SCHEDULES

SCHEDULE 14PROTECTIVE PROVISIONS

PART 9FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY

Application and Interpretation

117.—(1) The following provisions apply for the protection of the Agency unless otherwise agreed in writing between the undertaker and the Agency.

(2) In this part of this Schedule—

“Agency” means the Environment Agency;

“construction” includes execution, placing, altering, replacing, relaying and removal and excavation and “construct” and “constructed” is construed accordingly;

“drainage work” means any main river and includes any land which provides or is expected to provide flood storage capacity for any main river and any bank, wall, embankment or other structure, or any appliance, constructed or used for land drainage, flood defence or tidal monitoring;

“fishery” means any waters containing fish and fish in, or migrating to or from, such waters and the spawn, spawning ground, habitat or food of such fish;

“main river” has the same meaning given in section 113 (interpretation of Part IV)(1) of the Water Resources Act 1991;

“plans” includes sections, drawings, specifications, calculations and method statements;

“remote defence” means any berm, wall or embankment that is constructed for the purposes of preventing or alleviating flooding from, or in connection with, any main river;

“sea defence” means any bank, wall, embankment (and any berm, counterwall or cross-wall connected to any such bank, wall or embankment), barrier, tidal sluice and other defence, whether natural or artificial, against the inundation of land by sea water or tidal water, including natural or artificial high ground which forms part of or makes a contribution to the efficiency of the defences of the Agency’s area against flooding, but excludes any sea defence works which are for the time being maintained by a coast protection authority under the provisions of the Coast Protection Act 1949(2) or by any local authority or any navigation, harbour or conservancy authority; and

“specified work” means so much of any work or operation authorised by this Order as is in, on, under, over or within—

Submission and approval of plans

118.—(1) Before beginning to construct any specified work, the undertaker must submit to the Agency plans of the specified work and such further particulars available to it as the Agency may within 28 days of the receipt of the plans reasonably request.

(2) Any such specified work must not be constructed except in accordance with such plans as may be approved in writing by the Agency, or determined under paragraph 128 (disputes).

(3) Any approval of the Agency required under this paragraph—

(a)must not be unreasonably withheld or delayed;

(b)is deemed to have been refused if it is neither given nor refused within 2 months of the submission of the plans or receipt of further particulars if such particulars have been requested by the Agency for approval; and

(c)in the case of a refusal, accompanied by a statement of the grounds of refusal; and

(d)may be given subject to such reasonable requirements as the Agency may have for the protection of any drainage work or the fishery or for the protection of water resources, or for the prevention of flooding or pollution or for nature conservation or in the discharge of its environmental duties.

(4) The Agency must use its reasonable endeavours to respond to the submission of any plans before the expiration of the period mentioned in sub-paragraph (3)(b).

Construction of protective works

119.  Without limiting paragraph 118 (submission and approval of plans), the requirements which the Agency may have under that paragraph include conditions requiring the undertaker, at its own expense, to construct such protective works, whether temporary or permanent, before or during the construction of the specified works (including the provision of flood banks, walls or embankments or other new works and the strengthening, repair or renewal of existing banks, walls or embankments) as are reasonably necessary—

(a)to safeguard any drainage work against damage; or

(b)to secure that its efficiency for flood defence purposes is not impaired and that the risk of flooding is not otherwise increased,

by reason of any specified work.

Timing of works and service of notices

120.—(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), any specified work, and all protective works required by the Agency under paragraph 119 (construction of protective works), must be constructed—

(a)without unreasonable delay in accordance with the plans approved under this Schedule; and

(b)to the reasonable satisfaction of the Agency,

and the Agency is entitled by its officer to watch and inspect the construction of such works.

(2) The undertaker must give to the Agency not less than 14 days’ notice in writing of its intention to commence construction of any specified work and notice in writing of its completion not later than 7 days after the date on which it is completed.

(3) If the Agency reasonably requires, the undertaker must construct all or part of the protective works so that they are in place prior to the construction of any specified work to which the protective works relate.

Works not in accordance with this Part

121.—(1) If any part of a specified work or any protective work required by the Agency is constructed otherwise than in accordance with the requirements of this Schedule, the Agency may by notice in writing require the undertaker at the undertaker’s own expense to comply with the requirements of this part of this Schedule or (if the undertaker so elects and the Agency in writing consents, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) to remove, alter or pull down the work and, where removal is required, to restore the site to its former condition to such extent and within such limits as the Agency reasonably requires.

(2) Subject to sub-paragraph (3) and paragraph 126 (indemnity), if, within a reasonable period, being not less than 28 days beginning with the date when a notice under sub-paragraph (1) is served upon the undertaker, the undertaker has failed to begin taking steps to comply with the requirements of the notice and has not subsequently made reasonably expeditious progress towards their implementation, the Agency may execute the works specified in the notice and any reasonable expenditure incurred by the Agency in so doing is recoverable from the undertaker.

(3) In the event of any dispute as to whether sub-paragraph (1) is properly applicable to any work in respect of which notice has been served under that sub-paragraph, or as to the reasonableness of any requirement of such a notice, the Agency must not, except in the case of an emergency, exercise the powers conferred by sub-paragraph (2) until the dispute has been finally determined in accordance with paragraph 128 (disputes).

Maintenance of works

122.—(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (5) the undertaker must from the commencement of the construction of the specified works maintain in good repair and condition and free from obstruction any drainage work which is situated within the limits of deviation and on land held by the undertaker for the purposes of or in connection with the specified works, whether or not the drainage work is constructed under the powers conferred by this Order or is already in existence.

