After section 61 of the M1Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 there shall be inserted the following section—

“61A Charge for occupation of road.

(1)

The Secretary of State may make provision by regulations requiring a person who occupies a public road by doing anything to which this section applies to pay a charge to the roads authority if the duration of the occupation exceeds the longer of the following periods—

(a)

such period as may be prescribed; or

(b)

such period as is agreed by the authority and the person to be reasonable or, in default of such agreement, is determined by arbitration to be reasonable in the circumstances.

(2)

This section applies to the occupation of a public road by doing anything which would require the consent or permission of a roads authority under any of the following provisions of this Act—

• section 56 (works executed in or excavations under a public road);

• section 58 (occupation of road for deposit of building materials and erection of scaffolding);

• section 59 (placing or depositing anything in a road);

• section 61 (placing, leaving, retaining, maintaining, repairing and reinstating apparatus in or under a public road); or

• section 85 (depositing a builder’s skip).

(3)

For the purposes of paragraph (b) of subsection (1) above, in default of agreement, the roads authority’s view as to what is a reasonable period shall be acted upon pending the decision of the arbiter.

(4)

The regulations may provide that if a person applying to the roads authority for consent or permission under any of the provisions of this Act specified in subsection (2) above submits together with his application an estimate of the likely duration of the occupation, the period stated in the estimate shall be taken to be agreed by the authority to be reasonable unless they give notice, in such manner and within such period as may be prescribed, objecting to the estimate.

(5)

The regulations may provide that if it appears to the person occupying the road that by reason of matters not previously foreseen or reasonably foreseeable the duration of the occupation—

(a)

is likely to exceed the prescribed period,

(b)

is likely to exceed the period stated in the previous estimate, or

(c)

is likely to exceed the period previously agreed or determined to be a reasonable period,

he may submit an estimate or revised estimate accordingly, and that if he does so any previous estimate, agreement or determination shall cease to have effect and the period stated in the new estimate shall be taken to be agreed by the roads authority to be reasonable unless they give notice, in such manner and within such period as may be prescribed, objecting to the estimate.

(6)

The amount of the charge shall be determined in such manner as may be prescribed by reference to the duration and extent of the occupation and different rates of charge may be prescribed according to the purpose of the occupation and such other factors as appear to the Secretary of State to be relevant.

(7)

The regulations may make provision as to the time and manner of making payment of any charge.

(8)

The regulations shall provide that a roads authority may reduce the amount, or waive payment, of a charge in any particular case, in such classes of case as they may decide or as may be prescribed, or generally.

(9)

In this section “prescribed” means prescribed by the Secretary of State by regulations.”.