Regardless of the temporary closure, alteration or diversion of streets under the powers conferred by article 11 (temporary prohibition, restriction or regulation of use or alteration or diversion 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 closure, alteration or diversion was in that street.

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 7 or to carry out works under paragraph 9.