§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers highway authorities have to charge(a) vehicle owners and (b) property owners for clearing the highway following an accident or obstruction; and what limits are placed on the levels of such charges. [2576]
§ Mr. WattsSection 149 of the Highways Act 1980 enables highway authorities to require the removal of any thing deposited on the highway so as to constitute a nuisance, or to do it themselves and recoup the costs from the person responsible, but this may not be sufficient to cover all situations in which debris needs to be removed.
My Department proposes shortly to lay regulations under section 150 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 that will, among other things, explicitly enable local highway authorities to recoup costs incurred in connection with the clearance of accident debris. The charge will be recoverable from the person responsible for the deposit of the debris.