Without prejudice to any other power of combination, a parish or community council may by agreement combine with any other parish or community council for the purpose of exercising their powers under section 57 of this Act.

Where before 17th July 1957 a parish council has provided anything which could be provided by a parish council under section 57 of this Act, or where any other person has at any time provided anything which could be provided by a parish council under that section, the parish or community council shall have the like power to maintain that thing as if it had been provided by them under that section.

In sections 57 to 59 of this Act and in subsections (1) and (2) above, except in so far as the context otherwise requires,—

• “in”, in a context referring to things in a road, includes a reference to things under, over, across, along or upon the road;

• “owner” has the meaning assigned to it by section 343 of the M1Public Health Act 1936;

• “parish” or “community”, in relation to a common parish council or common community council acting for two or more grouped parishes or communities, means those parishes or communities;

• “public path” has the meaning assigned to it by section 27 of the National Parks and Access to the M2Countryside Act 1949; and

• “road” means a highway (including a public path) and any other road, lane, footway, square, court, alley or passage (whether a thoroughfare or not) to which the public has access, but does not include a road provided or to be provided in pursuance of a scheme made, or having effect as if made, under section 16 of the M3Highways Act 1980 (which relates to special roads).