Section 165: General powers to carry out works, Water Resources Act 1991

The appropriate agency may—

carry out flood risk management work within subsection (1D)(a) to (f) if Conditions 1 and 2 are satisfied;

carry out flood risk management work within subsection (1D)(g) or (h) if Condition 1 is satisfied.

Condition 1 is that the appropriate agency considers the work desirable having regard to the national flood and coastal erosion risk management strategies under sections 7 and 8 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

Condition 2 is that the purpose of the work is to manage a flood risk (within the meaning of that Act) from—

the sea, or

a main river.

In subsection (1B)(b) the reference to a main river includes a reference to a lake, pond or other area of water which flows into a main river.

In this section "flood risk management work" means anything done—

to maintain existing works (including buildings or structures) including cleansing, repairing or otherwise maintaining the efficiency of an existing watercourse or drainage work;

to operate existing works (such as sluicegates or pumps);

to improve existing works (including buildings or structures) including anything done to deepen, widen, straighten or otherwise improve an existing watercourse, to remove or alter mill dams, weirs or other obstructions to watercourses, or to raise, widen or otherwise improve a drainage work;

to construct or repair new works (including buildings, structures, watercourses, drainage works and machinery);

for the purpose of maintaining or restoring natural processes;

to monitor, investigate or survey a location or a natural process;

to reduce or increase the level of water in a place;

to alter or remove works.

The appropriate agency shall also have power... to maintain, improve or construct drainage works for the purpose of defence against sea water or tidal water; and that power shall be exercisable both above and below the low-water mark.

The appropriate agency may construct all such works and do all such things in the sea or in any estuary as may, in its opinion, be necessary to secure an adequate outfall for a main river.

The Agency or the NRBW may by agreement with any person carry out, improve or maintain, at that person's expense, any drainage works which that person is entitled to carry out, improve or maintain; but for the purposes of this subsection the expense to be borne by that person shall not include such part (if any) of the amount of any grant made under section 47 of the Environment Act 1995 (grants to the new Agencies) or article 12 of the Natural Resources Body for Wales (Establishment) Order 2012 (grants to the NRBW) (S.I.2012/1903) as the Agency or the NRBW decides (subject to any terms on which the grant is made) to allocate for the works in question.

The Agency or the NRBW may enter into an agreement with any local authority or with any navigation authority for the carrying out by that authority, on such terms as to payment or otherwise as may be specified in the agreement, of any work ... which the Agency or the NRBW is authorised to carry out under this section.

Nothing in subsections (1) to (3) above authorises any person to enter on the land of any person except for the purpose of maintaining existing works.

In this section "watercourse" has the same meaning as in Part IV of this Act ...

Section 165: General powers to carry out works

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