SCHEDULES

FIRST SCHEDULE Procedure for making improvement orders and orders varying or revoking improvement orders and as to the validity of orders
PART I

Procedure for making improvement orders
1 Before making an improvement order the Secretary of State shall prepare a draft order and shall—
(a) serve on—
(i) every owner and every occupier of land situated in the proposed improvement area, and
(ii) every owner and every occupier of land (other than land so situated) on which the execution of drainage or protective works is proposed to toe authorised or required by the order, and
(iii) any local authority or other statutory body which in the opinion of the Secretary of State may be affected by the making of the order,
a copy of the draft order together with a notice stating that such owner, occupier, authority or body may, within twenty-eight days of the service of the notice, object in such manner as may be specified in the notice to the making of the order or to any provision contained therein ; and
(b) in two successive weeks publish in one or more newspapers circulating in the locality in which the proposed improvement area is situated a notice stating that the draft order has been prepared, describing the said area, specifying the land on which the execution of drainage or protective works is proposed to be authorised or required by the order, naming a place within the locality where a copy of the draft order and of any maps, plans or specifications referred to therein may be inspected at all reasonable hours, and stating that any person may, within twenty-eight days; of the first publication of such notice, object in such manner as may be specified in the notice to the making of the order or to any provision contained therein.
In this Schedule—
" local authority " means any county, town or district council;
" statutory body " means any body exercising functions conferred on it by or under any enactment.
2 If no objection is duly made under the foregoing paragraph or if all objections so made are withdrawn, the Secretary of State may, subject to the provisions of paragraph 4 of this Schedule, proceed with the draft order with or without modifications.
3 If any objection duly made as aforesaid is not withdrawn, the Secretary of State shall, before deciding whether to proceed with the draft order, cause a public local inquiry to be held, and after considering the objection and the report of the person who held the inquiry may, if he thinks fit and subject to the provisions of the next following paragraph, proceed with the draft order with or without modifications.
4 Where the Secretary of State proposes to make any modification in the draft order by virtue either of paragraph 2 of this Schedule or of the last foregoing paragraph he shall, before deciding to proceed with the draft order as so modified, serve on each of the persons referred to in sub-paragraph (a) of paragraph 1 of this Schedule and on any other person who in his opinion may be affected by such modification a notice specifying the modification and stating that such person may, within fourteen days of the service of the notice, make representations in writing concerning the modification to the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of State shall consider any representations so made before he decides whether to proceed with the draft order as so modified.
5 Where the Secretary of State decides to proceed with a draft order, he shall serve on every owner of agricultural land situated in the proposed improvement area a notice stating that he proposes to make the order on the expiry of twenty-eight days: from the service of such notice and requesting that such owner shall, within the said period, inform the Secretary of State in writing in a registered letter addressed to the Secretary of State whether he agrees with the proposal to make the order or objects to such proposal, and the Secretary of State shall, if he has modified the draft order under paragraph 2 or 3 of this Schedule, serve a copy of the draft order as so modified along with any notice under this paragraph.
6 On the expiry of the period of twenty-eight days referred to in the last foregoing paragraph the Secretary of State shall make the order if and only if—
(a) every owner on whom a notice has been served under that paragraph has informed the Secretary of State in compliance with the request contained in such notice that he agrees with the proposal to make the order; or
(b) a majority of such owners have informed the Secretary of State in compliance with the said request that they agree with such proposal and—
(i) the owners who have so informed the Secretary of State will, if the order is made, be together liable thereunder to bear more than one half of the cost of improvement, and
(ii) the estimated cost of improvement specified in the draft order does not exceed an amount equal to twenty pounds for each acre of agricultural land situated in the proposed improvement area.
7 Where any owner on whom a notice has been served under paragraph 5 of this Schedule fails to comply with the request contained in such notice, he shall for the purposes of the last foregoing paragraph be deemed to have informed the Secretary of State in compliance with the said request that he agrees with the proposal to make the order.
8 The Secretary of State may, if it appears to him that the figure of twenty pounds specified in sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph 6 of this Schedule ought to be altered, by order amend that paragraph by substituting for the said figure such higher or lower figure as may be specified in the order.
An order made under (this paragraph may be varied or revoked by a subsequent order made thereunder, and the power to make orders under this paragraph shall be exercisable by statutory instrument and no such order shall be made unless a draft thereof has 'been laid before Parliament and has been approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.