http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/66/section/73Highways Act 1980An Act to consolidate the Highways Acts 1959 to 1971 and related enactments, with amendments to give effect to recommendations of the Law Commission.1981-03-01texttext/xmlenStatute Law Database2026-03-18Expert Participation2026-03-13 Part V Improvement of Highways Widths Power to prescribe improvement line for widening street.731Where in the opinion of a highway authority—aa street which is a highway maintainable at the public expense by them is narrow or inconvenient, or without any sufficiently regular boundary line, orbit is necessary or desirable that such a street should be widened,the authority may prescribe in relation to either one side or both sides of the street, or at or within a distance of 15 yards from any corner of the street, a line to which the street is to be widened (in this section referred to as an “improvement line”).2Where an improvement line prescribed under this section in relation to any street is in force, then, subject to subsections (3) and (4) below, no new building shall be erected, and no permanent excavation below the level of the street shall be made, nearer to the centre line of the street than the improvement line, except with the consent of the authority who prescribed the line, and the authority may give a consent for such period and subject to such conditions as they may deem expedient.3The prohibition imposed by subsection (2) above does not affect any right of statutory undertakers to make an excavation for the purpose of laying, altering, maintaining or renewing any main, sewer, pipe, electric line, cable, duct or other work or apparatus.4Where an authority prescribe an improvement line under this section, a person aggrieved by the decision to prescribe the line or by the refusal of consent under subsection (2) above or by the period for which the consent is given or any conditions attached to it may appeal to the Crown Court.5A condition imposed in connection with the giving of a consent under subsection (2) above is binding on the successor in title to every owner, and on every lessee and every occupier, of any land to which it relates.6If a person contravenes the provisions of this section, or any condition imposed in connection with the giving of a consent under it, he is, without prejudice to any other proceedings which may be available against him, guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level 1 on the standard scale; and if the offence is continued after conviction he is guilty of a further offence and liable to a fine not exceeding £2 for each day on which the offence is so continued.7Where in the opinion of a highway authority an improvement line prescribed by them under this section, or any part of such a line, is no longer necessary or desirable and should be revoked, they may revoke the line or that part of it.8Schedule 9 to this Act has effect in relation to the prescription of an improvement line under this section and to the revocation of such a line or any part of it.9Any person whose property is injuriously affected by the prescribing of an improvement line under this section is, subject to the following provisions thereof, entitled to recover from the authority who prescribed the line compensation for the injury sustained.10A person is not entitled to compensation on account of any building erected, contract made, or other thing done, after the date on which a plan showing the improvement line was deposited in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 5 of Schedule 9 to this Act, except as regards work done for the purpose of finishing a building the erection of which had begun before that date, or of carrying out a contract made before that date.11Nothing in this section applies to or affects, without the consent of the undertakers concerned—aany property occupied or used by railway undertakers for the purposes of a railway comprised in the railway undertaking; orbany property belonging to any of the following undertakers and used by them for the following purposes respectively, that is to say, by canal undertakers for those of a canal comprised in the canal undertaking, by inland navigation undertakers for those of a navigation comprised in the inland navigation undertaking, by dock undertakers for those of a dock comprised in the dock undertaking, or by harbour undertakers for those of a harbour comprised in the harbour undertaking; orcany land used by gas undertakers for the manufacture or storage of gas, by electricity undertakers for the generation of electricity. . . by water undertakers as a pumping station or reservoir for water or by sewerage undertakers as a pumping station or sewage disposal works.A consent required by this subsection shall not be unreasonably withheld, and any question whether the withholding of such a consent is unreasonable shall, except where the street in question is one for which the Minister is the highway authority, be determined by the Secretary of State.12In relation to any prohibition or restriction on the use of land or buildings imposed by the Minister by the prescription of an improvement line under this section or by virtue of any condition imposed by him in connection with the giving of a consent under subsection (2) above, section 1(1)(c) of the Local Land Charges Act 1975 shall have effect as if the references to the date of the commencement of that Act were omitted.13In this section “building” includes any erection however, and with whatever material, it is constructed and any part of a building, and “new building” includes any addition to an existing building.Word inserted by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)–(10), 190, 193(1), Sch. 25 para. 62(2)(a), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 57(6), 58Words substituted by virtue of Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), s. 46S. 73(11)(c) amended by Gas Act 1986 (c. 44, SIF 44:2), s. 67(1)(3), Sch. 7 para. 2(2)(e), Sch. 8 para. 33S. 73(11)(c) extended by Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29, SIF 44:1), s. 112(1)(3), Sch. 16 para. 1(4), Sch. 17 paras. 33, 35(1)S. 73(11)(c) amended (1.3.1996) by 1995 c. 45, s. 16(1), Sch. 4 para. 2(2)(f); S.I. 1996/218, art.2.Word repealed by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), 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 Sch. 27 Pt. IWords inserted by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)–(10), 190, 193(1), Sch. 25 para. 62(2)(b), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 57(6), 581975 c. 76. Pt. V (ss. 62-105) extended (13.2.1992) by Severn Bridges Act 1992 (c. 3), s. 32(2)(a)S. 73 functions made exercisable concurrently (3.3.2017) by The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Order 2017 (S.I. 2017/251), arts. 1(2)(b), 9(2)(i)(3)