Section 155 Accretions of land resulting from drainage works.

If the relevant Minister certifies that, as the result of—

there has been or is likely to be any accretion of land, the powers of the Agency F2and the NRBW by virtue of this Act, for the purpose of carrying out its functions F3or, as the case may be, its relevant transferred functions, to acquire land or any interest in or right over land by agreement or compulsorily shall include power so to acquire the land mentioned in subsection (2) below.

The land mentioned in subsection (1) above is—

An agreement or order with respect to the acquisition of any land or rights by virtue of this section may provide for the transfer to the Agency F4or, as the case may be, the NRBW of any liability for the upkeep, maintenance and repair of any bank or drainage work or of any other like liability.

Where the value of any land or right is increased by the carrying out or proposed carrying out of drainage works by the Agency F5or, as the case may be, the NRBW the amount of the increase shall not be taken into account in assessing the compensation in respect of the compulsory acquisition of it.

Where, by reason of a certificate having been given by the relevant Minister under this section in relation to any drainage works, the Agency F6or, as the case may be, the NRBW has acquired any land or right and a grant has been made out of public moneys for defraying the cost or part of the cost of the carrying out of the works, the Agency or, as the case may be, the NRBW shall—

transfer the land or right to the Commissioners or to any person nominated by them.

If the Agency F9or, as the case may be, the NRBW, on being so required by the Crown Estate Commissioners in pursuance of subsection (5) above, fail to transfer to the Commissioners any land or right, the relevant Minister may by a vesting order transfer the land or right to the Commissioners or to a person nominated by them; and, for the purposes of this subsection, the relevant Minister shall be deemed to be a competent authority within the meaning of section 9 of the M2Law of Property Act 1925.

In this section—

• “banks” has the same meaning as in Part IV of this Act;

• “drainage body” has the same meaning as in section 108 above;

• “the relevant Minister”—