The A303 (Amesbury to Berwick Down) Development Consent Order 2023

PART 1 FOR THE PROTECTION OF ELECTRICITY, GAS, WATER AND SEWERAGE UNDERTAKERS

1.  The provisions of this Part of this Schedule have effect for the protection of utility undertakers unless otherwise agreed in writing between the undertaker and the utility undertaker in question.

2.  In this Part of this Schedule—

“alternative apparatus” means alternative apparatus adequate to enable the utility undertaker in question to fulfil its statutory functions in a manner not less efficient than previously;

“apparatus” means—

(a)

in the case of a utility undertaker within paragraph (a) of the definition of that term, electric lines or electrical plant (as defined in the Electricity Act 1989(1)), belonging to or maintained by the utility undertaker for the purposes of electricity supply;

(b)

in the case of a utility undertaker within paragraph (b) of the definition of that term, any mains, pipes or other apparatus belonging to or maintained by the utility undertaker for the purposes of gas supply;

(c)

in the case of a utility undertaker within paragraph (c) of the definition of that term—

(i)

mains, pipes or other water apparatus belonging to or maintained by the utility undertaker for the purposes of water supply; and

(ii)

mains, pipes or other water apparatus that is the subject of an agreement to adopt made under section 51A (agreements to adopt water main or service pipe at future date) of the Water Industry Act 1991(2); and

(d)

in the case of a sewerage undertaker—

(i)

any drain or works vested in the sewerage undertaker under the Water Industry Act 1991; and

(ii)

any sewer which is so vested or is the subject of a notice of intention to adopt given under section 102(4)(3) (adoption of sewers and disposal works) of that Act or an agreement to adopt made under section 104(4) (agreements to adopt sewer, drain or sewage disposal works, at future date) of that Act,

and includes a sludge main, disposal main (within the meaning of section 219 (general interpretation) of that Act) or sewer outfall and any manholes, ventilating shafts, pumps or other accessories forming part of any such sewer, drain or works, and in each case includes any structure in which apparatus is or is to be lodged or which gives or will give access to apparatus;

“functions” includes powers and duties;

“in” in a context referring to apparatus or alternative apparatus in land includes a reference to apparatus or alternative apparatus under, over or upon land;

“plan” includes all designs, drawings, specifications, method statements, soil reports, programmes, calculations, risk assessments and other documents that are reasonably necessary to describe the works to be executed; and

“utility undertaker” means—

(a)

any licence holder within the meaning of Part 1 (electricity supply) of the Electricity Act 1989;

(b)

a gas transporter within the meaning of Part 1 (gas supply) of the Gas Act 1986(5);

(c)

a water undertaker within the meaning of the Water Industry Act 1991; and

(d)

a sewerage undertaker within the meaning of the Water Industry Act 1991,

for the area of the authorised development, and in relation to any apparatus, means the utility undertaker to whom it belongs or by whom it is maintained.

3.  This Part of this Schedule does not apply to apparatus in respect of which the relations between the undertaker and the utility undertaker are regulated by Part 3 (street works in England and Wales) of the 1991 Act.

4.—(1) Regardless of the temporary stopping up, alteration or diversion of streets under the powers conferred by article 11 (temporary stopping up and restriction of use of streets), a utility undertaker is at liberty at all times to take all necessary access across any such street and to carry out and do all such works and things in, upon or under any such street as may be reasonably necessary or desirable to enable it to maintain any apparatus which at the time of the temporary stopping up, alteration or diversion was in that street.

(2) Where any street is stopped up under article 10 (permanent stopping up of streets and private means of access), any utility undertaker whose apparatus is in the street has the same powers and rights in respect of that apparatus as it enjoyed immediately before the stopping up and the undertaker must grant to the utility undertaker legal easements reasonably satisfactory to the utility undertaker in respect of such apparatus and access to it, but nothing in this paragraph affects any right of the undertaker or of the utility undertaker to require the removal of that apparatus under paragraph 6 or to carry out works under paragraph 8.

5.  Despite any provision in this Order or anything shown on the land plans, the undertaker must not acquire any apparatus otherwise than in accordance with this Part of this Schedule or by agreement.

6.—(1) If, in the exercise of the powers conferred by this Order, the undertaker acquires any interest in any land in which any apparatus is placed or over which access to any apparatus is enjoyed or requires that the utility undertaker’s apparatus is relocated or diverted, that apparatus must not be removed under this Part of this Schedule, and any right of a utility undertaker to maintain that apparatus in that land and to gain access to it must not be extinguished, until alternative apparatus has been constructed and is in operation, and access to it has been provided, to the reasonable satisfaction of the utility undertaker in question in accordance with sub-paragraphs (2) to (6).

