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Section 138: Powers of principal councils with respect to emergencies or disasters.

Local Government Act 1972 · 1972 c. 70View on legislation.gov.uk

Part VII: Miscellaneous Powers of Local Authorities

Where an emergency or disaster involving destruction of or danger to life or property occurs or is imminent or there is reasonable ground for apprehending such an emergency or disaster, and a principal council are of opinion that it is likely to affect the whole or part of their area or all or some of its inhabitants, the council may—

incur such expenditure as they consider necessary in taking action themselves (either alone or jointly with any other person or body and either in their area or elsewhere in or outside the United Kingdom) which is calculated to avert, alleviate or eradicate in their area or among its inhabitants the effects or potential effects of the event; and
make grants or loans to other persons or bodies on conditions determined by the council in respect of any such action taken by those persons or bodies.

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Nothing in this section authorises a local authority to execute—

any drainage or other works in any part of a main river, within the meaning of Part IV 'of the Water Resources Act 1991, or of any other watercourse which is treated for the purposes of any of the provisions of that Act as part of a main river, or
any works which local authorities have power to execute under sections 14 to 17, 62(2) and (3) and 66 of the Land Drainage Act 1991,

but subject to those limitations, the powers conferred by subsections subsection (1) above are in addition to, and not in derogation of, any power conferred on a local authority by or under any other enactment, including any enactment contained in this Act.

In this section "principal council" includes the Common Council and, until 1st April 1974, the council of an existing county, county borough or county district.

With the consent of the Secretary of State, a metropolitan county fire and civil defence authority and the London Fire Commissioner may incur expenditure in co-ordinating planning by principal councils in connection with their functions under subsection (1) above.

In this section "contingency planning" means the making, keeping under review and revising of plans and the carrying out of training associated with the plans.

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This legislation text comes from legislation.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. These source and reuse terms cover the legislation text, not Remedy's commentary.

Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.