The A303 (Amesbury to Berwick Down) Development Consent Order 2023

Supplemental Powers

Discharge of water

13.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), the undertaker may use any watercourse, public sewer or drain for the drainage of water in connection with the construction or maintenance of the authorised development and for that purpose may lay down, take up and alter pipes and may, on any land within the Order limits, make openings into, and connections with, the watercourse, public sewer or drain.

(2) Any dispute arising from the making of connections to or the use of a public sewer or drain by the undertaker under paragraph (1) is to be determined as if it were a dispute under section 106 (right to communicate with public sewers) of the Water Industry Act 1991(1).

(3) The undertaker must not discharge any water into any watercourse, public sewer or drain except with the consent of the person to whom it belongs; and such consent may be given subject to such terms and conditions as that person may reasonably impose.

(4) The undertaker must not make any opening into any public sewer or drain except—

(a) in accordance with plans approved by the person to whom the sewer or drain belongs; and

(b) where that person has been given the opportunity to supervise the making of the opening.

(5) The undertaker must take such steps as are reasonably practicable to secure that any water discharged into a watercourse or public sewer or drain under the powers conferred by this article is as free as may be practicable from gravel, soil or other solid substance, oil or matter in suspension.

(6) Nothing in this article overrides the requirement for an environmental permit under regulation 12 (requirement for environmental permit) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016(2).

(7) In this article—

(a) “public sewer or drain” means a sewer or drain which belongs to the Homes England, the Environment Agency, an internal drainage board, a joint planning board, a local authority, a sewerage undertaker or an urban development corporation; and

(b) other expressions, excluding watercourse, used both in this article and in the Water Resources Act 1991(3), have the same meanings as in that Act.

Protective works to buildings

14.—(1) Subject to the following provisions of this article, the undertaker may at the undertaker’s own expense carry out such protective works to any building lying within the Order limits or which may be affected by the authorised development as the undertaker considers necessary or expedient.

(2) Protective works may be carried out—

(a) at any time before or during the carrying out in the vicinity of the building of any part of the authorised development; or

(b) after the completion of that part of the authorised development in the vicinity of the building at any time up to the end of the period of 5 years beginning with the day on which that part of the authorised development is first opened for use.

(3) Subject to paragraph (5), for the purpose of determining how the functions under this article are to be exercised the undertaker may enter and survey any building falling within paragraph (1) and any land within its curtilage.

(4) For the purpose of carrying out protective works to a building under this article the undertaker may (subject to paragraphs (5) and (6))—

(a) enter the building and any land within its curtilage; and

(b) where the works cannot be carried out reasonably conveniently without entering land which is adjacent to the building but outside its curtilage, enter the adjacent land (whether or not such adjacent land is inside or outside the Order limits) but not any building erected on it,

and if it is reasonably required, the undertaker may take possession, or exclusive possession, of the building and any land or part thereof for the purpose of carrying out the protective works.

(5) Before exercising—

(a) a right under paragraph (1) to carry out protective works to a building;

(b) a right under paragraph (3) to enter a building and land within its curtilage;

(c) a right under paragraph (4)(a) to enter a building and land within its curtilage; or

(d) a right under paragraph (4)(b) to enter land,

the undertaker must, except in the case of emergency, serve on the owners and occupiers of the building or land not less than 14 days’ notice of its intention to exercise that right and, in a case falling within sub-paragraph (a) or (c), specifying the protective works proposed to be carried out.

(6) Where a notice is served under paragraph (5)(a), (5)(c) or (5)(d), the owner or occupier of the building or land concerned may, by serving a counter-notice within the period of 10 days beginning with the day on which the notice was served, require the question of whether it is necessary or expedient to carry out the protective works or to enter the building or land to be referred to arbitration under article 57 (arbitration).

(7) The undertaker must compensate the owners and occupiers of any building or land in relation to which rights under this article have been exercised for any loss or damage arising to them by reason of the exercise of those rights.