(2) If any such drainage work which the undertaker is liable to maintain is not maintained to the reasonable satisfaction of the Agency, the Agency may by notice in writing require the undertaker to repair and restore the work, or any part of such work, or (if the undertaker so elects and the Agency in writing consents, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed), to remove the specified work and restore the site to its former condition, to such extent and within such limits as the Agency reasonably requires.

(3) Subject to sub-paragraph (5) and paragraph 126, if, within a reasonable period, being not less than 28 days beginning with the date on which a notice in respect of any drainage work is served under sub-paragraph (2) on the undertaker, the undertaker has failed to begin taking steps to comply with the requirements of the notice and has not subsequently made reasonably expeditious progress towards their implementation, the Agency may do what is necessary for such compliance and any expenditure incurred by the Agency in so doing is recoverable from the undertaker.

(4) In the event of any dispute as to the reasonableness of any requirement of a notice served under sub-paragraph (2), the Agency must not, except in the case of an emergency, exercise the powers conferred by sub-paragraph (3) until the dispute has been finally determined in accordance with paragraph 128.

(5) This paragraph does not apply to—

(a)drainage works which are vested in the Agency, or which the Agency or another person is liable to maintain and is not proscribed by the powers of the Order from doing so; and

(b)any obstruction of a drainage work authorised by this Order or in the approval of specified works plans approved under paragraph 118 (submission and approval of plans) and carried out in accordance with the provisions of this Part provided that any obstruction is removed as soon as reasonably practicable.

Remediating impaired drainage work

123.  Subject to paragraph 126 (indemnity), if by reason of the construction of any specified work or of the failure of any such work, the efficiency of any drainage work for flood defence purposes is impaired, or that drainage work is otherwise damaged, such impairment or damage must be made good by the undertaker to the reasonable satisfaction of the Agency and if the undertaker fails to do so, the Agency may make good the impairment or damage and recover any expenditure incurred by the Agency in so doing from the undertaker.

Agency access

124.  If by reason of construction of the specified work the Agency’s access to flood defences or equipment maintained for flood defence purposes is materially obstructed, the undertaker must provide such alternative means of access that will allow the Agency to maintain the flood defence or use the equipment no less effectively than was possible before the obstruction as soon as reasonably practicable of the undertaker becoming aware of such obstruction.

Free passage of fish

125.—(1) The undertaker must take all such measures as may be reasonably practicable to prevent any interruption of the free passage of fish in the fishery during the construction of any specified work.

(2) If by reason of—

(a)the construction of any specified work; or

(b)the failure of any such work,

damage to the fishery is caused, or the Agency has reason to expect that such damage may be caused, the Agency may serve notice on the undertaker requiring it to take such steps as may be reasonably practicable to make good the damage, or, as the case may be, to protect the fishery against such damage.

(3) Subject to paragraph 126 (submission and approval of plans), if within such time as may be reasonably practicable for that purpose after the receipt of written notice from the Agency of any damage or expected damage to a fishery, the undertaker fails to take such steps as are described in sub-paragraph (2), the Agency may take those steps and any expenditure reasonably incurred by the Agency in so doing is recoverable from the undertaker.

(4) Subject to paragraph 126, in any case where immediate action by the Agency is reasonably required in order to secure that the risk of damage to the fishery is avoided or reduced, the Agency may take such steps as are reasonable for the purpose, and may recover from the undertaker any expenditure incurred in so doing provided that notice specifying those steps is served on the undertaker as soon as reasonably practicable after the Agency has taken, or commenced to take, the steps specified in the notice.

Indemnity

126.  The undertaker must indemnify the Agency in respect of all costs, charges and expenses which the Agency may incur—

(a)in the examination or approval of plans under this Part of this Schedule;

(b)in the inspection of the construction of the specified works or any protective works required by the Agency under this Part of this Schedule; and

(c)in the carrying out of any surveys or tests by the Agency which are reasonably required in connection with the construction of the specified works.

127.—(1) The undertaker is responsible for and must indemnify the Agency against all costs and losses not otherwise provided for in this Part of this Schedule which may be reasonably incurred or suffered by the Agency by reason of—

(a)the construction, operation or maintenance or failure during construction of any specified works comprised within the authorised development;

(b)the operation or maintenance of any specified works comprised within the authorised development or the failure of any such works; or

(c)any act or omission of the undertaker, its employees, contractors or agents or other persons acting under the direction of the undertaker whilst engaged upon—

(i)the construction, operation or maintenance of the specified works; or

(ii)in the case of those specified works that the undertaker is liable to maintain, dealing with any failure of those specified works.

(2) For the avoidance of doubt, in sub-paragraph (1)—

“costs” includes—

“losses” includes physical damage.

(3) The undertaker must indemnify the Agency against all liabilities, claims and demands arising out of or in connection with the authorised development or otherwise out of the matters referred to in sub-paragraph (1).

(4) In sub-paragraph (3)—

“claims” and “demands” include as applicable—

“liabilities” includes—

(5) The Agency must give to the undertaker reasonable notice of any such claim or demand and no settlement or compromise may be made without the agreement of the undertaker, which agreement will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.

(6) The Agency must, at all times take reasonable steps to prevent and mitigate any such claims, demands, proceedings, costs, damages, expenses or loss.

(7) The fact that any work or thing has been executed or done by the undertaker in accordance with a plan approved by the Agency, or to its satisfaction, or in accordance with any directions or award of an arbitrator, does not relieve the undertaker from any liability under the provisions of this Part of this Schedule.

(8) Nothing in this paragraph imposes any liability on the undertaker with respect to any costs, charges, expenses, damages, claims, liabilities, demands or losses to the extent that they are attributable to the neglect or default of the Agency, its officers, servants, contractors or agents.

Disputes

128.  Any dispute arising between the undertaker and the Agency under this Part of this Schedule must, if the parties agree, be determined by arbitration under article 64 (arbitration).