8.—(1) Merseytravel may alter the layout of, and carry out other ancillary works in, any street specified in column (1) of Schedule 4 to this Order in the manner specified in relation to that street in column (2) of that Schedule.
(2) Without prejudice to the specific powers conferred by article 5 or paragraph (1) but subject to paragraph (3), Merseytravel may for the purpose of constructing, maintaining or using any authorised street tramway alter the layout of the street along which the street tramway is or is to be laid and the layout of any street having a junction with such a street; and, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, Merseytravel may—
(a)increase the width of the carriageway of the street by reducing the width of any kerb, footway, cycle track or verge within the street;
(b)alter the level or increase the width of any such kerb, footway, cycle track or verge;
(c)reduce the width of the carriageway of the street by forming a reserved area in the street as a stopping place for tramcars or by carrying out other works for that purpose;
(d)carry out works for the provision or alteration of parking places and bus laybys;
(e)carry out traffic calming works which are of a description prescribed in the Highways (Traffic Calming) Regulations 1999(1) and which are carried out in compliance with those Regulations;
(f)carry out works to the carriageway of the street for the purpose of deterring or preventing vehicles other than tramcars from passing along the tram system; and
(g)make and maintain crossovers, sidings or passing places.
(3) The powers in paragraph (2) shall not be exercised without the consent of the street authority, but such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.
9.—(1) Merseytravel may, for the purposes of or in connection with the construction, maintenance and use of the authorised tram system, place and maintain in any street in which the tram system is or is to be laid and in any street having a junction with such a street any work, equipment or apparatus including, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, foundations, platforms, road islands, substations, electric lines and any electrical or other apparatus.
(2) The powers of this article shall not be exercised within the boundaries of a street outside of the Order limits which has a junction with a street along which the construction of a street tramway is shown on the works and land plans without the consent of the street authority but such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.
(3) In this article—
(a)“apparatus” has the same meaning as in Part III of the 1991 Act; and
(b)the reference to any work, equipment, apparatus or other thing in a street includes a reference to any work, equipment, apparatus or other thing under, over, along or upon the street.
10.—(1) Merseytravel may, for the purpose of exercising the powers conferred by article 9 or any other provision of this Order, enter upon any street in which the authorised tram system is or is to be laid and any street having a junction with such a street and may execute any works required for or incidental to the exercise of those powers including, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, breaking up or opening the street, or any sewer, drain or tunnel under it, or tunnelling or boring under the street.
(2) The powers of this article shall not be exercised within the boundaries of a street outside of the Order limits which has a junction with a street along which the construction of a street tramway is shown on the works and land plans without the consent of the street authority, but such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.
11.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this article Merseytravel may, in connection with the construction of the authorised works, stop up each of the streets specified in column (1) of Parts 1 and 2 of Schedule 5 to this Order to the extent specified, by reference to the letters and numbers shown on the works and land plans, in column (2) of Parts 1 and 2 of that Schedule.
(2) No street specified in column (1) of Part 1 of Schedule 5 to this Order (being a street to be stopped up for which a substitute is to be provided) shall be wholly or partly stopped up under this article unless either—
(a)the new street to be substituted for it, and which is specified in relation to it by reference to one of the scheduled works or other works in column (3) of that Part of that Schedule, has been completed to the reasonable satisfaction of the street authority and is open for use; or
(b)a temporary alternative route is first provided and thereafter maintained by Merseytravel to the reasonable satisfaction of the street authority between the commencement and termination points of the street to be stopped up, until completion of the new street in accordance with sub-paragraph (a).
(3) No street specified in columns (1) and (2) of Part 2 of Schedule 5 to this Order (being a street to be stopped up for which no substitute is to be provided) shall be wholly or partly stopped up under this article unless the condition specified in paragraph (4) is satisfied in relation to all the relevant land; and for this purpose “relevant land” means any land which abuts on either side of the street to be stopped up.
(4) The condition referred to in paragraph (3) is that—
(a)Merseytravel is in possession of the land; or
(b)there is no right of access to the land from the street concerned; or
(c)there is reasonably convenient access to the land otherwise than from the street concerned; or
(d)the owners and occupiers of the land have agreed to the stopping up.
(5) Where a street has been stopped up under this article—
(a)all rights of way over or along it shall be extinguished; and
(b)Merseytravel may appropriate and use for the purposes of the authorised tram system so much of the site of the street as is bounded on both sides by land owned or appropriated by Merseytravel.
(6) Any person who suffers loss by the extinguishment or suspension of any private right of way under this article shall be entitled to be paid compensation by Merseytravel to be determined, in case of dispute, under Part I of the 1961 Act.
(7) This article is subject to paragraph 2 of Schedule 11 to this Order.
12.—(1) Merseytravel may, during and for the purposes of the execution of the authorised works, temporarily stop up, alter or divert any street and may for any reasonable time—
(a)divert the traffic from the street; and
(b)subject to paragraph (3), prevent all persons from passing along the street.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), Merseytravel may use any street stopped up under the powers of this article as a temporary working site.
(3) Merseytravel shall provide at all times reasonable access for pedestrians going to or from premises abutting on a street affected by the exercise of the powers conferred by this article if there would otherwise be no such access.
(4) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), Merseytravel may exercise the powers of this article in relation to the streets specified in column (1) of Schedule 5 to this Order to the extent specified, by reference to the letters and numbers shown on the works and land plans and set out in column (2) of that Schedule, and in relation to the streets specified in Schedule 6 to this Order.
