Land Drainage Act 1976
1976 c.70
An Act to consolidate certain enactments relating to land drainage.
Act amended (1.4.1996) by S.I. 1996/593, reg. 2, Sch. 1
The base date version of this Act is as revised to 1.12.1991 and takes into account the effects (if any) on it of consolidating legislation which came into force at that date
Act extended by S.I. 1986/208 art. 2(1)
Act modified by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), ss. 136(7), 137(10) (with ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)–(10), 190, 193(1), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 57(6), 58)
Act amended by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), s. 136, Sch. 15 para. 1(4), Sch. 26 para. 38 (with ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)–(10), 190, 193(1), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 57(6), 58)
Certain functions of a Minister of the Crown under any provisions of this Act transferred (1.9.1989) by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), s. 136, Sch. 15 para. 1(2) (with ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 189(4)–(10), 190, 193(1), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 57(6), 58)
By Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), s. 136, Sch. 15 para. 1(1) (with ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 189(4)–(4), 193(1), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 57(6), 58) it is provided that, subject as mentioned therein,(a) for any reference in this Act (however framed) to any one or more water authorities there shall be substituted a reference to the National Rivers Authority;(b) for any reference in this Act to a regional land drainage committee there shall be substituted a reference to a regional flood defence committee;(c) for any reference in this Act to a local land drainage scheme there shall be substituted a reference to a local flood defence scheme;(d) for any reference in this Act to a local land drainage committee there shall be substituted a reference to a local flood defence committee; and(e) for any reference in this Act to a local land drainage district there shall be substituted a reference to a local flood defence district.
Functions of water authorities by virtue of any scheme or order made under this Act transferred subject to the provisions of this Act by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), s. 136, Sch. 15 para. 1(3) (with ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 189(4)–(10), 190, 193(1), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 57(6), 58)
Act saved by S.I. 1991/1619, art. 12 (with art. 8)
Definition of "watercourse" in this Act applied (26.7.1991) by S.I. 1991/1760, art. 2(1)
Definition of "watercourse" in this Act applied (28.9.1991) by S.I. 1991/2210, art. 10(1)
Part I Introductory
Water authorities
1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1
4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F2
Internal drainage boards
6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F3
Main rivers and their control
8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F4
Transfers of functions and reorganisation of internal drainage districts
10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F5
Review of boundaries, supervision and exercise of functions in default
14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F6
Part II Powers of Drainage Authorities
Carrying out drainage works, etc.
17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F7
Drainage works concerning more than one drainage authority
20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F8
21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F9
Arrangements with other persons and powers as respects the obligations and rights of other persons
22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F10
Control of obstructions in and structures in, over or under watercourses
28. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F11
Schemes for drainage of small areas
30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F12
Flood warning systems
32. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F13
Incidental powers
33. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F14
Part III Restoration and Improvement of Ditches
40. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F15
Part IV Raising of Revenue by Drainage Authorities
Power of water authorities to require payment of their land drainage expenses by local authorities
45. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F16
Power of water authorities to raise drainage charges
48. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F17
Supplementary provisions as to drainage charges
52. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F18
Alternative basis for financing drainage expenses of water authorities
62. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F19
Power of internal drainage boards to raise drainage rates
63. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F20
65. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F21
67. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F22
70. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F23
Supplementary provisions as to drainage rates
71. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F24
73. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F25
74. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F26
80
1
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2
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81. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F29
82. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F30
Miscellaneous revenue-raising powers
84. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F31
Interpretation of Part IV
89. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F32
Part V Powers of the Minister and Local Authorities
Powers of the Minister
90. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F33
Powers of local authorities
97. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F34
101. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F35
102. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F36
Part VI Miscellaneous and General
105 Provisions relating to London.
Schedule 5 to this Act, which contains provisions relating to London, shall have effect.
106. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F37
116 Interpretation.
1
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F38
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“drainage” includes defence against water (including sea water), irrigation, other than spray irrigation, and warping;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F38
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“land” includes water and any interests in land or water and any easement or right in, to, or over land or water;
“land drainage” means the drainage of land and the provision of flood warning systems, and “land drainage functions” shall be construed accordingly;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F38
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[F39“London excluded area” means so much of Greater London and of any area adjoining Greater London as did not on 31st March 1986 lie, for the purpose of the exercise of land drainage functions, within the area of any water authority;]
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2
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117 Transitional provisions, consequential amendments, repeals and saving.
1
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C112
The enactments mentioned in Schedule 7 to this Act shall in consequence of this Act, be amended as there provided.
3
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4
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118 Short title, commencement and extent.
1
This Act may be cited as the Land Drainage Act 1976.
C122
This Act shall come into force immediately after the coming into force of the M1Land Drainage (Amendment) Act 1976.
3
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F42, this Act extends to England and Wales only.