(2) If, for the purpose of carrying out any works in, on or under any land purchased, held, appropriated or used under this Order, the undertaker requires the removal of any apparatus placed in that land, the undertaker must give to the utility undertaker in question 28 days’ written notice of that requirement, together with a plan and section of the work proposed, and of the proposed position of the alternative apparatus to be provided or constructed and in that case (or if in consequence of the exercise of any of the powers conferred by this Order a utility undertaker reasonably needs to remove any of its apparatus) the undertaker must, subject to sub-paragraph (3), afford to the utility undertaker the necessary facilities and rights for the construction of alternative apparatus in other land of the undertaker and subsequently for the maintenance of that apparatus.

(3) If alternative apparatus or any part of such apparatus is to be constructed elsewhere than in other land of the undertaker, or the undertaker is unable to afford such facilities and rights as are mentioned in sub-paragraph (2), in the land in which the alternative apparatus or part of such apparatus is to be constructed, the utility undertaker in question must, on receipt of a written notice to that effect from the undertaker, as soon as reasonably practicable use reasonable endeavours to obtain the necessary facilities and rights in the land in which the alternative apparatus is to be constructed.

(4) Any alternative apparatus to be constructed in land of the undertaker under this Part of this Schedule must be constructed in such manner and in such line or situation as may be agreed between the utility undertaker in question and the undertaker or in default of agreement settled by arbitration in accordance with article 57 (arbitration).

(5) The utility undertaker in question must, after the alternative apparatus to be provided or constructed has been agreed or settled by arbitration in accordance with article 57 (arbitration), and after the grant to the utility undertaker of any such facilities and rights as are referred to in sub-paragraph (2) or (3), proceed without unnecessary delay to construct and bring into operation the alternative apparatus and subsequently to remove any apparatus required by the undertaker to be removed under the provisions of this Part of this Schedule.

(6) Regardless of anything in sub-paragraph (5), if the undertaker gives notice in writing to the utility undertaker in question that it desires itself to carry out any work, or part of any work, in connection with the construction or removal of apparatus in any land controlled by the undertaker, that work, instead of being carried out by the utility undertaker, may be carried out by the undertaker, without unnecessary delay under the superintendence, if given, and to the reasonable satisfaction of the utility undertaker.

(7) Nothing in sub-paragraph (6) authorises the undertaker to execute the placing, installation, bedding, packing, removal, connection or disconnection of any apparatus, or execute any filling around the apparatus (where the apparatus is laid in a trench) within 300 millimetres of the apparatus.

7.—(1) Where, in accordance with the provisions of this Part of this Schedule, the undertaker affords to a utility undertaker facilities and rights for the construction and maintenance in land of the undertaker of alternative apparatus in substitution for apparatus to be removed, those facilities and rights must be granted upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed between the undertaker and the utility undertaker in question or in default of agreement settled by arbitration in accordance with article 57 (arbitration).

(2) If the facilities and rights to be afforded by the undertaker in respect of any alternative apparatus, and the terms and conditions subject to those facilities and rights are to be granted, are in the opinion of the arbitrator less favourable on the whole to the utility undertaker in question than the facilities and rights enjoyed by it in respect of the apparatus to be removed and the terms and conditions to which those facilities and rights are subject, the arbitrator must make such provision for the payment of compensation by the undertaker to that utility undertaker as appears to the arbitrator to be reasonable having regard to all the circumstances of the particular case.

8.—(1) Not less than 21 days before starting the carrying out of any works authorised by this Order that will or may affect any apparatus the removal of which has not been required by the undertaker under paragraph 6(2), the undertaker must submit to the utility undertaker in question a plan, section and description of the works to be carried out.

(2) Those works must be carried out only in accordance with the plan, section and description submitted under sub-paragraph (1) and in accordance with such reasonable requirements as may be made in accordance with sub-paragraph (3) by the utility undertaker for the alteration or otherwise for the protection of the apparatus, or for securing access to it, and the utility undertaker is entitled to watch and inspect the carrying out of those works.

(3) Any requirements made by a utility undertaker under sub-paragraph (2) must be made within a period of 14 days beginning with the date on which a plan, section and description under sub-paragraph (1) are submitted to it.

(4) If a utility undertaker in accordance with sub-paragraph (3) and in consequence of the works proposed by the undertaker, reasonably requires the removal of any apparatus and gives written notice to the undertaker of that requirement, paragraphs 1 to 4 applies as if the removal of the apparatus had been required by the undertaker under paragraph 6(2).

(5) Nothing in this paragraph precludes the undertaker from submitting at any time or from time to time, but in no case less than 28 days before commencing the carrying out of any works, a new plan, section and description instead of the plan, section and description previously submitted, and having done so the provisions of this paragraph apply to and in respect of the new plan, section and description.

