24.—(1) The undertaker must not begin to exercise the powers in articles 24 to 32 in relation to any land unless it has first put in place either—
(a)a guarantee in respect of the liabilities of the undertaker to pay compensation under this Order in respect of the exercise of the relevant power in relation to that land approved by the local planning authority; or
(b)an alternative form of security for that purpose which has been approved by the local planning authority.
(2) A guarantee or alternative form of security given in respect of any liability of the undertaker to pay compensation under the Order is to be treated as enforceable against the guarantor by any person to whom such compensation is payable and must be in such a form as to be capable of enforcement by such a person.
(3) The guarantee or alternative form of security is to be in place for a maximum of 20 years from the date on which the relevant power is exercised.
25.—(1) The undertaker may acquire compulsorily the land and existing rights and create and acquire compulsorily the new rights described in the book of reference and shown on the land plans.
(2) Subject to the provisions of this article, all private rights over land subject to the compulsory acquisition of rights under the Order are extinguished in so far as their continuance would be inconsistent with the carrying out and use of the authorised development—
(a)as from the date of the acquisition of the right by the undertaker, whether compulsorily or by agreement; or
(b)on the date of entry on the land by the undertaker under section 11(1) (powers of entry) of the 1965 Act(1) in pursuance of the right,
whichever is the earlier.
(3) The power to extinguish rights in paragraph (2) does not extend to the plots on the land plans referred to in Schedule 13 (land to which powers to extinguish rights do not apply).
(4) Subject to section 8 (other provisions as to divided land) of the 1965 Act, as substituted by paragraph (5) of Schedule 14 (modifications of compensation and compulsory purchase enactments for creation of new rights), where the undertaker acquires an existing right over land under paragraph (1), the undertaker is not required to acquire a greater interest in that land.
(5) Schedule 14 has effect for the purpose of modifying the enactments relating to compensation and the provisions of the 1965 Act in their application in relation to the compulsory acquisition under this article.
(6) Subject to section 8 of the 1965 Act, as substituted by paragraph (5) of Schedule 14, where the undertaker creates a new right over land under paragraph (1), the undertaker is not required to acquire a greater interest in that land.
26.—(1) Any authorised activity undertaken by the undertaker which takes place on land within the Order limits (whether the activity is undertaken by the undertaker or by any person deriving title under it) is authorised by this Order if it is done in accordance with the terms of this Order, regardless of whether it involves—
(a)an interference with an interest or right to which this article applies; or
(b)a breach of a restriction as to the use of the land arising by virtue of a contract.
(2) The interests and rights to which this article applies are any easement, liberty, privilege, right or advantage annexed to land and adversely affecting other land, including any natural right to support.
(3) Nothing in this article authorises interference with any right of way or right of laying down, erecting, continuing or maintaining apparatus on, under or over land which is a right vested in or belonging to statutory undertakers for the purpose of the carrying on of their undertaking, or a right conferred by or in accordance with the electronic communications code on the operator of an electronic communications code network.
(4) Where any interest or right to which this article applies is interfered with or any restriction breached by any authorised activity in accordance with the terms of this article the interest or right is extinguished, abrogated or discharged at the time that the interference or breach in respect of the authorised activity in question commences.
(5) In respect of any interference, breach, extinguishment, abrogation or discharge under this article, compensation—
(a)is payable under section 7 (measure of compensation in case of severance) or 10 (further provisions as to compensation for injurious affection) of the 1965 Act; and
(b)is to be assessed in the same manner and subject to the same rules as in the case of other compensation under those sections in respect of injurious affection where—
(i)the compensation is to be estimated in connection with a purchase under that Act; or
(ii)the injury arises from the execution of works on or use of land acquired under that Act.
(6) Nothing in this article is to be construed as authorising any act or omission on the part of any person which is actionable at the suit of any person on any grounds other than such an interference or breach as is mentioned in paragraph (1) of this article.
(7) Nothing in this article is to be construed as restricting the entitlement of any person to compensation.
(8) Where a person deriving title under the undertaker by whom the land in question was acquired or appropriated—
(a)is liable to pay compensation; and
(b)fails to discharge that liability,
the liability is enforceable against the undertaker.
(9) In this article—
“the electronic communications code” has the same meaning as in Chapter 1 of Part 2 of the Communications Act 2003(2);
“electronic communications code network” means—
so much of an electronic communications network or conduit system provided by an electronic communications code operator as is not excluded from the application of the electronic communications code by a direction under section 106 of the Communications Act 2003; and
an electronic communications network which the Secretary of State is providing or proposing to provide; and
“operator” means the operator of an electronic communications code network.
