The Network Rail (Huddersfield to Westtown (Dewsbury) Improvements) Order 2022

PART 4 FOR THE PROTECTION OF LEAD LOCAL FLOOD AUTHORITIES

30.—(1) The following provisions of this Part of this Schedule apply for the protection of the lead local flood authority unless otherwise agreed in writing between Network Rail and the lead local flood authority.

(2) In this Part of this Schedule—

“construction” includes execution, placing, altering, replacing, relaying and removal and “construct” and “constructed” are to be construed accordingly;

“drainage work” means any watercourse and includes any land which provides or is expected to provide flood storage capacity for any ordinary watercourse and any bank, wall, embankment or other structure, or any appliance, constructed or used for land drainage or flood defence;

“lead local flood authority” means in relation to an ordinary watercourse the lead local flood authority concerned within the meaning of section 23 (prohibition on obstructions etc. in watercourses) of the Land Drainage Act 1991;

“ordinary watercourse” has the meaning given by the Land Drainage Act 1991;

“plans” includes sections, drawings, specifications and method statements; and

“specified work” means so much of any work or operation authorised by this Order as is in, on, under, over or within 16 metres of a drainage work or is otherwise likely to affect any drainage work.

31.—(1) Before beginning to construct any specified work, Network Rail must submit to the lead local flood authority plans of the specified work and such further particulars available to it as the lead local flood authority may within 28 days of the submission of the plans reasonably require.

(2) Any such specified work must not be constructed except in accordance with such plans as may be approved in writing by the lead local flood authority, or determined under paragraph 38.

(3) Any approval of the lead local flood authority required under this paragraph—

(a) must not be unreasonably withheld or delayed;

(b) is deemed to have been given if it is neither given nor refused within 2 months of the submission of the plans for approval and, in the case of a refusal, accompanied by a statement of the grounds of refusal; and

(c) may be given subject to such reasonable requirements as the lead local flood authority may make for the protection of any drainage work.

(4) The lead local flood authority must use its reasonable endeavours to respond to the submission of any plans before the expiration of the period mentioned in sub-paragraph (3)(b).

32.  Without limitation on the scope of paragraph 31, the requirements which the lead local flood authority may make under that paragraph include conditions requiring Network Rail at its own expense to construct such protective works, whether temporary or permanent, during the construction of the specified works (including the provision of flood banks, walls or embankments or other new works and the strengthening, repair or renewal of existing banks, walls or embankments) as are reasonably necessary—

(a) to safeguard any drainage work against damage; or

(b) to secure that its efficiency for flood defence purposes is not impaired and that the risk of flooding is not otherwise increased,

by reason of any specified work.

33.—(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), any specified work, and all protective works required by the lead local flood authority under paragraph 32, must be constructed—

(a) without unreasonable delay in accordance with the plans approved or deemed to have been approved or settled under this Part of this Schedule; and

(b) to the reasonable satisfaction of the lead local flood authority,

and an officer of the lead local flood authority is entitled to watch and inspect the construction of such works.

(2) Network Rail must give to the lead local flood authority not less than 14 days’ notice in writing of its intention to commence construction of any specified work and notice in writing of its completion not later than 7 days after the date on which it is brought into use.

(3) If any part of a specified work or any protective work required by the lead local flood authority is constructed otherwise than in accordance with the requirements of this Part of this Schedule, the lead local flood authority may by notice in writing require Network Rail at Network Rail’s own expense to comply with the requirements of this Part of this Schedule.

(4) Subject to sub-paragraph (5), if within a reasonable period, being not less than 28 days from the date when a notice under sub-paragraph (3) is served upon Network Rail, it has failed to begin taking steps to comply with the requirements of the notice and subsequently to make reasonably expeditious progress towards their implementation, the lead local flood authority may execute the works specified in the notice and any expenditure incurred by it in so doing is recoverable from Network Rail.

(5) In the event of any dispute as to whether sub-paragraph (3) is properly applicable to any work in respect of which notice has been served under that sub-paragraph, or as to the reasonableness of any requirement of such a notice, the lead local flood authority must not except in emergency exercise the powers conferred by sub-paragraph (4) until the dispute has been finally determined.

34.—(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (3) Network Rail must from the commencement of the construction of the specified works maintain in good repair and condition and free from obstruction any drainage work which is situated within the limits of deviation or on land held by Network Rail for the purposes of or in connection with the specified works, whether or not the drainage work is constructed under the powers conferred by this Order or is already in existence.

(2) If any such drainage work which Network Rail is liable to maintain is not maintained to the reasonable satisfaction of the lead local flood authority, the lead local flood authority may by notice in writing require Network Rail to repair and restore the work, or any part of such work, or (if Network Rail so elects and the lead local flood authority in writing consents, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed), to remove the work and restore the site to its former condition, to such extent and within such limits as the lead local flood authority reasonably requires.

(3) This paragraph does not apply to—

(a) drainage works which are vested in the lead local flood authority, or which the lead local flood authority or another person is liable to maintain and is not precluded by the powers of the Order from doing so; or

(b) any obstruction of a drainage work for the purposes of a work or operation authorised by this Order and carried out in accordance with the provisions of this Part of this Schedule.

35.  If by reason of the construction of any specified work or of the failure of any such work the efficiency of any drainage work for flood defence purposes is impaired, or that drainage work is otherwise damaged, such impairment or damage must be made good by Network Rail to the reasonable satisfaction of the lead local flood authority and if Network Rail fails to do so, the lead local flood authority may make good the impairment or damage and recover from Network Rail the expense reasonably incurred by it in so doing.

36.  Network Rail must pay all costs, charges and expenses which the lead local flood authority may reasonably incur or have to pay—

(a) in the examination or approval of plans under this Part of this Schedule; and

(b) in the inspection of the construction of the specified works or any protective works required by the lead local flood authority under this Part of this Schedule.

37.  The fact that any work or thing has been executed or done by Network Rail in accordance with a plan approved or deemed to be approved by the lead local flood authority, or to its satisfaction, or in accordance with any directions or award of an arbitrator, does not relieve Network Rail from any liability under the provisions of this Part of this Schedule.

38.  Any dispute arising between Network Rail and the lead local flood authority under this Part of this Schedule, if the parties agree, is to be determined by arbitration under article 57 (arbitration).