A highway authority may widen any highway for which they are the highway authority and may for that purpose agree with a person having power in that behalf for the dedication of adjoining land as part of a highway.

A council F1. . . have the like power to enter into a public path creation agreement under section 25 above, or to make a public path creation order under section 26 above, for the purpose of securing the widening of an existing footpath F11, bridleway or restricted byway as they have for the purpose of securing the creation of a footpath F11, bridleway or restricted byway, and references in those sections to the dedication or creation of a footpath F11, bridleway or restricted byway are to be construed accordingly.

The council of a parish or community have the like power to enter into an agreement under section 30 above for the purpose of securing the widening of an existing highway in the parish or community or an adjoining parish or community as they have for the purpose of securing the dedication of a highway, and references in that section to the dedication of a highway are to be construed accordingly.

Where an improvement line prescribed under this section in relation to any street is in force, then, subject to subsections (3) and (4) below, no new building shall be erected, and no permanent excavation below the level of the street shall be made, nearer to the centre line of the street than the improvement line, except with the consent of the authority who prescribed the line, and the authority may give a consent for such period and subject to such conditions as they may deem expedient.

The prohibition imposed by subsection (2) above does not affect any right of statutory undertakers to make an excavation for the purpose of laying, altering, maintaining or renewing any main, F2sewer, pipe, electric line, cable, duct or other work or apparatus.

Where an authority prescribe an improvement line under this section, a person aggrieved by the decision to prescribe the line or by the refusal of consent under subsection (2) above or by the period for which the consent is given or any conditions attached to it may appeal to the Crown Court.

A condition imposed in connection with the giving of a consent under subsection (2) above is binding on the successor in title to every owner, and on every lessee and every occupier, of any land to which it relates.

If a person contravenes the provisions of this section, or any condition imposed in connection with the giving of a consent under it, he is, without prejudice to any other proceedings which may be available against him, guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding F3level 1 on the standard scale; and if the offence is continued after conviction he is guilty of a further offence and liable to a fine not exceeding £2 for each day on which the offence is so continued.

Where in the opinion of a highway authority an improvement line prescribed by them under this section, or any part of such a line, is no longer necessary or desirable and should be revoked, they may revoke the line or that part of it.

Schedule 9 to this Act has effect in relation to the prescription of an improvement line under this section and to the revocation of such a line or any part of it.

Any person whose property is injuriously affected by the prescribing of an improvement line under this section is, subject to the following provisions thereof, entitled to recover from the authority who prescribed the line compensation for the injury sustained.

A person is not entitled to compensation on account of any building erected, contract made, or other thing done, after the date on which a plan showing the improvement line was deposited in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 5 of Schedule 9 to this Act, except as regards work done for the purpose of finishing a building the erection of which had begun before that date, or of carrying out a contract made before that date.

In relation to any prohibition or restriction on the use of land or buildings imposed by the Minister by the prescription of an improvement line under this section or by virtue of any condition imposed by him in connection with the giving of a consent under subsection (2) above, section 1(1)(c) of the M1Local Land Charges Act 1975 shall have effect as if the references to the date of the commencement of that Act were omitted.

In this section “building” includes any erection however, and with whatever material, it is constructed and any part of a building, and “new building” includes any addition to an existing building.

Subject to the provisions of this section, a highway authority may prescribe, in relation to either one side or both sides of a highway maintainable at the public expense for which they are the highway authority, a frontage line for building (in this section referred to as a “building line”).

Where a building line prescribed under this section in relation to any highway is in force, no new building, other than a boundary wall or fence, shall be erected, and no permanent excavation below the level of the highway shall be made, nearer to the centre line of the highway than the building line, except with the consent of the authority who prescribed the line; and the authority may give a consent for such period and subject to such conditions as they deem expedient.

The prohibition imposed by subsection (2) above does not affect any right of light railway, tramway, electricity, gas F6water undertakers or sewerage undertakers to make an excavation for the purpose of laying, altering, maintaining or renewing any main, F7sewer, pipe, electric line, duct or other apparatus.

A condition imposed in connection with the giving of a consent under subsection (2) above is binding on the successor in title to every owner, and on every lessee and every occupier, of any land to which it relates.

If a person contravenes the provisions of this section, or any condition imposed in connection with the giving of a consent under it, he is, without prejudice to any other proceedings which may be available against him, guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding F8level 1 on the standard scale; and if the offence is continued after conviction, he is guilty of a further offence and liable to a fine not exceeding £2 for each day on which the offence is so continued.

Where in the opinion of a highway authority a building line prescribed by them under this section, or any part of such a line, is no longer necessary or desirable and should be revoked, they may revoke the line or that part of it.

Schedule 9 to this Act has effect in relation to the prescription of a building line under this section and to the revocation of such line or any part of it.

Any person whose property is injuriously affected by the prescribing of a building line under this section is entitled, subject to subsection (9) below, to recover from the authority who prescribed the line compensation for the injury sustained.

Any two or more authorities on whom powers are conferred by this section may by agreement exercise those powers jointly, and the agreement may provide for the apportionment of any expenses incurred under it.

In relation to any prohibition or restriction on the use of land or buildings imposed by the Minister by the prescription of a building line under this section or by virtue of any condition imposed by him in connection with the giving of a consent under subsection (2) above, section 1(1)(c) of the M2Local Land Charges Act 1975 has effect as if the reference to the date of the commencement of that Act were omitted.

In this section—

• “building” and “new building” have the same meaning respectively as in section 73 above; and

• “light railway undertakers” means persons authorised by any enactment to carry on a light railway undertaking.

Where a highway maintainable at the public expense comprises both a footway or footways and a carriageway, the highway authority may vary the relative widths of the carriageway and of any footway.

Where any part of a highway is carried by a bridge over a railway, canal, inland navigation, dock or harbour or forms the approaches to such a bridge, the powers conferred by this section shall not be exercised in relation to that part without the consent of the railway, canal, inland navigation, dock or harbour undertakers concerned.

A consent required by subsection (2) above shall not be unreasonably withheld, and any question whether the withholding of such consent is unreasonable shall be determined by the Minister.