27. Parts 2 and 3 of Schedule 2 to the Acquisition of Land Act 1981(3) (minerals) are incorporated in this Order subject to the modification that for “the acquiring authority” substitute “the undertaker”.
28.—(1) After the end of the period of 5 years beginning on the day on which the Order is made—
(a)no notice to treat is to be served under Part 1 of the 1965 Act; and
(b)no declaration is to be executed under section 4 (execution of declaration) of the Compulsory Purchase (Vesting Declarations) Act 1981(4) as applied by article 29 (application of the Compulsory Purchase (Vesting Declarations) Act 1981).
(2) The authority conferred by article 31 (temporary use of land for carrying out the authorised development) ceases at the end of the period referred to in paragraph (1), except that nothing in this paragraph prevents the undertaker remaining in possession of the land after the end of that period, if the land was entered and possession taken before the end of that period, subject always to the limitation in article 31(3) (temporary use of land for carrying out the authorised development).
29.—(1) The Compulsory Purchase (Vesting Declarations) Act 1981 applies as if this Order was a compulsory purchase order.
(2) The Compulsory Purchase (Vesting Declarations) Act 1981, as applied by paragraph (1), has effect with the following modifications.
(3) In section 3 (preliminary notices) for subsection (1) substitute—
“(1) Before making a declaration under section 4 with respect to any land which is subject to a compulsory purchase order the acquiring authority must include the particulars specified in subsection (3) in a notice which is –
(a)given to every person with a relevant interest in the land with respect to which the declaration is to be made (other than a mortgagee who is not in possession); and
(b)published in a local newspaper circulating in the area in which the land is situated.”.
(4) In that section, in subsection (2), for “(1)(b)” substitute “(1)” and after “given” insert “and published”.
(5) In that section, for subsections (5) and (6) substitute—
“(5) For the purposes of this section, a person has a relevant interest in land if—
(a)that person is for the time being entitled to dispose of the fee simple of the land, whether in possession or in reversion; or
(b)that person holds, or is entitled to the rents and profits of, the land under a lease or agreement, the unexpired term of which exceeds one month.”
(6) In section 5 (earliest date for execution of declaration) —
(a)in subsection (1), after “publication” insert “in a local newspaper circulating in the area in which the land is situated”; and
(b)omit subsection (2).
(7) In section 7 (constructive notice to treat), in subsection (1)(a), omit “(as modified by section 4 of the Acquisition of Land Act 1981)”.
(8) References to the 1965 Act in the Compulsory Purchase (Vesting Declarations) Act 1981 are to be construed as references to that Act as applied by section 125 (application of compulsory acquisition provision) of the 2008 Act to the compulsory acquisition of land and rights under this Order.
30.—(1) The undertaker may with the agreement of the relevant street authority enter on and appropriate so much of the subsoil of, or air-space over, any street within the Order limits as may be required for the purposes of the authorised development and may use the subsoil or air-space for those purposes or any other purpose ancillary to the authorised development.
(2) Subject to paragraph (3), the undertaker may exercise any power conferred by paragraph (1) in relation to a street without being required to acquire any part of the street or any easement or right in the street.
(3) Paragraph (2) does not apply in relation to—
(a)any subway or underground building; or
(b)any cellar, vault, arch or other construction in, on or under a street which forms part of a building fronting onto the street.
(4) Subject to paragraph (5), any person who is an owner or occupier of land appropriated under paragraph (1) without the undertaker acquiring any part of that person’s interest in the land, and who suffers loss as a result, is entitled to compensation to be determined, in case of dispute, under Part 1 of the 1961 Act.
(5) Compensation is not payable under paragraph (4) to any person whom section 85 (sharing cost of necessary measures) of the 1991 Act applies in respect of measures of which the allowable costs are to be borne in accordance with that section.
31.—(1) The undertaker may, in connection with the carrying out of the authorised development—
(a)enter into and take temporary possession of the land specified in columns (1) and (2) of Schedule 12 (land of which temporary possession may be taken) for the purpose specified in relation to that land in column (3) of that Schedule relating to the part of the authorised development specified in column (4) of that Schedule;
(b)remove any buildings and vegetation from that land; and
(c)construct and use temporary works (including the provision of means of access) and buildings on that land.
(2) Not less than 14 days before entering on and taking temporary possession of land under this article the undertaker must serve notice of the intended entry on the owners and occupiers of the land.
