Water Industry Act 1991

5 (1) Subject to the provisions of this paragraph, nothing in the relevant sewerage provisions shall authorise a sewerage undertaker, without the consent of the dock undertakers concerned—

(a) to interfere with any river, canal, dock, harbour, basin, lock or reservoir so as injuriously to affect navigation thereon or the use thereof or the access thereto, or to interfere with any towing path, so as to interrupt the traffic thereon;

(b) to interfere with any bridges crossing any river, canal, dock, harbour or basin;

(c) to carry out any works in, across or under any dock, harbour, basin, wharf, quay or lock, or any land which belongs to dock undertakers and is held or used by them for the purposes of their undertaking;

(d) to carry out any works which will interfere with the improvement of, or the access to, any river, canal, dock, harbour, basin, lock, reservoir, or towing path, or with any works appurtenant thereto or any land necessary for the enjoyment or improvement thereof.

(2) For the purposes of this paragraph dock undertakers shall be deemed to be concerned with any river, canal, dock, harbour, basin, lock, reservoir, towing path, wharf, quay or land if—

(a) it belongs to them and forms part of their undertaking; or

(b) they have statutory rights of navigating on or using it or of demanding tolls or dues in respect of navigation thereon or the use thereof.

(3) A consent under this paragraph shall not be unreasonably withheld.

(4) Any dispute as to whether or not consent under this paragraph is unreasonably withheld shall be referred, if either party so require, to the arbitration of a single arbitrator appointed by agreement between the parties or, in default of agreement, by the President of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

(5) Upon an arbitration under this paragraph, the arbitrator shall determine—

(a) whether any works which the sewerage undertaker proposes to carry out are such works as under this paragraph the undertaker is not entitled to carry out without the consent of any dock undertakers;

(b) if they are such works, whether the injury, if any, to the undertakers will be of such a nature as to admit of being fully compensated by money; and

(c) if the works are of such a nature, the conditions subject to which the sewerage undertaker may carry out the works, including the amount of the compensation (if any) to be paid by the sewerage undertaker to the dock undertakers.

(6) The sewerage undertaker in question shall not proceed to carry out any proposed works if, on an arbitration under this paragraph, the arbitrator determines—

(a) that the proposed works are such works as the sewerage undertaker is not entitled to carry out without the consent of the dock undertakers; and

(b) that the works would cause injury to the dock undertakers of such a nature as not to admit of being fully compensated by money,

but, in any other case, the sewerage undertaker may carry out the works subject to compliance with such conditions, including the payment of such compensation, as the arbitrator may have determined.

(7) Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as limiting the powers of a sewerage undertaker under this Act in respect of the opening and the breaking up of streets and bridges for the purpose of constructing, laying and maintaining sewers, drains and pipes.