{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/land-drainage-act-1961/section-30",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/land-drainage-act-1961/section-30.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/Eliz2/9-10/48",
  "legislation_title": "Land Drainage Act 1961",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/land-drainage-act-1961",
  "path": "section/30",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "30",
  "heading": "Schemes for drainage of small areas",
  "text": "(1) The following provisions of this section shall have effect in substitution for section fifty-two of the Act of 1930.\n(2) Where an authority to which this section applies are of opinion that any land in their area is capable of improvement by drainage works, but that the constitution for that purpose of an internal drainage district would not be practicable, the authority may, in accordance with the provisions of a scheme made under this section, enter on the land and execute such drainage works as appear to them desirable.\n(3) The authorities to whom this section applies are the councils of counties or county boroughs and river boards.\n(4) A scheme under this section must state—\n(a) the works proposed to be executed ;\n(b) the area to be improved by the works ;\n(c) the estimated expenses (including administrative expenses) of the execution of the works, which shall not, subject to subsection (11) of this section, exceed an amount equal to twenty pounds for each acre in the area to be improved ;\n(d) the maximum amount to be recoverable by the authority making the scheme in respect of those expenses; and\n(e) the manner in which the expenses of executing and maintaining the works are to be apportioned amongst the lands comprised in the area.\n(5) Before making a scheme under this section an authority other than a river board shall consult the river board.\n(6) Before making a scheme under this section an authority shall give to the owners and occupiers of land within the area to which the scheme relates, and to any other persons appearing to them affected by the scheme, notice in such manner as the Minister may by regulations made by statutory instrument prescribe of their intention of making the scheme and of the place where a draft thereof can be inspected and of the time (which shall not be less than thirty days) within which objections to the scheme may be made to the authority.\n(7) Where any objections to a scheme are duly made and are not withdrawn the authority intending to make the scheme shall send a copy of the draft scheme, together with copies of the objections, to the Minister, and the scheme shall not be made unless the draft is confirmed by the Minister, with or without modifications; and before confirming the draft the Minister shall either cause a public inquiry to be held or give the authority and the persons by whom the objections are made an opportunity of appearing before and being heard by a person appointed by the Minister for the purpose.\n(8) An authority making a scheme under this section shall send copies thereof to the owners and occupiers of land in the area to which it relates and, if that authority is a river board, they shall also notify the council of any county or county borough in which any of that land is situated; and any such scheme made by or notified to any such council shall be registered in the register of local land charges by the proper officer of the council in such manner as may be prescribed by rules made under section fifteen of the Land Charges Act, 1925.\n(9) The council of a county or county borough shall, in relation to any works executed in pursuance of a scheme under this section, have all the powers of a drainage board under the Act of 1930, exercisable subject to the same restrictions as are imposed by that Act on the exercise of those powers by such boards.\n(10) Any expenses incurred by an authority under this section in the execution of drainage works, to an amount not exceeding the amount stated in the scheme in pursuance of paragraph (d) of subsection (4) of this section, and any expenses incurred by an authority in maintaining works executed under this section, shall be recoverable by the authority from the several owners of the lands to which the scheme relates according to the apportionment provided for by the scheme.\n(11) The Minister may exempt a scheme from the limit imposed by paragraph (c) of subsection (4) of this section if it appears to him that the works proposed to be executed are urgently required in the public interest, and he may by order made by statutory instrument from time to time vary that limit, but no such order shall have effect unless it is approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/9-10/48/section/30",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T11:10:08.989782+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}