(8) Where—

(a) protective works are carried out under this article to a building; and

(b) within the period of 5 years beginning with the day on which the part of the authorised development carried out in the vicinity of the building is first opened for use it appears that the protective works are inadequate to protect the building against damage caused by the carrying out or use of that part of the authorised development,

the undertaker must compensate the owners and occupiers of the building for any loss or damage sustained by them.

(9) Subject to article 37 (no double recovery) nothing in this article relieves the undertaker from any liability to pay compensation under section 152(4) (compensation in case where no right to claim in nuisance) of the 2008 Act.

(10) Section 13(5) (refusal to give possession to acquiring authority) of the 1965 Act applies to the entry onto land under this article to the same extent as it applies to the compulsory acquisition of land under this Order by virtue of section 125(6) (application of compulsory acquisition provisions) of the 2008 Act.

(11) Any compensation payable under paragraph (7) or (8) is to be determined, in case of dispute, as if it were a dispute under Part 1 (determination of questions of disputed compensation) of the 1961 Act.

(12) In this article “protective works” in relation to a building means—

(a) underpinning, strengthening and any other works the purpose of which is to prevent damage which may be caused to the building by the construction, maintenance or use of the authorised development; and

(b) any works the purpose of which is to remedy any damage which has been caused to the building by the carrying out, maintenance or use of the authorised development.

Authority to survey and investigate land

15.—(1) The undertaker may for the purposes of the construction, operation or maintenance of the authorised development enter on—

(a) any land shown within the Order limits; and

(b) where reasonably necessary, any land which is adjacent to, but outside the Order limits,

and—

(i) survey or investigate the land (including any watercourses, groundwater, static water bodies or vegetation on the land);

(ii) without limitation on the scope of sub-paragraph (i), make any excavations or trial holes and boreholes in such positions on the land as the undertaker thinks fit to investigate the nature of the surface layer, subsoil and groundwater and remove soil and water samples and discharge water from sampling operations on to the land;

(iii) without limitation on the scope of sub-paragraph (i), carry out ecological or archaeological investigations on such land, including making any excavations or trial holes on the land for such purposes; and

(iv) place on, leave on and remove from the land apparatus for use in connection with the survey and investigation of land and making of trial holes and boreholes.

(2) No land may be entered or equipment placed or left on or removed from the land under paragraph (1) unless at least 14 days’ notice has been served on every owner and occupier of the land.

(3) The notice required under paragraph (2) must indicate the nature of the survey or investigation that the undertaker intends to carry out.

(4) Any person entering land under this article on behalf of the undertaker—

(a) must, if so required, before or after entering the land, produce written evidence of authority to do so; and

(b) may take onto the land such vehicles and equipment as are necessary to carry out the survey or investigation or to make the trial holes and boreholes.

(5) No trial holes or boreholes are to be made under this article—

(a) in land located within the highway boundary without the consent of the highway authority; or

(b) in a private street without the consent of the street authority.

(6) The undertaker must compensate the owners and occupiers of the land for any loss or damage arising by reason of the exercise of the powers conferred by this article, such compensation to be determined, in case of dispute, as if it were a dispute under Part 1 (determination of questions of disputed compensation) of the 1961 Act.

(7) Section 13 (refusal to give possession to acquiring authority) of the 1965 Act applies to the entry onto land under this article to the same extent as it applies to the compulsory acquisition of land under this Order by virtue of section 125 (application of compulsory acquisition provisions) of the 2008 Act.

Removal of human remains

16.—(1) In this article—

“the burial authority” means the burial authority for the specified land, being Wiltshire Council; and

“the specified land” means any land within the Order limits.

(2) Before the undertaker carries out any development or works which will or may disturb any human remains in the specified land it must remove those human remains from the specified land, or cause them to be removed, in accordance with the following provisions of this article.

(3) Subject to paragraph (12), before any such remains are removed from the specified land the undertaker must give notice of the intended removal, describing the specified land and stating the general effect of the following provisions of this article, by—

(a) publishing a notice once in each of two successive weeks in a newspaper circulating in the area of the specified land; and

(b) displaying a notice in a conspicuous place on or near to the specified land.

