work proposed, and of the proposed position of the alternative apparatus to be provided or constructed so as to provide adequate alternative apparatus in lieu of the apparatus to be removed, or, if in consequence of the exercise of any of the powers of this Act the undertakers shall reasonably require to remove any apparatus, the Board shall afford to the undertakers the necessary facilities and rights for the construction of such alternative apparatus in other land of the Board and thereafter for the maintenance, repair, renewal and inspection of such apparatus:

Provided that, if the alternative apparatus or any part thereof is to be constructed elsewhere than in other land of the Board, or the Board are unable to afford such facilities and rights as aforesaid in the land in which the alternative apparatus or such part thereof is to be constructed, the undertakers shall, on receipt of a written notice to that effect from the Board, forthwith use their best endeavours to obtain the necessary facilities and rights in such last-mentioned land:

(8) (a) Any alternative apparatus to be constructed in land of the Board under this section shall be constructed in such manner and in such line or situation as may be agreed between the undertakers and the Board or in default of agreement settled by arbitration;

(b) The undertakers shall, after the alternative apparatus to be provided or constructed shall have been agreed or settled by arbitration as aforesaid and after the grant to the undertakers of any such facilities and rights as are referred to in paragraph (7) above, proceed with all reasonable dispatch to construct and bring into operation the alternative apparatus and thereafter to remove any apparatus required by the Board to be removed under the provisions of this section:

(9) Notwithstanding anything in paragraph (8) above, if the Board give notice in writing to the undertakers that they desire themselves to execute any part of so much of the work necessary in connection with the construction of the alternative apparatus, or the removal of the apparatus required to be removed, as will be situate in any land of the Board, such work, in lieu of being executed by the undertakers, shall be executed by the Board with all reasonable dispatch under the superintendence, if given, and to the reasonable satisfaction of the undertakers:

Provided that nothing in this paragraph shall authorise the Board to execute the actual placing, installation, bedding, packing, removal, connection or disconnection of any apparatus, or execute any filling around the apparatus (where the apparatus is laid in a trench) within 300 millimetres of the apparatus:

(10) Where, in accordance with the provisions of this section, the Board afford to the undertakers facilities and rights for the construction, maintenance, repair, renewal and inspection in land of the Board of alternative apparatus in substitution for apparatus to be removed as aforesaid, those facilities and rights shall be granted upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed between the Board and the undertakers or in default of agreement determined by arbitration:

Provided that—

(a) in determining such terms and conditions as aforesaid in respect of alternative apparatus to be constructed in or along any railway of the Board, the arbitrator shall—

(i) give effect to all reasonable requirements of the Board for ensuring the safety and efficient operation of the railway and for securing any subsequent alterations or adaptations of the alternative apparatus which may be required to prevent interference with any proposed works of the Board or the traffic on the railway; and

(ii) so far as it may be reasonable and practicable to do so in the circumstances of the particular case give effect to the terms and conditions applicable to the apparatus, if any, constructed in or along the railway for which the alternative apparatus is to be substituted;

(b) if the facilities and rights to be afforded by the Board in respect of any alternative apparatus and the terms and conditions subject to which the same are to be granted are in the opinion of the arbitrator less favourable on the whole to the undertakers than the facilities and rights enjoyed by them in respect of the apparatus to be removed and the terms and conditions to which those facilities and rights are subject, the arbitrator shall make such provision for the payment of compensation by the Board to the undertakers in respect thereof as shall appear to him to be reasonable having regard to all the circumstances of the particular case:

(11) (a) Not less than 28 days before commencing to execute any such authorised works as are referred to in paragraph (7) above and are near to or will or may affect any apparatus the removal of which has not been required by the Board under the said paragraph (7), the Board shall submit to the undertakers a plan, section and description of the works to be executed;

(b) Such authorised works shall be executed only in accordance with the plan, section and description submitted as aforesaid and in accordance with such reasonable requirements as may be made by the undertakers for the alteration or otherwise for the protection of the apparatus or for securing access thereto and the undertakers shall be entitled by their officer to watch and inspect the execution of such works:

Provided that—

(i) if the undertakers within 14 days after the submission to them of any such plan, section and description shall, in consequence of the works proposed by the Board, reasonably require the removal of any apparatus and give written notice to the Board of such requirement, the foregoing provisions of this section shall apply and have effect as if the removal of such apparatus had been required by the Board under the said paragraph (7);

(ii) nothing in this sub-paragraph shall preclude the Board from submitting at any time or from time to time, but in no case less than 28 days before commencing the execution of any such works, a new plan, section and description thereof in lieu of the plan, section and description previously submitted, and thereupon the provisions of this paragraph shall apply to and in respect of such new plan, section and description;

(c) The Board shall not be required to comply with sub-paragraph (a) above in a case of emergency but in such a case they shall give to the undertakers notice as soon as reasonably practicable and a plan, section and description of the works as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter and shall comply with sub-paragraph (b) above so far as reasonably practicable in the circumstances:

(12) Where, in consequence of this Act, any part of any highway in which any apparatus is situate ceases to be part of a highway, the undertakers may exercise the same rights of access to such apparatus as they enjoyed immediately before the passing of this Act, but nothing in this paragraph shall prejudice or affect any right of the Board or of the undertakers to require removal of such apparatus under this section or the power of the Board to execute authorised works in accordance with paragraph (11) above:

(13) Subject to paragraph (14) below, the Board shall pay to the undertakers the costs, charges and expenses reasonably incurred by the undertakers in or in connection with the inspection, removal, alteration or protection of any apparatus or the construction of any new apparatus which may be required in consequence of the execution of any such authorised works as are referred to in paragraph (7) above, less the value of any apparatus removed under the provisions of this section (such value being calculated after removal) and shall also make compensation to the undertakers—

(a) for any damage caused to any apparatus (other than apparatus the repair of which is not reasonably necessary in view of its intended removal in accordance with the provisions of this section); and

(b) for any other expenses, loss, damages, penalty or costs incurred by the undertakers;

by reason or in consequence of the execution, maintenance, user or failure of any such works or otherwise by reason or in consequence of the exercise by the Board of the powers of this Act:

(14) If the cost of maintaining, using, repairing or renewing any apparatus is reduced in consequence of any authorised works, including the provision of alternative apparatus under this section, a capitalised sum representing such saving shall be paid by the relevant undertakers to the Board or set off against any sums payable by the Board to the relevant undertakers under this section:

(15) Where, by reason or in consequence of the stopping up of any highway under the powers of this Act, any apparatus belonging to the undertakers and laid or placed in such highway or elsewhere is rendered derelict or unnecessary, the Board shall pay to the undertakers the then value of such apparatus (which shall thereupon become the property of the Board) and the reasonable cost of and incidental to the cutting off of such apparatus from any other apparatus, and of and incidental to the execution or doing of any works or things rendered necessary or expedient by reason of such apparatus being so rendered derelict or unnecessary:

Provided that the Board shall not under the provisions of this paragraph be required to pay to the undertakers the value of any apparatus rendered derelict or unnecessary if, to the reasonable satisfaction of the undertakers, other apparatus shall at the expense of the Board have been provided and laid and made ready for use in substitution for the apparatus so rendered derelict or unnecessary:

(16) Any difference arising between the Board and the undertakers under this section shall be referred to and settled by arbitration:

(17) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to prejudice or affect the provisions of any enactment or agreement regulating the relations between the Board and the undertakers in respect of any apparatus laid or erected in land belonging to the Board at the date of the passing of this Act.