137 Special drainage charges in interests of agriculture.E+W
(1)Where it appears to the Authority that the interests of agriculture require the carrying out, improvement or maintenance of drainage works in connection with any watercourses in the area of any regional flood defence committee, the Authority may submit to either of the Ministers for confirmation a scheme under this section with respect to those watercourses.
(2)A scheme under this section with respect to any watercourses is a scheme—
(a)designating those watercourses, and any watercourses connected with them, for the purposes of this section; and
(b)making provision for the raising, in accordance with section 138 below, of a charge (known as a “special drainage charge”) for the purpose of meeting the expenses of drainage works in connection with the designated watercourses and any expenses arising from such works.
(3)A scheme under this section shall designate for the purposes of the special drainage charge so much of the area of the regional flood defence committee as consists of land which, in the opinion of the Authority, is agricultural land that would benefit from drainage works in connection with the designated watercourses.
(4)The watercourses designated in any scheme under this section shall, if the scheme is confirmed, be treated for the purposes of this Act and the M1Land Drainage Act 1991 as part of a main river.
(5)A scheme under this section-
(a)may make provision for any of the matters referred to in subsections (1) and (2) of section 108 above; and
(b)may provide for the revocation or amendment of, and for the retransfer of property, rights, powers, duties, obligations and liabilities transferred by, any previous scheme under this section.
(6)Schedule 16 to this Act shall have effect with respect to the making and confirmation of schemes under this section.
(7)For the purposes of this section—
(a)the reference to expenses of drainage works is a reference to expenses incurred in the construction, improvement or maintenance of drainage works;
(b)the expenses of any drainage works which may be necessary in consequence of other drainage works, and so much of any contribution made under section 57 of the M2Land Drainage Act 1991 as is fairly attributable to such expenses, shall be deemed to be expenses arising from those other drainage works; and
(c)the expenses of any drainage works shall be taken (without prejudice to section 221(5) below) to include a proper proportion of the cost of the officers and buildings and establishment of the authority carrying them out.
(8)In this section and Schedule 16 to this Act “watercourse” has the same meaning as in Part IV of this Act.