http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/66/section/74Highways 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 a building line.741Subject to the provisions of this section, a highway authority may prescribe, in relation to either one side or both sides of a highway maintainable at the public expense for which they are the highway authority, a frontage line for building (in this section referred to as a “building line”).2Where a building line prescribed under this section in relation to any highway is in force, no new building, other than a boundary wall or fence, shall be erected, and no permanent excavation below the level of the highway shall be made, nearer to the centre line of the highway than the building 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 deem expedient.3The prohibition imposed by subsection (2) above does not affect any right of light railway, tramway, electricity, gas water undertakers or sewerage undertakers to make an excavation for the purpose of laying, altering, maintaining or renewing any main, sewer, pipe, electric line, duct or other apparatus.4A 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.5If 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.6Where in the opinion of a highway authority a building 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.7Schedule 9 to this Act has effect in relation to the prescription of a building line under this section and to the revocation of such line or any part of it.8Any person whose property is injuriously affected by the prescribing of a building line under this section is entitled, subject to subsection (9) below, to recover from the authority who prescribed the line compensation for the injury sustained.9A person is not entitled to compensation under subsection (8) above—aunless he made a claim within 6 months from the date on which the building line was prescribed or, if the claimant is a person to whom a notice of the prescribing of the line was required to be given by paragraph 8 of Schedule 9 to this Act, within 6 months from the date on which such a notice was given to him; orbon account of anything done by him after the date on which a notice of the proposal to prescribe the line was served on him, except so far as it was 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.10Any two or more authorities on whom powers are conferred by this section may by agreement exercise those powers jointly, and the agreement may provide for the apportionment of any expenses incurred under it.11Nothing in this section applies to or affects, without the consent of the undertakers concerned—aany land belonging to any of the following undertakers, and held by them for the following purposes respectively, that is to say, by railway undertakers for those of a railway comprised in the railway undertaking, 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; orbany 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 highway in question is one for which the Minister is the highway authority, be determined by the Minister.12In relation to any prohibition or restriction on the use of land or buildings imposed by the Minister by the prescription of a building 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 has effect as if the reference to the date of the commencement of that Act were omitted.13In this section—“building” and “new building” have the same meaning respectively as in section 73 above; and“light railway undertakers” means persons authorised by any enactment to carry on a light railway undertaking.Words substituted 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(3)(a)(i), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 57(6), 58Word 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(3)(a)(ii), 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. 74(11)(b) amended by Gas Act 1986 (c. 44, SIF 44:2), s. 67(1)(3), Sch. 7 para. 2(2)(e), Sch. 8 para. 33S. 74(11)(b) amended (1.3.1996) by 1995 c. 45, s. 16(1), Sch. 4 para. 2(2)(f); S.I. 1996/218, art.2.S. 74(11)(b) extended by Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29, SIF 44:1), s. 112(3)(1), Sch. 16 para. 1(4), Sch. 17 paras. 33, 35(1)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(3)(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. 74 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)(j)(3)