(5) Merseytravel shall not exercise the powers of this article—
(a)in relation to any street specified as mentioned in paragraph (4) that is not a highway, without first consulting the street authority; and
(b)in relation to any other street without the consent of the street authority, but such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.
13. Merseytravel may, for the purposes of the construction or operation of the scheduled works, form and lay out such means of access or improve such existing means of access, to any street in which the authorised tram system is or is to be laid or any street having a junction with such a street, as may be approved by the highway authority, but such approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.
14.—(1) Any street to be constructed under this Order shall be completed to the reasonable satisfaction of the highway authority and shall, unless otherwise agreed between Merseytravel and the highway authority, be maintained by and at the expense of Merseytravel for a period of 18 months from its completion and at the expiry of that period by and at the expense of the highway authority.
(2) Where a street is altered or diverted under this Order, the altered or diverted part of the street shall, when completed to the reasonable satisfaction of the street authority, unless otherwise agreed, be maintained by and at the expense of Merseytravel for a period of 18 months from its completion and at the expiry of that period by and at the expense of the street authority.
(3) Paragraphs (1) and (2) do not apply in relation to the structure of any bridge or tunnel carrying a street over a tramroad or carrying a tramroad over a street and except as provided in those paragraphs Merseytravel shall not be liable to maintain the surface of any street in, on, under or over which the scheduled works shall be constructed, or the immediate approaches to any such street, unless otherwise agreed with the street authority.
(4) In any action against Merseytravel in respect of loss or damage resulting from any failure by it to maintain a street under this article, it is a defence (without prejudice to any other defence or the application of the law relating to contributory negligence) to prove that Merseytravel had taken such care as in all the circumstances was reasonably required to secure that the part of the street to which the action relates was not dangerous to traffic.
(5) For the purposes of a defence under paragraph (4), the court shall in particular have regard to the following matters—
(a)the character of the street including its use for a tramway, and the traffic which was reasonably to be expected to use it;
(b)the standard of maintenance appropriate for a street of that character and used by such traffic;
(c)the state of repair in which a reasonable person would have expected to find the street;
(d)whether Merseytravel knew, or could reasonably have been expected to know, that the condition of the part of the street to which the action relates was likely to cause danger to users of the street; and
(e)where Merseytravel could not reasonably have been expected to repair that part of the street before the cause of action arose, what warning notices of its condition had been displayed;
but for the purposes of such a defence it is not relevant that Merseytravel had arranged for a competent person to carry out or supervise the maintenance of that part of the street to which the action relates unless it is also proved that Merseytravel had given him proper instructions with regard to the maintenance of the street and that he had carried out those instructions.
15. Any bridge or tunnel to be constructed under this Order for carrying a highway over any authorised tramway or any authorised tramway over a highway shall be constructed in accordance with plans and specifications approved by the highway authority, but such approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.
16. If Merseytravel abandons the construction of, or permanently ceases to operate any of the authorised street tramways (“the discontinued tramway”), it shall as soon as reasonably practicable and unless otherwise agreed with the street authority—
(a)remove from any street in which the discontinued tramway is laid the rails and any other works, equipment and apparatus which have become redundant; and
(b)restore, to the reasonable satisfaction of the street authority, the portion of the street along which the discontinued tramway was laid regard being had to the condition of the street before the tramway was laid.
17.—(1) A street authority and Merseytravel may enter into agreements with respect to—
(a)the construction of any new street (including any structure carrying the street over or under any authorised street tramway or authorised tramroad) under the powers conferred by this Order;
(b)the strengthening, improvement, repair or reconstruction of any street under the powers conferred by this Order;
(c)the maintenance of any street along or across which a street tramway is laid, or of the structure of any bridge or tunnel carrying a street over or under any authorised street tramway or authorised tramroad;
(d)any stopping up, alteration or diversion of a street under the powers conferred by this Order; or
(e)the execution in the street of any of the works referred to in article 10.
(2) Such an agreement may, without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1)—
(a)provide for the street authority to carry out any function under this Order which relates to the street in question; and
(b)contain such terms as to payment and otherwise as the parties consider appropriate.
18.—(1) Where by virtue of the creation of a highway or other road after the day on which application was made for this Order under section 6 of the 1992 Act, any authorised tramroad would cross that highway or road, then Merseytravel may construct the tramroad so as to carry it on the level across the highway or road.
(2) Merseytravel may provide, maintain and operate at or near any new road crossing such protective equipment as the Health and Safety Executive may in writing approve.
(3) Any traffic sign placed pursuant to this article on or near a highway or other road to which the public has access shall be treated for the purposes of section 64(4) of the 1984 Act as having been placed as provided by that Act.
(4) Without prejudice to the generality of article 8, Merseytravel may in the exercise of the powers of this article alter the level of any highway or road referred to in paragraph (1).
(5) The highway authority may enter into agreements with Merseytravel with respect to the construction and maintenance of any new road crossing; and such an agreement may contain such terms as to payment or otherwise as the parties consider appropriate.
(6) In this article—
“new road crossing” means the place at which an authorised tramroad crosses a highway or other road on the level under the powers conferred by this article; and
“protective equipment” includes lights, traffic signs (within the meaning of section 64(1) of the 1984 Act), manual, mechanical, automatic, electrical or telephonic equipment or other devices.
S.I. 1999/1026.