HC Deb 20 August 1909 vol 9 cc1743-4

(1) Nothing in any Provisional Order, whether confirmed before or after the passing of this Act, shall in any way limit or affect the powers of any county council to rebuild, alter, widen, or repair the structure of any bridge upon which any work authorised by the Order may be constructed, or impose upon the county council any liability which was not by law imposed upon them prior to the commencement of the Order.

(2) If at any time the county council require to carry out works for rebuilding, altering, widening, or repairing any bridge which might involve interference with any portion of the undertaking authorised by the Order, they shall, prior to the commencement of the works, give the undertakers one month's notice of their intention to carry out the works, and, if in order to avoid interruption to the supply of electrical energy it is, in the opinion of the county council, necessary temporarily to remove any electric lines or works belonging to the undertakers from such bridge, then the undertakers shall (and they are hereby authorised so to do at their own expense) temporarily carry their electric lines across such bridge overhead or at the side thereof in such a manner as will not be a danger or inconvenience to the public or unreasonably interfere with the works to be carried out by the county council.

(3) When the rebuilding, altering, widening, or repairing of such bridge has been completed, the undertakers shall have the same rights and powers with regard to such bridge and its approaches as they had before the works were carried out.

(4) If any dispute arises between the county council and the undertakers with regard to this section, it shall be determined by arbitration.

Sir F. BANBURY rose to move at the end of Section (2) to insert the following new section:—

"Wherever a main road is carried over ft railway bridge maintained by the railway company, all the rights, powers, privileges, and exemptions conferred upon county councils, and the benefit of all obligations imposed upon the undertakers by this section shall, for the purposes of rebuilding, altering, widening, or repairing such bridge, be extended to the railway company, and may be exercised and enjoyed by them as fully as if the railway company were a county council and the bridge were a bridge repairable by such council."

Mr. H. J. TENNANT

proposed to omit the Clause. Before the hon. Gentleman moves, I desire to say, in order to expedite the passage of the Bill, that I wish this Clause to be deleted. I could not accept the Amendment, and I think there might be difficulties with another place. Therefore, in order to expedite and facilitate the passage of the Bill, I move to omit the Clause.

Question, "That the Clause stand part of the Bill," put, and negatived.