§ Lord Melchettasked Her Majesty's Government:
What proposals for amending Section 116 of the Highways Act 1980 are currently under consideration by them, and when they expect to announce their conclusions.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (Lord Brabazon of Tara)In 1985, the department issued a consultation paper setting out proposals to simplify the procedures for stopping up and diverting highways contained in Sections 116, 118 and 119 of the Highways Act 1980. The proposals included empowering highway authorities to make and confirm their own unopposed orders, while opposed orders would go to a local public inquiry; replacing district and parish councils' power of veto with a right to be consulted; empowering highway authorities to convey stopped-up highway land to nearby landowners; ending the use of Section620WA 116 by highway authorities to stop up lesser highways such as footpaths; and extending the stopping-up provisions to include trunk roads, excluding special roads.
The assessment of the responses to the consultation is nearly complete, rind an announcement will be made shortly.