26.—(1) The undertaker may, in connection with the carrying out of the authorised project—
(a)enter on and take temporary possession of—
(i)the land specified in columns (1) and (2) of Schedule 8 (land of which temporary possession may be taken) for the purpose specified in relation to that land in column (3) of that Schedule; and
(ii)any other Order land in respect of which no notice of entry has been served under section 11 (powers of entry) of the 1965 Act (other than in connection with the acquisition of rights only) and no declaration has been made under section 4 (execution of declaration) of the 1981 Act;
(b)remove any buildings and vegetation from that land;
(c)construct temporary works (including the provision of means of access), running tracks, security fencing, bridges, structures and buildings on that land;
(d)use the land for the purposes of a working site with access to the working site in connection with the authorised project; and
(e)construct any works, or use the land, as specified in relation to that land in column 3 of Schedule 8, or any mitigation works.
(2) Not less than 14 days before entering on and taking temporary possession of land under this article the undertaker must serve notice of the intended entry on the owners and occupiers of the land.
(3) The undertaker must not remain in possession of any land under this article for longer than reasonably necessary and in any event must not, without the agreement of the owners of the land, remain in possession of any land under this article after the end of the period of one year beginning with the date of completion of the part of the authorised project specified in relation to that land in column (4) of Schedule 8, unless the undertaker has, before the end of that period, served a notice of entry under section 11 of the 1965 Act or made a declaration under section 4 of the 1981 Act in relation to that land.
(4) Unless the undertaker has served notice of entry under section 11 of the 1965 Act or made a declaration under section 4 of the 1981 Act or otherwise acquired the land or rights over land subject to temporary possession, the undertaker must before giving up possession of land of which temporary possession has been taken under this article, remove all temporary works and restore the land to the reasonable satisfaction of the owners of the land; but the undertaker is not required to—
(a)replace any building, structure, drain or electric line removed under this article;
(b)remove any drainage works installed by the undertaker under this article; or
(c)remove any new road surface or other improvements carried out under this article to any street specified in Schedule 2 (streets subject to street works).
(5) The undertaker must pay compensation to the owners and occupiers of land which temporary possession is taken under this article for any loss or damage arising from the exercise in relation to the land of the provisions of any power conferred by this article.
(6) Any dispute as to a person’s entitlement to compensation under paragraph (5), or as to the amount of the compensation, must be determined under Part 1 (determination of questions of disputed compensation) of the 1961 Act.
(7) Nothing in this article affects any liability to pay compensation under section 152 of the 2008 Act (compensation in case where no right to claim in nuisance) or under any other enactment in respect of loss or damage arising from the carrying out of the authorised project, other than loss or damage for which compensation is payable under paragraph (5).
(8) The undertaker may not compulsorily acquire under this Order the land referred to in paragraph (1)(a)(i) except that the undertaker is not precluded from—
(a)acquiring new rights or imposing restrictive covenants over any part of that land under article 20 (compulsory acquisition of rights) to the extent that such land is listed in column (1) of Schedule 6 (land in which only new rights etc., may be acquired); or
(b)acquiring any part of the subsoil (or rights in the subsoil) of that land under article 24 (acquisition of subsoil or airspace only).
(9) Where the undertaker takes possession of land under this article, the undertaker is not required to acquire the land or any interest in it.
(10) Section 13 (refusal to give possession to acquiring authority) of the 1965 Act applies to the temporary use of land pursuant to this article to the same extent as it applies to the compulsory acquisition of land under this Order by virtue of section 125 (application of compulsory acquisition provisions)of the 2008 Act.
Commencement Information
I1Art. 26 in force at 22.7.2020, see art. 1