Explanatory Notes

Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act

2009 asp 6

16 June 2009

The Act – Section by Section

Part 4 – Flood Risk Management: Local Authority Functions

Section 58 – Limits of general power: statutory undertakings

180.Section 58 prohibits a local authority from exercising its general power to manage flood risk in a way which damages any works or property belonging to a statutory undertaker, or interferes with the carrying on of its statutory undertaking, unless the undertaker consents. However, consent is not required if it is withheld unreasonably and it is for the Scottish Ministers to determine whether consent has been withheld unreasonably in the event of a dispute, their decision being final. “Statutory undertaker” and “statutory undertaking” are defined in section 71.