Explanatory note

The Order concerns general drainage charges which may be raised by the Anglian Water Authority in their local land drainage districts for the years ending 31st March in 1988, 1989 and 1990. It defines in relation to each local land drainage district of that Authority a factor in the formula prescribed in section 49(1) of the Land Drainage Act 1976 for ascertaining the amount of the general drainage charge raised by the Authority for each such district.

Most of the Anglian Water Authority’s revenues for land drainage purposes are raised under sections 46 and 47 of the Land Drainage Act 1976 by precepts issued to the county councils in their area, and these councils draw the revenue to meet those precepts ultimately from the general ratepayers in their districts. General drainage charges are levied on occupiers or owners of land not liable to general rates, and section 49 of the Act (as amended by the Land Drainage Act 1976 (Amendment) Regulations 1978) requires the factor in the formula to be calculated so that a general drainage charge raised by a water authority for a local land drainage district in accordance with the formula will be such an amount per hectare of chargeable land in that district as will secure that the total amount produced by the charge approximates to the total amount which would be produced by the land drainage element in a general rate if the chargeable land were liable to such rates. The Order defines the factor in accordance with section 49(1)(b).