Removal of obstructions other than vessels, vehicles or wreck
25.—(1) Without prejudice to its powers under any other enactment (including one contained in this Order) the Council may remove anything which is causing or likely to become an obstruction or impediment to the proper use of any part of the harbour other than–
(a)a vessel or vehicle; or
(b)wreck within the meaning of Part IX of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.
(2) If anything removed by the Council under paragraph (1) above is known to the Council to be, or is so marked as to be readily identifiable as, the property of any person, the Council shall within one month of its coming into its custody give notice, in accordance with paragraph (5) below, to that person and if possession of the thing is not retaken within the period specified in, and in accordance with the terms of, the notice it shall at the end of that period vest in the Council.
(b)If the ownership of anything removed by the Council under paragraph (1) above which is not so known or marked is not within 3 months of its coming into the custody of the Council proved to its reasonable satisfaction, it shall vest in the Council.
(3) The Council may at such time and in such manner as it thinks fit dispose of anything which is of a perishable or obnoxious nature or the custody of which involves unreasonable expense or inconvenience notwithstanding that it has not vested in the Council under this article, and if it is sold the proceeds of sale shall be applied by the Council in payment of the expenses incurred by it under this article in relation to the thing, and any balance–
(a)shall be paid to any person who within 3 months from the time when the thing came into custody of the Council proves to its reasonable satisfaction that he was the owner thereof at that time; or
(b)if within the said period no person proves ownership at the said time, shall vest in the Council.
(4) If anything removed under this article–
(a)is sold by the Council and the proceeds of sale are insufficient to reimburse it for the amount of the expenses incurred in the exercise of its powers of removal; or
(b)is unsaleable;
the Council may recover the deficiency or the whole of the expenses, as the case may be, from the person who was the owner when the thing removed came into the custody of the Council or who was the owner at the time of its abandonment or loss.
(5) A notice given under paragraph (2)(a) above shall specify the thing removed and state that upon proof of ownership to the reasonable satisfaction of the Council possession may be retaken at a place specified in the notice within the time specified therein, being not less than 14 days after the date when the notice is served.
(6) The Council shall not under the powers of this article move anything placed or constructed by any person under the provisions of any enactment or of a consent or licence given or issued by the Council thereunder.