(6) The undertaker is not required to comply with sub-paragraph (1) in a case of emergency, but in that case it must give to the utility undertaker in question notice as soon as is reasonably practicable and a plan, section and description of those works as soon as reasonably practicable subsequently and must comply with sub-paragraph (2) in so far as is reasonably practicable in the circumstances.

(7) Nothing in sub-paragraph (6) entitles the undertaker to carry out works to any apparatus, but upon receipt of notice from the undertaker, the utility undertaker must proceed to carry out such works as may be required without unnecessary delay.

9.—(1) Subject to the following provisions of this paragraph, the undertaker must repay to the utility undertaker in question the proper and reasonable expenses incurred by that utility undertaker in, or in connection with the inspection, removal, alteration or protection of any apparatus which may be required in consequence of the execution of any such works as are referred to in paragraph 6(2).

(2) The value of any apparatus removed under this Part of this Schedule is to be deducted from any sum payable under sub-paragraph (1), that value being calculated after removal.

(3) If in accordance with this Part of this Schedule—

(a) apparatus of better type, of greater capacity or of greater dimensions is placed in substitution for existing apparatus of worse type, of smaller capacity or of smaller dimensions; or

(b) apparatus (whether existing apparatus or apparatus substituted for existing apparatus) is placed at a depth greater than the depth at which the existing apparatus was situated,

and the placing of apparatus of that type or capacity or of those dimensions or the placing of apparatus at that depth, as the case may be, is not agreed by the undertaker or, in default of agreement, is not determined by arbitration in accordance with article 57 (arbitration) to be necessary, then, if such placing involves cost in the construction of works under this Part of this Schedule exceeding that which would have been involved if the apparatus placed had been of the existing type, capacity or dimensions, or at the existing depth, as the case may be, the amount which apart from this sub-paragraph would be payable to the utility undertaker in question by virtue of sub-paragraph (1) is to be reduced by the amount of that excess.

(4) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (3)—

(a) an extension of apparatus to a length greater than the length of existing apparatus is not to be treated as a placing of apparatus of greater dimensions than those of the existing apparatus; and

(b) where the provision of a joint in a cable is agreed, or is determined to be necessary, the consequential provision of a jointing chamber or of a manhole is to be treated as if it also had been agreed or had been so determined.

(5) An amount which apart from this sub-paragraph would be payable to a utility undertaker in respect of works by virtue of sub-paragraph (1) must, if the works include the placing of apparatus provided in substitution for apparatus placed more than 7 years and 6 months earlier so as to confer on the utility undertaker in question any financial benefit by deferment of the time for renewal of the apparatus in the ordinary course, be reduced by the amount which represents that benefit.

10.—(1) Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) and (3), if by reason or in consequence of the construction, maintenance or failure of any of the works referred to in paragraph 6(2), any damage is caused to any apparatus (other than apparatus the repair of which is not reasonably necessary in view of its intended removal for the purposes of those works) or property of a utility undertaker, or there is any interruption in any service provided, or in the supply of any goods, by any utility undertaker, the undertaker must—

(a) bear and pay the cost reasonably incurred by that utility undertaker in making good such damage or restoring the supply; and

(b) make reasonable compensation to that utility undertaker for any other expenses, loss, damage, penalty or costs incurred by the undertaker,

by reason or in consequence of any such damage or interruption.

(2) Nothing in sub-paragraph (1) imposes any liability on the undertaker with respect to any damage or interruption to the extent that it is attributable to the act, neglect or default of a utility undertaker, its officers, servants, contractors or agents.

(3) The utility undertaker must at all time take reasonable steps to prevent and mitigate any such expenses, loss, damage, penalty or costs.

(4) A utility undertaker must give the undertaker reasonable notice of any such claim or demand and no settlement or compromise is to be made without the consent of the undertaker which, if it withholds such consent, has the sole conduct of any settlement or compromise or of any proceedings necessary to resist the claim or demand.

(1)

1989 c. 29. The definition of “electrical plant” (in section 64) was amended by paragraphs 24 and 38(1) and (3) of Schedule 6 to the Utilities Act 2000 (c. 27).

(2)

1991 c. 56. Section 51A was inserted by section 92(1) of the Water Act 2003 (c. 37) and amended by section 10(1) and (2) of the Water Act 2014 (c. 21).

(3)

Section 102(4) was amended by section 96(1)(c) of the Water Act 2003 and paragraph 90 of Schedule 7 to the Water Act 2014.

(4)

Section 104 was amended by sections 96(4) and 101(2) of, and Part 3 of Schedule 9 to, the Water Act 2003, by section 42(3) of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (c. 29) and by section 11(1) and (2) of, and paragraphs 2 and 91 of Schedule 7 to, the Water Act 2014.

(5)

1986 c. 44. A new section 7 was substituted by section 5 of the Gas Act 1995 (c. 45) and was further amended by section 76 of the Utilities Act 2000 (c. 27).