(4) As soon as reasonably practicable after the first publication of a notice under paragraph (3), the undertaker must send a copy of the notice to the burial authority.

(5) At any time within 56 days after the first publication of a notice under paragraph (3), any person who is a personal representative or relative of any deceased person whose remains are interred in the specified land may give notice in writing to the undertaker of that person’s intention to undertake the removal of the remains.

(6) Where a person has given notice under paragraph (5), and the remains in question can be identified, that person may cause such remains to be—

(a) removed and re-interred in any burial ground or cemetery in which burials may legally take place; or

(b) removed to, and cremated in, any crematorium,

and that person must, as soon as reasonably practicable after such re-interment or cremation, provide to the undertaker a certificate for the purpose of enabling compliance with paragraph (11).

(7) If the undertaker is not satisfied that any person giving notice under paragraph (5) is the personal representative or relative as that person claims to be, or that the remains in question can be identified, the question is to be determined on the application of either party in a summary manner by the county court, and the court may make an order specifying who is to remove the remains and as to the payment of the costs of the application.

(8) The undertaker must pay the reasonable expenses of removing and re-interring or cremating the remains of any deceased person under this article.

(9) If—

(a) within the period of 56 days referred to in paragraph (5) no notice under that paragraph has been given to the undertaker in respect of any remains in the specified land;

(b) such notice is given and no application is made under paragraph (7) within 56 days after the giving of the notice but the person who gave the notice fails to remove the remains within a further period of 56 days;

(c) within 56 days after any order is made by the county court under paragraph (7) any person, other than the undertaker, specified in the order fails to remove the remains; or

(d) it is determined that the remains to which any such notice relates cannot be identified,

subject to paragraph (10), the undertaker must remove the remains and cause them to be re-interred in such burial ground or cemetery in which burials may legally take place as the undertaker thinks suitable for the purpose and, so far as possible, remains from individual graves must be re-interred in individual containers which must be identifiable by a record prepared with reference to the original position of burial of the remains that they contain.

(10) If the undertaker is satisfied that any person giving notice under paragraph (5) is the personal representative or relative as that person claims to be and that the remains in question can be identified, but that person does not remove the remains, the undertaker must comply with any reasonable request that person may make in relation to the removal and re-interment or cremation of the remains.

(11) On the re-interment or cremation of any remains under this article—

(a) a certificate of re-interment or cremation must be sent to the Registrar General by the undertaker giving the date of re-interment or cremation and identifying the place from which the remains were removed and the place in which they were re-interred or cremated; and

(b) a copy of the certificate of re-interment or cremation and the record mentioned in paragraph (9) must be sent by the undertaker to the burial authority.

(12) No notice is required under paragraph (3) before the removal of any human remains where the undertaker is satisfied—

(a) that the remains were interred more than 100 years ago; and

(b) that no relative or personal representative of the deceased is likely to object to the remains being removed in accordance with this article.

(13) In the case of remains in relation to which paragraph (12) applies, the undertaker—

(a) may remove the remains;

(b) must apply for direction from the Secretary of State under paragraph (15) as to their subsequent treatment; and

(c) must deal with the remains in such manner, and subject to such conditions, as the Secretary of State directs.

(14) In this article—

(a) references to a relative of the deceased are to a person who—

(i) is a husband, wife, civil partner, parent, grandparent, child or grandchild of the deceased; or

(ii) is, or is a child of, a brother, sister, uncle or aunt of the deceased.

(b) references to a personal representative of the deceased are to a person or persons who—

(i) is the lawful executor of the estate of the deceased; or

(ii) is the lawful administrator of the estate of the deceased.

(15) The removal and subsequent treatment of the remains of any deceased person under this article must be carried out in accordance with any directions which may be given by the Secretary of State.

(16) Any jurisdiction or function conferred on the county court by this article may be exercised by the district judge of the court.

