Local Government Act 1985

54 (1) Where a bridge carries a highway for which the Secretary of State is not the highway authority and part of the bridge is situated in one metropolitan district and part in another in the same county, the highway authority for the highway carried by the bridge and the approaches to it is such one of the councils of those districts as may be agreed between them before such a day as the Secretary of State may by order appoint or, in default of such agreement, as may be determined by the Secretary of State.

(2) Where a bridge carries a highway to which this sub-paragraph applies and part of the bridge is situated in one London borough and part in another, the highway authority for the highway carried by the bridge and the approaches to it is such one of the councils of those boroughs as may be agreed between them before such a day as the Secretary of State may by order appoint or, in default of such agreement, as may be determined by the Secretary of State.

(3) Sub-paragraph (2) above applies to a highway which—

(a) immediately before the abolition date is a metropolitan road; and

(b) does not on that date become a trunk road by virtue of an order under paragraph 53(2) above.

(4) Where the Secretary of State has made a determination under sub-paragraph (1) or (2) above, the determination—

(a) may be varied at the request of either of the councils concerned; and

(b) shall be varied to give effect to any request made jointly to the Secretary of State by both those councils;

and any such variation shall take effect on the 1st April falling not less than 3 months, and not more than 15 months, after the date on which the determination is varied.

(5) In sub-paragraph (2) above references to a London borough include references to the City and references to the council of a London borough include references to the Common Council; and in sub-paragraph (4) above references to councils shall be construed accordingly.

(6) Without prejudice to section 3(3) of the Highways Act 1980, where a bridge carries a highway for which the Secretary of State is not the highway authority and sub-paragraphs (1) and (2) above do not apply, but some part of one or more of the approaches to the bridge lies in a metropolitan district or London borough different from that in which the bridge itself is situated, the highway authority for the whole of that approach or those approaches is the council of the metropolitan district or London borough in which the bridge is situated.

(7) For the purposes of this paragraph, the approaches to a bridge consist of so much of the highway or highways on either side of the bridge as is situated within 100 yards of either end of the bridge.