Coast Protection Act 1949

13 Recovery of cost of maintenance of works not constucted under works schemes. E+W+S

(1) Where under the last foregoing section a [F1 coast protection authority] [F1 coastal erosion risk management authority] have carried out any work of maintenance or repair on works not being works constructed, altered or improved under a works scheme and not being works in respect of which a scheme under this section has come into operation, the authority may, subject to the provisions of this section, on the completion of the work recover the reasonable cost of the carrying out of the work from the owner or occupier of the land on which the works are situated.

(2) The right of recovery conferred by the last foregoing subsection shall not be exercisable unless a notice in respect of the work in question has been served under subsection (1) of the last foregoing section and the notice contained a statement that the works to be maintained or repaired are works to which this section applies, stated whether the authority propose to exercise their right of recovery against owner or against the occupier, and contained a sufficient indication of the effect of this section.

(3) At any time within twenty-one days after service upon an owner or occupier of such a notice, he may complain in writing to a court of summary jurisdiction on any one or more of the following grounds, that is to say—

(a) that having regard to all the circumstances of the case it is equitable that the right of recovery conferred by subsection (1) of this section should be exercisable, as respects the whole or some part of the cost of carrying out the work, against whichever of the owner and the occupier is not the complainant;

(b) that having regard to all the circumstances of the case it is equitable that the [F2 coast protection authority] [F2 coastal erosion risk management authority] should bear the whole or some part of the cost of carrying out the work;

(c) that any of the work specified in the notice under subsection (1) of the last foregoing section is not work of maintenance or repair; or

(d) that having regard to all the circumstances of the case, and in particular to the amount of the cost or the probability that there will be a recurrent need for maintenance or repair, the cost ought to be provided for by a scheme under this section.

(4) A summons granted on a complaint under the last foregoing subsection shall be served on the [F3 coast protection authority] [F3 coastal erosion risk management authority] and, if the complaint is made on the ground specified in paragraph (a) of the last foregoing subsection, on whichever of the owner and the occupier is not the complainant.

(5) On a complaint under subsection (3) of this section the court may, if it thinks fit, make such one or more of the following orders as may appear to the court to be appropriate, having regard to the grounds of the complaint, that is to say an order—

(a) directing that the right of recovery conferred by subsection (1) of this section shall be exercisable, as respects the whole or such part as may be specified in the order of the cost of carrying out the work, against whichever of the owner and the occupier is not the complainant;

(b) debarring the authority from recovering the cost of carrying out the work or so much of that cost as may be specified in the order;

(c) declaring that any of the work specified in the notice under subsection (1) of the last foregoing section is not work of maintenance or repair; or

(d) debarring the authority from recovering the said cost but empowering them to make a scheme under this section.

(6) Where under the last foregoing subsection the [F4 coast protection authority] [F4 coastal erosion risk management authority] are empowered so to do, they may make a scheme under this section, and the provisions of sections six to eight and ten and eleven of this Act shall apply to any such scheme as they apply to a works scheme, but subject to the following modifications:—

(a) subsections (1) and (2) of the said section six shall not apply, but the scheme shall specify the work of maintenance or repair for which provision is made by the scheme;

(b) in subsection (3) of section seven of this Act references to the said work shall be substituted for references to the work or works provided for by the scheme;

(c) in the said subsection (3) the reference to the maintenance of the works provided for by the scheme shall be construed as a reference to the maintenance of the works for whose maintenance or repair provision is made by the scheme;

(d) the grounds on which objection may be made to the scheme shall be that any of the work is unnecessary or that any provision of the scheme as to charges is inequitable or unduly onerous, and no other grounds, and the reference in subsection (1) of section eight of this Act to subsection (3) of that section shall be construed accordingly.

(7) The Summary Jurisdiction Acts shall apply to the proceedings on any complaint under subsection (3) of this section; and where any party to the proceedings is aggrieved by the decision of the court on any such complaint he may appeal to [F5 the Crown Court.]

(8) Save as expressly provided in the last foregoing subsection, the determination by the court of a complaint under paragraph (c) of subsection (3) of this section shall be conclusive, as respects any right of recovery under this section, of the matter of the complaint.

(9) In the application of this section to Scotland,—

(a) for any reference to a court of summary jurisdiction there shall be substituted a reference to the sheriff, and for references to complaining, to a complainant and to a complaint there shall be substituted references to making an application, to a person making an application and to an application;

(b) in subsection (4) for the words “A summons granted on a complaint” there shall be substituted the words “Notice of an application made”; and

(c) subsection (7) shall be omitted.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 13(1) substituted (E.W.) (19.7.2011 for E., 1.10.2011 for W.) by Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (c. 29), s. 49(3), Sch. 2 para. 11 (with s. 49(1)(6)); S.I. 2011/1770, art. 3(d) (with art. 4(1)); S.I. 2011/2204, art. 3(2)(b) (with art. 5(1))

F2 Words in s. 13(3)(b) substituted (E.W.) (19.7.2011 for E., 1.10.2011 for W.) by Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (c. 29), s. 49(3), Sch. 2 para. 11 (with s. 49(1)(6)); S.I. 2011/1770, art. 3(d) (with art. 4(1)); S.I. 2011/2204, art. 3(2)(b) (with art. 5(1))

F3 Words in s. 13(4) substituted (E.W.) (19.7.2011 for E., 1.10.2011 for W.) by Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (c. 29), s. 49(3), Sch. 2 para. 11 (with s. 49(1)(6)); S.I. 2011/1770, art. 3(d) (with art. 4(1)); S.I. 2011/2204, art. 3(2)(b) (with art. 5(1))

F4 Words in s. 13(6) substituted (E.W.) (19.7.2011 for E., 1.10.2011 for W.) by Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (c. 29), s. 49(3), Sch. 2 para. 11 (with s. 49(1)(6)); S.I. 2011/1770, art. 3(d) (with art. 4(1)); S.I. 2011/2204, art. 3(2)(b) (with art. 5(1))

F5 Words substituted by Courts Act 1971 (c. 23), s. 56(2), Sch. 9 Pt. I