1(1)Before submitting a special charges scheme to either of the Ministers, the [appropriate agency] shall consult organisations appearing to it to represent the interests of persons engaged in agriculture in the area designated in the scheme.E+W
(2)As soon as any special charges scheme has been submitted to either of the Ministers, the [appropriate agency] shall—
(a)send copies of the scheme to—
(i)the council of any county, [county borough]district or London borough wholly or partly within the relevant area;
(ii)the drainage board for any internal drainage district within the relevant area; and
(iii)every organisation appearing to the [appropriate agency] to represent the interests of persons engaged in agriculture in the relevant area;
and
(b)publish, in one or more newspapers circulating in the area affected by the scheme, a notice stating—
(i)that the scheme has been submitted to that Minister;
(ii)that a copy of it is open to inspection at a specified place; and
(iii)that representations with respect to the scheme may be made to that Minister at any time within one month after the publication of the notice.
(3)Where the [appropriate agency] submit a special charges scheme which designates any watercourse wholly or partly within an internal drainage district, then (unless the [appropriate agency] is the drainage board for that district) the scheme must be accompanied either—
(a)by a statement of the drainage board for that district that they have consented to the designation; or
(b)by a statement that they have not consented thereto and a further statement setting out the reasons why the watercourse should nevertheless be designated for the purposes of section 137 of this Act.
(4)For the purposes of sub-paragraph (2) above “the relevant area” is the area designated in the scheme.