Harbours Act 1964

16 Ministers' powers, on application of intending undertakers, or others, to make orders conferring powers for improvement, construction, of harbours

(1) In a case where a person is desirous of securing the achievement of any of the following objects, namely.—

(a) the improvement, maintenance or management of a harbour (whether natural or artificial) navigated by sea-going ships (not being a fishery harbour or a marine work) or of a port, haven, estuary, tidal or other river or inland waterway so navigated (not being a fishery harbour or a marine work);

(b) the construction of an artificial harbour navigable by sea-going ships or an inland waterway so navigable, other than a harbour or waterway which, in the opinion of the Minister and the Secretary of State, will, on completion, be a marine work; and

(c) the construction, improvement, maintenance or management of a dock elsewhere than at a fishery harbour or marine work or of a wharf elsewhere than at such a harbour or work;

but neither he nor any other person has powers, or sufficient powers, to secure it, or to do so effectively, he may make a written application to the Minister for the making by him of an order conferring on the applicant, some other designated person or a body to be constituted for the purpose by the order (according as may be specified in the application) all such powers (including, in particular, power to acquire land compulsorily and to levy charges other than ship, passenger and goods dues) as are requisite for enabling that object to be achieved.

(2) In a case where a person is desirous of securing the achievement of either or both of the following objects, namely.—

(a) the improvement, maintenance or management of a fishery harbour; and

(b) the construction, improvement, maintenance or management of a dock at a fishery harbour or of a wharf at such a harbour;

but neither he nor any other person has powers, or sufficient powers, to secure it, or to do so effectively, he may make a written application to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for the making by him of such an order as aforesaid.

(3) In a case where a person is desirous of securing the achievement of any of the following objects, namely.—

(a) the improvement, maintenance or management of a marine work, being a harbour (whether natural or artificial) navigated by sea-going ships or being a port, haven, estuary, tidal or other river or inland waterway so navigated;

(b) the construction of an artificial harbour navigable by sea-going ships which, in the opinion of the Minister and the Secretary of State, will, on completion, be a marine work or an inland waterway so navigable which, in the opinion of the Minister and the Secretary of State, will, on completion, be a marine work; and

(c) the construction, improvement, maintenance or management of a dock at a marine work or of a wharf at such a work;

but neither he nor any other person has powers, or sufficient powers, to secure it, or to do so effectively, he may make a written application to the Secretary of State for the making by him of such an order as is mentioned in subsection (1) of this section.

(4) An order under this section is in this Act referred to as a " harbour empowerment order ".

(5) Neither the Minister, nor the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food nor the Secretary of State shall make a harbour empowerment order unless he is satisfied that the making thereof is desirable in the interests of facilitating the efficient and economic transport of goods or passengers by sea.

(6) A harbour empowerment order may include all such provisions as appear to the Minister of the Crown by whom it is made to be requisite or expedient for giving full effect to any provision included in the order by virtue of the foregoing provisions of this section and any consequential or incidental provisions appearing to him to be requisite or expedient for the purposes of, or in connection with, the order, including, but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing words, penal provisions and provisions incorporating, with or without modifications, any provision of the Lands Clauses Acts or any other enactment; but no penal provision of a harbour empowerment order shall be so framed as to permit of a person's being punished otherwise than on his conviction or as to permit—

(a) on his being summarily convicted, of the infliction on him of a penalty other than a fine or of the infliction on him of a fine exceeding £100;

(b) on his being convicted on indictment, of the infliction on him of imprisonment (whether in addition to or in substitution for a fine) for a term exceeding six months.

(7) Where a harbour empowerment order includes provision for the compulsory acquisition of land, there must, in the case of each parcel of land proposed to be acquired compulsorily, be annexed to the order a large-scale map on which the boundaries of that parcel are plainly delineated.

(8) A harbour empowerment order shall be subject to special parliamentary procedure.