Section 334:, Highways Act 1980

Subject to the provisions of this section, nothing in this Act or in any scheme or order made under it affects any rights conferred by or in accordance with the electronic communications code on the operator of an electronic communications code network or any duty of any such operator under that code or applies to any electronic communications apparatus kept installed for the purposes of any such network; . . .

In the circumstances mentioned in subsection (2) above, the operator of the electronic communications code network has the same power in respect of the electronic communications apparatus as if the conveyance had not been made or, as the case may be, the order had not come into force; but the transferee of the land or, as the case may be, any person entitled to land over which the stopped up or diverted highway subsisted shall be entitled to require the alteration of the apparatus.

Where in pursuance of an order made by a magistrates' court under section 116 above a highway is stopped up or diverted, the following provisions of this subsection have effect in relation to so much of any electronic communications apparatus kept installed for the purposes of an electronic communications code network as is under, in, upon, over, along or across land which by reason of the stopping up or diversion ceases to be a highway ("the affected apparatus")—

the power of the operator of the network to remove the affected apparatus is exercisable notwithstanding the making of the order, so however that the said power is not exercisable, as respects the whole or any part of the affected apparatus, after the expiration of a period of 3 months from the date of the sending of the notice referred to in subsection (5) below unless before the expiration of that period the operator of the network has given notice to the authority on whose application the order was made of his intention to remove the affected apparatus or that part of it, as the case may be;

the operator of the network may by notice in that behalf to the said authority abandon the affected apparatus or any part of it, and is to be deemed, as respects the affected apparatus or any part of it, to have abandoned it at the expiration of the said period of 3 months unless before the expiration of that period he has removed it or given notice of his intention to remove it;

the operator of the network is entitled to recover from the said authority the expense of providing, in substitution for the affected apparatus and any electronic communications apparatus connected with it which is rendered useless in consequence of the removal or abandonment of the affected apparatus, any electronic communications apparatus in such other place as he may require;

where under paragraph (b) above the operator of the network has abandoned the whole or any part of the affected apparatus, it vests in the authority there referred to and shall be deemed, with its abandonment, to cease to be kept installed for the purposes of an electronic communications code network.

As soon as practicable after the making of an order under section 116 above in circumstances in which subsection (4) above applies in relation to the operator of an electronic communications code network the authority on whose application the order was made shall by notice to the operator inform him of the making of the order.

Where in pursuance of an order under section 14 or 18 above a highway is stopped up or diverted, or an order under either of those sections provides for the alteration of a highway, and, immediately before the date on which the order comes into force, there is under, in, upon, over, along or across the highway any electronic communications apparatus kept installed for the purposes of an electronic communications code network then, without prejudice to subsections (2), (3) and (6) above, the provisions of subsection (8) below have effect.

Part 10 of Schedule 3A to the Communications Act 2003 (the electronic communications code) (which provides a procedure for certain cases where works involve the alteration of electronic communications apparatus) shall apply, for the purposes of the construction or improvement of the trunk road, special road or classified road, as the case may be, to which the order relates and of any works authorised by the order, to the Minister or other highway authority by whom the order in question was made.

Without prejudice to the provisions of Part III of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 relating to major highway works, major bridge works or major transport works Part 10 of the electronic communications code shall apply for the purposes of—

any work authorised or required by an order under section 93 above to be done by a highway authority or the owners of a bridge,

any work which a highway authority is authorised to carry out under section 96 above, and

any work authorised or required by a licence under section 176 above to be done by the person to whom the licence is granted,

to the authority or person authorised or required to carry out the work.

Where, in pursuance of any order or scheme made or confirmed under this Act, a navigable watercourse is diverted and, immediately before the date on which the order or scheme comes into force, there is under, in, upon, over, along or across the watercourse, or any towing path or other way adjacent to it, any electronic communications apparatus kept installed for the purposes of an electronic communications code network, the operator of that network has the same powers in respect of that apparatus as if the order or scheme had not come into force; but—

the highway authority by whom the order or scheme was made, or

any person entitled to land on which so much of the watercourse, towing path or way as is diverted in pursuance of the order or scheme was previously situated,

shall be entitled to require the alteration of the apparatus.

Paragraph 68 of the electronic communications code (offence) shall be deemed to be omitted for the purposes of the application by this section of Part 10 of the code to the Minister.

Paragraph 108(2) of the electronic communications code (alteration of apparatus to include moving, removal or replacement of apparatus) shall apply for the purposes of the preceding provisions of this section as it applies for the purposes of that code.

Part 6 of the electronic communications code (rights to require removal of electronic communications apparatus) shall apply in relation to any entitlement conferred by this section to require the alteration, moving or replacement of any electronic communications apparatus as it applies in relation to an entitlement to require the removal of any such apparatus.

Section 334:

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