Land Drainage (Scotland) Act 1958
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1958 c. 24 |
| Year | 1958 |
Land Drainage (Scotland) Act , 1958
(6 & 7 Eliz. 2) CHAPTER 24
An Act to make provision with respect to the drainage of agricultural land in Scotland and for purposes connected therewith.
Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
1 Application for improvement order and making of order by Secretary of State.
(1) The owner of any agricultural land may apply to the Secretary of State for an order (hereafter in this Act referred to as an ‘improvement order’) authorising the execution of such drainage works as will improve the drainage of the said land or will prevent or mitigate flooding or erosion to which that land is subject.
(2) On receiving an application for an improvement order the Secretary of State, if he is satisfied—
(a ) that it is in the interests of agricultural production that the drainage of an area consisting of or including the agricultural land to which such application relates or any part of such land should be improved or that flooding or erosion to which that area is subject should be prevented or mitigated; and
(b ) that such drainage could be improved or such flooding or erosion prevented or mitigated by the execution of drainage works at a cost which is reasonable having regard to the benefit to agricultural production likely to accrue therefrom; and
(c ) that it is otherwise expedient for him to do so;
shall have power to make an improvement order relating to the said area.
(3) In this Act the area to which an improvement order relates as aforesaid is, in relation to that order, referred to as the ‘improvement area’.
(4) An improvement order shall be made in accordance with the provisions of Parts I and III of the First Schedule to this Act, and Part IV of that Schedule shall apply with respect to the validity of such an order.
2 Contents of improvement order.
(1) An improvement order shall—
(a ) describe the improvement area by reference to a map and specify the extent of that area;
(b ) describe particularly and by reference to a map, and specify the extent of, each portion of the agricultural land situated in the improvement area which is in separate ownership or, where the whole of such land is in the ownership of one person, that land, and specify the name and address of the owner of each of such portions or of such land;
(c ) contain provisions empowering the authorised persons to execute, in accordance with the order, such drainage works as may be specified therein, being works, whether on land situated in the improvement area or on other land, which in the opinion of the Secretary of State will improve the drainage of that area or will prevent or mitigate flooding or erosion to which the area is subject, and refer to such plans and specifications as may be necessary for the purpose of specifying the said works adequately;
(d ) specify such other works (hereafter in this Act referred to as ‘protective works’), whether on land situated in the improvement area or on other land, as in the opinion of the Secretary of State will be necessary for the protection of land (hereafter in this Act referred to as ‘endangered land’) specified in the order as being likely to suffer injury in consequence of the execution of the said drainage works, refer to such plans and specifications as may be necessary for the purpose of specifying such protective works adequately, and provide that the authorised persons shall, on executing any of the drainage works specified in the order, execute also such of the protective works specified therein as have become necessary, in consequence of the execution of those drainage works, for the protection of any endangered land;
(e ) provide that where a grant has been made under section nine of this Act in respect of the cost of improvement under the order, the authorised persons shall be obliged to maintain in a good and effective condition any drainage works executed in pursuance of the order, and provide also that the authorised persons shall in any case maintain in a good and effective condition any protective works executed in pursuance of the order so far as such works continue to be necessary for the protection of any endangered land;
(f ) specify the estimated cost of improvement;
(g ) provide that the cost of improvement and the cost of maintaining any drainage or protective works executed in pursuance of the order shall be borne by the authorised persons and, unless there is only one authorised person, specify the proportions in which, subject to any apportionment made under subsection (3) of section five of this Act, the said persons are to bear such costs;
(h ) if the Secretary of State thinks it necessary, prescribe the procedure to be followed by the authorised persons in taking any decision relating to the discharge of their functions under the order; and
(i ) incorporate, subject to such modifications as may be specified in the order, such of the provisions of the Second Schedule to this Act as the Secretary of State may consider appropriate.
(2) In this Act references to the authorised persons shall, in relation to an improvement order, be construed as references to the owners for the time being of each portion of the agricultural land situated in the improvement area which is in separate ownership or, so long as such land is in the ownership of one person, as references to the owner for the time being of such land.
(3) In this Act ‘cost of improvement’ means, in relation to an improvement order, any cost incurred by the authorised persons for the purpose of, or in the course of, the discharge by the said persons of their functions under such order or this Act, but does not include any cost incurred by those persons for the purpose of, or in the course of, maintaining any drainage or protective works executed in pursuance of the order.
(4) Before fixing, for the purposes of an improvement order, the proportions in which the authorised persons are to bear the cost of improvement and the cost of maintaining any drainage or protective works executed in pursuance of the order, the Secretary of State shall consult each of the said persons, and in fixing the proportion of such costs to be borne by any one of those persons he shall have regard—
(a ) to the extent of the agricultural land owned by that person which is situated in the improvement area, being land the productivity of which is likely to be improved in consequence of the execution of the drainage works specified in the order, and
(b ) to the improvement in productivity which is likely to result to the said land from the execution of the drainage works specified in the order, and
(c ) to any damage which that person is likely to suffer as owner of the said land by reason of the discharge by the authorised persons of any of their functions under the order in relation to a matter as to which such person has not himself been in default.
(5) A provision in an improvement order specifying the proportions in which the authorised persons are to bear the cost of improvement and the cost of maintaining any drainage or protective works executed in pursuance of the order shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, have effect for the purpose of regulating the liability of the said persons to bear such costs only in a question arising between those persons or any of them.
3 Improvement committee.
(1) An improvement order may, where the whole of the agricultural land situated in the improvement area is not in the ownership of one person, provide for the establishment of a committee (hereafter in this Act referred to as an ‘improvement committee’) which shall have the duty of discharging on behalf of the authorised persons such of their functions as may be specified in the order.
(2) The members of an improvement committee shall be appointed by the authorised persons from among their number, and an improvement order providing for the establishment of such a committee may also—
(a ) contain provisions regarding the constitution of the committee including, without prejudice to the foregoing generality, provisions as to the number of members of the committee and their appointment and tenure of office, the filling of casual vacancies in the committee and the appointment of a chairman thereof;
(b ) prescribe the procedure of the committee and fix their quorum;
(c ) provide that the proceedings of the committee shall not be invalidated by reason of any vacancy therein or any defect in the appointment of a member thereof;
(d ) provide that the committee may from time to time levy on and recover from the authorised persons such sums as are, or in the opinion of the committee will be, necessary for the purpose of enabling the committee to meet the cost of improvement or the cost of maintaining any drainage or protective works executed in pursuance of the order, and provide that such sums shall be levied according to the proportions in which the said persons are liable, whether under the order or by virtue of an apportionment made under subsection (3) of section five of this Act, to bear such costs;
(e ) provide that the committee may engage and remunerate a secretary and such other servants as they consider necessary;
(f ) provide for the keeping of accounts by the committee, for the auditing of such accounts, and for the submission thereof to the authorised persons at such times as may be specified in the order;
(g ) contain provisions for the making of such administrative arrangements as may be necessary or...
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