Licensing of works
23.—(1) The Council may upon such terms and conditions as it thinks fit grant to any person a licence to construct, alter, renew or extend any works in the harbours on, under, in or over tidal waters or land below the level of high water, notwithstanding that the works as constructed, altered, renewed, or extended, interfere with the public right of navigation or any other public right.
(2) An application for a works licence must be made in writing to the Council and must—
(a)be accompanied by plans, sections and particulars of the works to which the application relates; and
(b)specify whether the applicant holds such rights in, under or over land as are necessary to enable the applicant to enjoy the benefits of the licence and, if not, the action taken to enable the applicant to obtain such rights if the licence is granted,
and, in granting a licence, the Council may require modifications in the plans, sections and particulars so submitted.
(3) The Council may require an applicant for a works licence, on making the application, to pay a reasonable fee in respect of the administrative expenses of dealing with the application.
(4) As a condition of the granting of a licence, the Council may require a licensee, being an applicant to whom a licence has been granted or the applicant’s successor, where works are to be constructed in accordance with the licence, to pay such reasonable fees in respect of the Council’s administrative expenses and overheads in supervising or inspecting where necessary the construction or maintenance of the works.
(5) Where the Council refuses to grant a works licence which has been applied for it must give reasons in writing for its refusal.
(6) Where the Council grants a works licence upon terms or conditions or requires any modification in the plans and particulars, it must give reasons in writing for the terms and conditions imposed or the modifications required.
(7) If within 16 weeks from the receipt of the application under paragraph (2) the Council does not grant a works licence, it shall be deemed to have refused the application.
(8) When carrying out operations pursuant to a works licence, the holder of the licence must not—
(a)interfere with, damage or otherwise injuriously affect any apparatus belonging to or maintained by any statutory undertaker;
(b)do anything which obstructs or impedes any work relating to the inspection or repair of any such apparatus,
without the consent of the statutory undertaker concerned.