Transport Act 1968

109 Power of certain bodies to maintain or take over waterways and connected works. E+W+S

(1) Without prejudice to their powers apart from this section, but subject to subsection (3) of this section, the Waterways Board shall have power—

(a) to enter into an agreement with any body to which this section applies for the maintenance by that body of any inland waterway comprised in the undertaking of the Board which is not a commercial waterway or cruising waterway, or of any part of, or of any works connected with, any such waterway;

(b) by agreement with any such body, to transfer to it any such waterway, part of a waterway or works as aforesaid belonging to the Board, together with any powers or obligations (whether statutory or otherwise) of the Board in respect thereof;

and any body to which this section applies shall have all such powers as are required to enable it to enter into and carry out any such agreement as aforesaid or as are required to be exercised by it in consequence of any such transfer as is mentioned in this subsection.

(2) The bodies to which this section applies are as follows—

(a) a local authority;

[X1 (b) a [F1 water authority];]

[F2 (b) the National Rivers Authority]

(c) a highway authority, not being a local authority;

[F3 (d) a public gas supplier within the meaning of Part I of the Gas Act 1986;]

[F4 (e) a public electricity supplier within the meaning of Part I of the Electricity Act 1989;]

[X2 (h) any statutory water undertakers as defined in section 59(1) of the M1 Water Act 1945 otherwise than for the purposes of Part II of that Act only;]

[F5 (h) a water undertaker;]

(j) a [F6 water authority];

(k) a water development board,

and, as respects any particular agreement or transfer, any other body having public or charitable objects which is certified by the Minister as a body appearing to him to be capable of discharing the responsibilities falling on the body in consequence of that agreement or transfer.

(3) Subject to subsection (5) of this section, no such agreement or transfer as is mentioned in subsection (1) of this section shall be made with or to—

(a) any local authority unless what is to be maintained or transferred—

(i) is situated in the area of the authority; or

(ii) though not situated in that area, is so situated that persons residing in that area have convenient access to it;

[X3 (b) any [F1 water authority] unless—

(i) what is to be maintained or transferred is situated in the area of the authority; and

(ii) the Ministers (as defined in section 82(9) of the M2 Water Resources Act 1963) have consented to the agreement or transfer;]

[F7 (b) the National Rivers Authority unless the Ministers (as defined in section 82(9) of the Water Resources Act 1963) have consented to the agreement or transfer;]

[F8 and the powers under this section of any statutory water undertakers or of any [F6 water authority] or water development board shall be exercisable only for the purposes of their water undertaking and with the consent of [F9 the Secretary of State] and Local Government or, as respects anything to be done in Scotland or in Wales, the Secretary of State.]

(4) Any agreement under this section whereby a waterway or part of a waterway is to be maintained by, or transferred to, a body to which this section applies may include provision for securing that the body in question makes the waterway or part available for public use.

(5) The Board may make an agreement for maintenance or transfer under this section with two or more bodies jointly on such terms as to the sharing of expenses between those bodies and otherwise as those bodies may agree; and, notwithstanding subsection (3)(a)(i) [F8 or (b)(i)] of this section (but without prejudice, [F8 in the case of a local authority,] to subsection (3)(a)(ii) of this section), a local [F10 authority or [F1 water authority] may][F10 authority may] be a party to such an agreement if part of what is to be maintained or transferred is situated in their area and the remainder in the area or areas of one or more other [F11 authorities (whether local authorities or [F1 water authorities]) who][F11 authorities who] are also parties to the agreement.

Editorial Information

X1 S. 109(2)(b) commencing “the National" substituted (E.W.) for s. 109(2)(b) commencing “a water" by Water Act 1989 (c.15, SIF 130), s. 190(1), Sch. 25, para. 38(1)(a)(i) (with ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)–(90), 190, 193(1), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 57(6), 58)

X2 S. 109(2)(h) commencing “a water" substituted (E.W.) for s. 109(2)(h) commencing “any statutory" by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), s. 190(1), Sch. 25, para. 38(1)(a)(ii) (with ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)–(10), 190, 193(1), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 57(6), 58)

X3 S. 109(3)(b) commencing “the National" substituted (E.W.) for s. 109(3)(b) commencing “any water" by Water Act 1989 (c.15, SIF 130), s. 190(1), Sch. 25 para. 38(1)(b) (with ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)–(10), 190, 193(1), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 57(6), 58)

Textual Amendments

F1 Words substituted by virtue of Water Act 1973 (c. 37), s. 9(a)

F2 S. 109(2)(b) commencing “the National" substituted (E.W.) for s. 109(2)(b) commencing “a water" by Water Act 1989 (c.15, SIF 130), s. 190(1), Sch. 25, para. 38(1)(a)(i) (with ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)–(90), 190, 193(1), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 57(6), 58)

F3 S. 109(2)(d) substituted by Gas Act 1986 (c. 44, SIF 44:2), s. 67(1), Sch. 7 para. 9

F4 S. 109(2)(e) substituted for paragraphs (e), (f) and (g) by Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29, SIF 44:1), s. 112(1), Sch. 16 para. 14 (with Sch. 17 paras. 33, 35(1))

F5 S. 109(2)(h) commencing “a water" substituted (E.W.) for s. 109(2)(h) commencing “any statutory" by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), s. 190(1), Sch. 25, para. 38(1)(a)(ii) (with ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)–(10), 190, 193(1), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 57(6), 58)

F6 Words substituted by virtue of Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (c. 65), Sch. 17 para. 1

F7 S. 109(3)(b) commencing “the National" substituted (E.W.) for s. 109(3)(b) commencing “any water" by Water Act 1989 (c.15, SIF 130), s. 190(1), Sch. 25 para. 38(1)(b) (with ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)–(10), 190, 193(1), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 57(6), 58)

F8 Words repealed (E.W.) by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), s. 190(3), Sch. 27 Part I (with ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)–(10), 190, 193(1), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 41(1), 57(6), 58)

F9 Words substituted by virtue of S.I. 1970/1681 arts. 2, 6(3)

F10 Words “authority may" substituted (E.W.) for words commencing “authority or" by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), s. 190(1), Sch. 25 para. 38(1)(c)(i)(ii) (with ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)–(10), 190, 193(1), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 41(4), 57(6), 58)

F11 Words “authorities who" substituted (E.W.) for words commencing “authorities (whether" by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), s. 190(1), Sch. 25 para. 38(1)(c)(i)(ii) (with ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)–(10), 190, 193(1), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 41(4), 57(6), 58)

Marginal Citations

M1 1945 c. 42.

M2 1963 c. 38.