Telecommunications Act 1984

98 Use of certain conduits for telecommunication purposes

(1) The functions of an authority with control of a relevant conduit shall include the power—

(a) to carry out, or to authorise another person to carry out, any works in relation to that conduit for or in connection with the installation, maintenance, adjustment, repair or alteration of telecommunication apparatus ;

(b) to keep telecommunication apparatus installed in that conduit or to authorise any other person to keep telecommunication apparatus so installed;

(c) to authorise any person to enter that conduit to inspect telecommunication apparatus kept installed there ;

(d) to enter into agreements, on such terms (including terms as to the payments to be made to the authority) as it thinks fit, in connection with the doing of anything authorised by or under this section ; and

(e) to carry on an ancillary business consisting in the making and carrying out of such agreements.

(2) Where any enactment or subordinate legislation expressly or impliedly imposes any limitation on the use to which a relevant conduit may be put, that limitation shall not have effect so as to prohibit the doing of anything authorised by or under this section.

(3) Where the doing by an authority with control of a public sewer of anything authorised by this section would, apart from this subsection, constitute a contravention of any obligation imposed (whether by virtue of any conveyance or agreement or otherwise) on the authority, the doing of that thing shall not constitute such a contravention to the extent that it consists in, or in authorising, the carrying out of works or inspections, or keeping of apparatus, wholly inside a public sewer.

(4) Subject to subsections (2) and (3) above, subsection (1) above is without prejudice to the rights of any person with an interest in land on, under or over which a relevant conduit is situated.

(5) Without prejudice to subsections (1) to (4) above, the Secretary of State may by order provide for any local Act under or in accordance with which any conduits (whether or not relevant conduits) are kept installed in streets to be amended in such manner as appears to him requisite or expedient for securing—

(a) that there is power for those conduits to be used for telecommunication purposes;

(b) that the terms (including terms as to payment) on which those conduits are used for those purposes are reasonable ; and

(c) that the use of those conduits for those purposes is not unreasonably inhibited (whether directly or indirectly) by reason of the terms of any consent, licence or agreement which has been given, granted or made in relation to any of those conduits for the purposes of that Act.

(6) In this section " relevant conduit " means—

(a) any conduit which, whether or not it is itself an electric line, is maintained by an electricity authority for the purpose of enclosing, surrounding or supporting such a line, including where such a conduit is connected to any box, chamber or other structure (including a building) maintained by an electricity authority for purposes connected with the conveyance, transmission or distribution of electricity, that box, chamber or structure ; or

(b) a water main or any other conduit maintained by a water authority for the purpose of conveying water from one place to another ; or

(c) a public sewer ; or

(d) a culvert which is a designated watercourse within the meaning of the [S.I. 1973/69 (N.I. 1).] Drainage (Northern Ireland) Order 1973.

(7) In this section a reference to the authority with control of a relevant conduit—

(a) in relation to a conduit or structure falling within paragraph (a) or (b) of subsection (6) above, shall be construed as a reference to the authority by whom the conduit or structure is maintained ;

(b) in relation to a public sewer, shall be construed, subject to subsection (8) below, as a reference to the authority in whom the sewer is vested ; and

(c) in relation to a culvert falling within paragraph (d) of subsection (6) above, shall be construed as a reference to the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland.

(8) Where—

(a) the functions of an authority with control of a public sewer are, in pursuance of any enactment, discharged on its behalf by another authority, and

(b) the other authority is authorised by the authority with control of the sewer to act on its behalf for the purposes of the matters referred to in subsection (1) above,

this section shall have effect in relation to that sewer as if any reference to the authority with control of the sewer included, to such extent as may be necessary for the other authority so to act, a reference to the other authority.

(9) In this section—

• " alteration ", " street " and " telecommunication apparatus " have the same meanings as in Schedule 2 to this Act;

• " conduit" includes a tunnel or subway ;

• " electric line "—

  (a)

  in Great Britain, has the same meaning as in the [1882 c. 56.] Electric Lighting Act 1882 ; and

  (b)

  in Northern Ireland, has the same meaning as in the [S.I. 1972/1072 (N.I. 9).] Electricity Supply (Northern Ireland) Order 1972;

• " electricity authority " means an Electricity Board within the meaning of Part I of the [1983 c. 25.] Energy Act 1983 or the: Northern Ireland Electricity Service ;

• " public sewer "—

  (a)

  in England and Wales, has the same meaning as in the [1936 c. 49.] Public Health Act 1936 ;

  (b)

  in Scotland, means any sewer which is vested in a regional or islands council; and

  (c)

  in Northern Ireland, means a sewer as defined in the [S.I. 1973/70 (N.I. 2).] Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1973 ;

• " subordinate legislation " means any subordinate legislation within the meaning of the [1978 c. 30.] Interpretation Act 1978 or any instrument, as defined in section 1 of the [1954 c. 33 (N.I.).] Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 ;

• " water authority "—

  (a)

  in England and Wales, means any statutory water undertakers as denned in section 11(6) of the [1973 c. 37.] Water Act 1973 ;

  (b)

  in Scotland, means a water authority or water development board within the meaning of the [1980 c. 45.] Water (Scotland) Act 1980 ; and

  (c)

  in Northern Ireland, means the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland ;

• " water main "—

  (a)

  in England and Wales, means a main within the meaning of Schedule 3 to the [1945 c. 42.] Water Act 1945;

  (b)

  in Scotland, means a main within the meaning of the [1980 c. 45.] Water (Scotland) Act 1980; and

  (c)

  in Northern Ireland, means a main within the meaning of the [S.I. 1973/70 (N.I. 2).] Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1973.