(3) The undertaker may not, without the agreement of the owners of the land, remain in possession of any land under this article after the end of the period of one year beginning with the date of completion of the part of the authorised development specified in relation to that land in column (4) of Schedule 12.
(4) Before giving up possession of land of which temporary possession has been taken under this article, the undertaker must remove all temporary works and restore the land to the reasonable satisfaction of the owners of the land; but the undertaker is not required to replace a building removed under this article.
(5) The undertaker must pay compensation to the owners and occupiers of land of which temporary possession is taken under this article for any loss or damage arising from the exercise in relation to the land of the provisions of any power conferred by this article.
(6) Any dispute to a person’s entitlement to compensation under paragraph (5), or as to the amount of the compensation, must be determined under Part 1 of the 1961 Act.
(7) Nothing in this article affects any liability to pay compensation under section 152 (compensation in case where no right to claim in nuisance) of the 2008 Act or under any other enactment in respect of loss or damage arising from the carrying out of the authorised development, other than loss or damage for which compensation is payable under paragraph (5).
(8) For the avoidance of doubt unless provided for in the book of reference and article 25 (compulsory acquisition of land and rights) the undertaker may not compulsorily acquire under this Order the land referred to in paragraph (1).
(9) Where the undertaker takes possession of land under this article, the undertaker is not required to acquire the land or any interest in it.
(10) Section 13 (refusal to give possession to acquiring authority) of the 1965 Act applies to the temporary use of land under this article to the same extent as it applies to the compulsory acquisition of land under this Order by virtue of section 125 (application of compulsory acquisition provisions) of the 2008 Act.
32.—(1) Where a street is stopped up under article 11 (stopping up of streets) any statutory utility whose apparatus is under, in, on, along or across the street has the same powers and rights in respect of that apparatus, subject to the provisions of this article, as if this Order had not been made.
(2) Where a street is stopped up under article 11 any statutory utility whose apparatus is under, in, on, over, along or across the street may, and if reasonably requested to do so by the undertaker must —
(a)remove the apparatus and place it or other apparatus provided in substitution for it in such other position as the statutory utility may reasonably determine and have power to place it; or
(b)provide other apparatus in substitution for the existing apparatus and place it in such position as described in sub-paragraph (a).
(3) Subject to the following provisions of this article, the undertaker must pay to any statutory utility an amount equal to the cost reasonably incurred by the statutory utility in or in connection with—
(a)the execution of the relocation works required in consequence of the stopping up of the street; and
(b)the doing of any other work or thing rendered necessary by the execution of the relocation works.
(4) If in the course of the execution of relocation works under paragraph (2)—
(a)apparatus of a better type, of greater capacity or of greater dimensions is placed in substitution for existing apparatus; or
(b)apparatus (whether existing apparatus or apparatus substituted for existing apparatus) is placed at a depth greater than the depth at which the existing apparatus was,
and the placing of that new apparatus involves additional costs which would not have been incurred if the apparatus had been of the same type, capacity or laid at the same depth as the existing apparatus, then the amount payable to the statutory utility is to be reduced by a sum equivalent to those additional costs.
(5) For the purposes of paragraph (4)—
(a)an extension of apparatus to a length greater than the length of existing apparatus is not to be treated as a placing of apparatus of greater dimensions than those of the existing apparatus; and
(b)where the provision of a joint in a cable is agreed, or is determined to be necessary, the consequential provision of a jointing chamber or of a manhole is to be treated as if it also had been agreed or had been so determined.
(6) An amount which, apart from this paragraph, would be payable to a statutory utility in respect of works by virtue of paragraph (3) (and having regard, where relevant, to paragraph (4)), if the works include the placing of apparatus provided in substitution for apparatus placed more than 7 years and 6 months earlier so as to confer on the statutory utility any financial benefit by deferment of the time for renewal of the apparatus in the ordinary course, is to be reduced by the amount which represents that benefit.
(7) Paragraphs (3) to (6) do not apply where the authorised development constitutes major highway works, major bridge works or major transport works for the purposes of Part 3 of the 1991 Act, but instead—
(a)the allowable costs of the relocation works must be determined in accordance with section 85 (sharing of cost of necessary measures) of that Act and any regulations for the time being having effect under that section; and
(b)the allowable costs must be borne by the undertaker and the statutory utility in such proportions as may be prescribed by any such regulations.
Section 11(1) was amended by section 34(1) of, and Schedule 4 to, the Acquisition of Land Act 1981 (c. 67) and paragraph 12(1) of Schedule 5 to the Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure 2006 (No. 1).
2003 c. 21. See section 106.