Appendix 10/4: British Waterways Board Payments for Easements for Bridges and Pipes Crossing Operational Waterways
The Valuation Office Agency`s technical manual covering all aspects of compulsory purchase and compensation.
Agreed scales of payments have recently been negotiated with British Waterways Board for easements for bridges crossing operational waterways and for pipes laid under such waterways. These scales should be applied in arriving at the compensation in current and future cases were the easement is being acquired by a government department. The details of the scales being as follows:
1) Easements for bridges
Payments for easements for new bridges crossing operational waterways will be assessed as follows:
| Type of Waterway | Width of Waterway | Bridges up to 60’ wide | Each 20’ (or part) width of bridge over 60’ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial | Up to 40’ | £750 | £230 |
| Commercial | Over 40’ | £1500 | £460 |
| Cruising & other | Up to 40’ | £375 | £115 |
| Cruising & other | Over 40’ | £750 | £230 |
The compensation calculated in accordance with the above scale will include any cost incurred by the Board’s engineer in connection with the consideration of the case from the point of view of the grant of the easements but not technical work by the engineer which may be necessary altering or modifying the design of the bridge and the nature of its construction, or work which may be involved on this part in the course of the building of the bridge. It will also not include, of course, any payments which fall to be made to the engineer when he acts as consultant to the highway authority in the erection of the bridge.
The width of the waterway for the purpose of applying the scale is the distance between the banks as existing before the works commence plus the width of any towpath up to a maximum of 10 feet. Any other land of the Board adjoining the waterway is to be excluded.
Commercial waterways under the scale set out above will be the main navigable channels of the waterways set out in Part 1 of Schedule 12 to the Transport Act 1968 (see end of this Appendix). All other waterways of the Board shall be classified as cruising or other waterways.
2) Widening of existing bridges
In the case widening of existing bridges the compensation will be first calculated as if the bridge as constructed were a new one and a deduction will then be made in the proportion which the width of the old bridge bears to the total width of the bridge as reconstructed with a minimum payment of £375. This will apply even if the site of the old bridge is not in the same position as the new bridge if demolition of the old bridge is involved. Adjustments will not be made for any relief to the Board in respect of maintenance of existing works in arriving at the compensation payable for the easements, this being a matter to be dealt with direct by the acquiring authority.
3) Footbridges
Compensation for new footbridges over waterways will be measured at half the amount payable for new bridges as set out in 1 above. Footbridges constructed to which access is obtained from the approaches to an existing roadbridge or constructed as an integral part of the roadbridge should be classed as a widening and compensation assessed under 2 above. The widening being calculated to include the width of the footbridge and the space between the bridges.
4) Pipes under waterways
Compensation for easements for pipes under the Board’s operational waterways will be assessed as follows:
- a uniform payment of £275 per pipes up to 12” diameter where the length of the crossing does not exceed 100’
- the uniform payment to be increased by 25 per cent for each additional 12” (or part) in diameter of the pipe, and where there is more than one pipe laid at the same time the diameters to be aggregated
- the payment for additional lengths over 100’ to be pro rata at 25 per cent of the uniform payment, the pipes alongside the waterway laid to enable the crossing to be effected at a suitable point should not be deemed a part of the crossing length where such a diversion is required by the Board
- the payment for manholes to be £55
- either party may ask for ad hoc consideration of the exceptional or abnormal case
5) Surveyors’ fees
See Section 5 Part 2 of this Manual for the assessment of surveyors’ fees generally.
6) Other costs
The acquiring authority will meet legal costs and stamp duties incurred by the Board and will also reimburse the Board for any costs in preparing plans.
7) Exceptional Cases
Ad hoc consideration may be given to the exceptional or abnormal case such as where the bridge is not a “public” one but facilitates enjoyment/development of land or where it is a special structure (eg abnormally skew and wide) which increases the burden of the Boards operational/engineering problems.
Part 1 - Commercial Waterways
The main navigable channels of the following waterways;
- The Aire and Calder Navigation from the tail of River Lock, Leeds and from the Calder and Hebble Navigation at Wakefield to its entrance to Goole Docks and its junction with the River Ouse at Selby
- The Calder and Hebble Navigation from the tail of Greenwood Lock to its junction with the Aire and Calder Navigation at Wakefield
- The Caledonian Canal
- The Crinan Canal
- The Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation from the tail of the bottom lock at its junction with the River Trent at Keadby
- The new Junction Canal connecting the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation with the Aire and Calder Navigation
- The Trent Navigation from the tail of Meadow Lane Lock, Nottingham to Gainsborough Bridge
- The Weaver Navigation and the Western Canal from Winsford Bridge to the junctions with the Manchester Ship Canal at Marsh Lock and at Delamere Dock
- The River Severn from Stourport to its junction with the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal at Gloucester
- The Gloucester and Sharpness Canal
- The River Lee Navigation from Hertford to the River Thames at Limehouse and to the rail of Bow Docks