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Section 24: Contraventions of prohibition on obstructions etc.

Land Drainage Act 1991 · 1991 c. 59View on legislation.gov.uk

Part II: PROVISIONS FOR FACILITATING OR SECURING THE DRAINAGE OF LAND

If any obstruction is erected or raised or otherwise altered, or any culvert is erected or altered, in contravention of section 23 above, it shall constitute a nuisance in respect of which the drainage board concerned may serve upon such person as is specified in subsection (2) below a notice requiring him to abate the nuisance within a period to be specified in the notice.

The person upon whom a notice may be served under subsection (1) above is—

in a case where the person by whom the obstruction has been erected or raised or otherwise altered has, at the time when the notice is served, power to remove the obstruction, that person; and
in any other case, any person having power to remove the obstruction.

If any person acts in contravention of, or fails to comply with, any notice served under subsection (1) above he shall be guilty of an offence and liable, on summary conviction—

to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale; and
if the contravention or failure is continued after conviction, to a further fine not exceeding £40 for every day on which the contravention or failure is so continued.

If any person acts in contravention of, or fails to comply with, any notice served under subsection (1) above, the drainage board concerned may, without prejudice to any proceedings under subsection (3) above—

take such action as may be necessary to remedy the effect of the contravention or failure; and
recover the expenses reasonably incurred by them in doing so from the person in default.

About this text

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.