SCHEDULES
SCHEDULE 1-4 . . . F43
Schs. 1–4 repealed (1.12.1991) by Water Consolidation (Consequential Provisions) Act 1991 (c. 60, SIF 130), ss. 3, 4(2), Sch. 3 (with s. 2, Sch. 2 para. 10, 14(1), 15)
SCHEDULE 5 Provisions Relating to London
Interpretation
1
1
In this Act, subject to any order under sub-paragraph (2) below, “the metropolitan watercourses” means—
a
so much of the river Thames as lies within the London excluded area, including all its associated watercourses within the flow and re-flow of its tides in that area;
b
the watercourses shown marked in red on the signed plan as defined in and for the purposes of Part II (Alteration of Kent River Authority area and London excluded area) of the M2Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1968;
c
the river Ravensbourne, the Chaffinch Brook, the Beck River, the Pool River, the Quaggy River, the Kid Brook, the Kyd Brook and the Lower Kid Brook, and their associated watercourses;
d
the Beverley Brook, the river Graveney, the Pyl Brook and the river Wandle, and their associated watercourses;
e
the river Brent, the river Crane and the Duke of Northumberland’s river, and their associated watercourses;
f
any watercourse that immediately before the commencement of this Act was a metropolitan watercourse by virtue of an order under paragraph 15(2) of Schedule 14 to the M3London Government Act 1963;
and . . . F44
(2) The F45Secretary of State may, after consultation with . . . F46 the council of any district or London borough appearing to him to be affected, by order provide that—
a
the whole or any part of a watercourse within the London excluded area shall become a metropolitan watercourse; or
b
the whole or any part of a watercourse other than the tidal Thames shall cease to be a metropolitan watercourse; or
c
the whole or any part of a metropolitan watercourse shall become or cease to be a main metropolitan watercourse;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F46
(3) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any enactment or instrument, no part of any of the metropolitan watercourses shall be or form part of a public sewer.
2
In this Schedule—
“associated watercourse”, in relation to any river, means a tributary or other watercourse the water from which ultimately flows into, or which is directly or indirectly connected with, that river;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F47;
“flood works”, in relation to the tidal Thames, has the same meaning as in the local enactments relating thereto;
“the former county of London” means the area constituted by the county of London as it existed immediately before the passing of the M4London Government Act 1963 (under which the said county ceased to exist);
“local enactment” means—
a
in relation to any watercourse falling within paragraph 1(1)(a) above, the Thames River (Prevention of Floods) Acts 1879 to 1962 and section 14 of the M5London County Council (General Powers) Act 1932;
b
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F47
“the tidal Thames” means the watercourses falling within paragraph 1(1)(a) above;
“watercourse” includes all rivers and streams and all ditches, drains, cuts, culverts, dykes, sluices, sewers and passages through which water flows;
and any mention of a particular river shall not be construed as prejudicing the meaning of the expression “associated watercourse”.
General provision with respect to the London excluded area
3
1
Functions of the Greater London Council with respect to the metropolitan watercourses
4
1
Subject to paragraph 6 below, and to any provision made by an order under section 84 or 87 of the M7London Government Act 1963—
a
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F49
b
the local enactments relating to so much of the tidal Thames as lies within the former county of London shall apply to the whole of the tidal Thames (as defined for the purposes of this Schedule), and in those enactments references to, or which are to be taken as references to, the county of London shall be construed as references to the London excluded area;
c
no functions relating to the drainage of land, flood prevention and the like matters shall (subject to paragraph 6 below) be exercisable with respect to the tidal Thames by any authority under any local statutory provisions other than the enactments mentioned in sub-paragraph (b) above.
(2) In sub-paragraph (1)(c) above “local statutory provisions” means provisions of a local Act (including an Act confirming a provisional order) or provisions of a public general Act passed with respect only to the whole or part of the former county of London or provisions of an instrument made under any such local or public general Act or of an instrument in the nature of a local enactment made under any other Act.
C135
Subject to section 21 of the M8Metropolis Management (Thames River Prevention of Floods) Amendment Act 1879 F50the power of the Thames Water Authority under the said Act of 1879 and the other enactments relating to the tidal Thames to approve, require the execution of and execute flood works for the protection of land from flooding by the river Thames in the London excluded area shall be exercisable by them for the protection of land from flooding by such of the river’s associated watercourses as immediately before 1st April 1974 lay within the flow and re-flow of its tides in the Lee catchment area.
6
Paragraph 4 . . . F51(b) above and so much of paragraph 2 above as relates to paragraph 4 . . . F51(b) above shall not be construed as extending or restricting the application of any of the local enactments relating to the tidal Thames to property for the time being held for the purposes of their undertaking by the Port of London Authority or as extending or restricting the functions of that Authority.
General provision with respect to the Greater London Council and the Thames Water Authority
7
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8
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SCHEDULE 6 . . . F54
SCHEDULE 7 CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS
M9 The Water Act 1973
1
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Other Acts
2
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C143
In paragraph 1(3) of Part III of Schedule 9 to the M10 London Government Act 1963 for “Section 31(2) of the Land Drainage Act 1930” substitute “Section 29(1) of the Land Drainage Act 1976”.
4
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C155
In section 3(9) of the M11 New Forest Act 1964 for “any drainage authority as defined by the Land Drainage Act 1930” substitute “any drainage body as defined by the Land Drainage Act 1976”.
6
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7
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8
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Act not in force at Royal Assent but wholly in force at 17.1.1977 (being the appointed day for the coming into force of the Land Drainage (Amendment) Act 1976, see s. 118(2))