The Middle level Commssioner have issued this statement

Following our consultation on proposals to amend the Commissioners’ Navigation legislation in the first half of this year, consideration of the responses and subsequent discussions with Parliamentary Counsel, the Commissioners have now presented a private Bill to Parliament seeking the necessary legislative amendments.

The Bill is very much based on the previous draft of the Transport and Works Act Order which was itself widely consulted upon, although certain changes have been required by Parliamentary Counsel.  In particular, we have been asked to produce a Bill which contains the minimum provisions for which primary legislation is considered to be required with other provisions being made subsequently by byelaw, leading therefore to slightly enhanced byelaw making powers.

We have, however, not, apart from the new audit provision referred to in the consultation, sought any further powers following the consultation that need to appear in the Bill, save that, at consultees’ request, we are seeking to be able to extend the remit of these provisions should any further lengths of waterway within the Middle Level become navigable in the future, to such waterways.

The text of the Bill can be found on the Navigation section of our website at http://www.middlelevel.gov.uk/Navigationprops.aspx and hard copies are available from this office price £3