(17) Section 25 (offence of removal of body from burial ground) of the Burial Act 1857(7) is not apply to a removal carried out in accordance with this article.

(18) Section 239 (use and development of burial grounds) of the 1990 Act applies—

(a) in relation to land, other than a right over land, acquired for the purposes of the authorised development (whether or not by agreement), so as to permit use by the undertaker in accordance with the provisions of this Order; and

(b) in relation to a right over land so acquired (whether or not by agreement), or the temporary use of land pursuant to articles 29 (temporary use of land for constructing the authorised development) or 30 (temporary use of land for maintaining the authorised development), so as to permit the exercise of that right or the temporary use by the undertaker in accordance with the provisions of this Order,

and in section 240(1) (provisions supplemental to ss.238 and 239) of the 1990 Act reference to “regulations made for the purposes of sections 238(3) and (4) and 239(2)” means, so far as applicable to land or a right over land acquired under this Order, paragraphs (2) to (16) of this article and in section 240(3) of the 1990 Act reference to a “statutory undertaker” includes the undertaker and reference to “any other enactment“ includes this Order.

(19) The Town and Country Planning (Churches, Places of Religious Worship and Burial Grounds) Regulations 1950(8) do not apply to the authorised development.

Felling or lopping of trees and hedgerows

17.—(1) The undertaker may fell or lop any tree or shrub within or overhanging land within the Order limits, or cut back its roots, if the undertaker reasonably believes it to be necessary to do so to prevent the tree or shrub—

(a) from obstructing or interfering with the construction, maintenance or operation of the authorised development or any apparatus used in connection with the authorised development; or

(b) from constituting a danger to persons using the authorised development.

(2) In carrying out any activity authorised by paragraph (1), the undertaker must do no unnecessary damage to any tree or shrub and must pay compensation to any person for any loss or damage arising from such activity.

(3) Any dispute as to a person’s entitlement to compensation under paragraph (2), or as to the amount of compensation, is to be determined as if it were a dispute under Part 1 (determination of questions of disputed compensation) of the 1961 Act.

(4) The undertaker may, for the purposes of constructing, maintaining or operating the authorised development but subject to paragraph (2), remove any hedgerow within the Order limits that is required to be removed.

(5) In this article “hedgerow” includes a hedgerow to which the Hedgerow Regulations 1997(9) apply and includes important hedgerows.

Maintenance of drainage works

18.—(1) Nothing in this Order, or the construction, maintenance or operation of the authorised development under it, affects any responsibility for the maintenance of any works connected with the drainage of land, whether that responsibility is imposed or allocated by or under any enactment, or otherwise, unless otherwise agreed in writing between the undertaker and the person responsible.

(2) In this article “drainage” has the same meaning as in section 72 (interpretation) of the Land Drainage Act 1991(10).

(1)

1991 c. 56. Section 106 was amended by section 35(1) and (8) of, and Schedule 2 to, the Competition and Service (Utilities) Act 1992 (c. 43), sections 36(2) and 99 of the Water Act 2003 (c. 37) and section 32 of, and paragraph 16(1) of Schedule 3 to, the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (c. 29).

(2)

S.I. 2016/1154, amended by S.I. 2018/110.

(3)

1991 c. 57.

(4)

Section 152 was amended by S.I. 2009/1307.

(5)

Section 13 was amended by sections 62(3) and 139(4) to (9) of, and paragraphs 27 and 28 of Schedule 13 and Part 3 of Schedule 23 to, the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 (c. 15).

(6)

Section 125 was amended by section 190 of, and paragraph 17 of Schedule 16 to, the Housing and Planning Act 2016 (c. 22).

(7)

1857 c. 81. Section 25 was substituted by section 2 of the Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure 2014 (No. 1).

(8)

S.I. 1950/792.

(9)

S.I. 1997/1160.

(10)

1991 c. 59. The definition was substituted by section 100(2) of the Environment Act 1995 (c. 25).