I move amendment No. 11:—
Before Section 3 to insert a new section as follows:—
(1) Where a local authority proposes to execute works under Section 2 it shall give to the Commissioners of Public Works notice of its intention to do so. Such notice shall be addressed to the Commissioners so as to be received by them not less than six clear weeks before the date on which it is proposed to execute the works and shall be accompanied by such plans and other documents as will show accurately the nature and extent of the proposed works.
(2) On receipt of the notice prescribed by the foregoing sub-section the Commissioners of Public Works shall inform as soon as may be, but in any case not later than ten clear days after receipt of the prescribed notice, every other local authority, statutory board, authority or undertaking the interests of which in the opinion of the commissioners are likely to be affected by the nature and extent of the proposed works.
(3) Within 21 days after the day on which it receives notice from the Commissioners of Public Works in accordance with the foregoing sub-section any authority which is of opinion that its interests are likely to be adversely affected by the execution of the proposed works may lodge notice of objection with the commissioners. Every notice of objection lodged by a local authority under this sub-section shall state cleraly and precisely the grounds of such objection and shall be accompanied by such data, including maps and documents as are necessary to substantiate it.
(4) On receipt of every such notice of objection as aforesaid the Commissioners of Public Works shall refer such notice of objection and the grounds therefor to their officers, who shall report thereon to the commissioners in due course.
(5) When the Commissioners of Public Works have received the reports of their officers as aforesaid upon all the objections lodged to the execution of the proposed works, they shall consider all such notices of objection in the light of the prescribed reports and if in their opinion there are reasonable grounds for any or all of such objections they shall convene a conference of the representatives of all the local authorities concerned with the objections and of the local authority proposing to execute the works. Such conference shall be presided over by a person appointed by the Commissioners of Public Works to take the chair and conduct proceedings at the conference.
(6) A local authority which participates in a conference, convened by the Commissioners of Public Works under the foregoing sub-section (5) of this section, shall be represented thereat by two elected members, together with the county manager or manager or some person deputed by him, and the principal engineering officer or adviser of the local authority or some person deputed by him.
(7) When a conference which has been convened by the Commissioners of Public Works under the foregoing sub-section assembles, it shall consider the proposed works and shall endeavour to formulate agreed proposals in regard to them.
(8) If and when the chairman appointed under sub-section 5 of this section forms the opinion that it is unlikely that agreed proposals will be formulated by the conference, he shall express such opinion to the conference and shall intimate that if agreement upon proposals be not reached within one hour he proposes to adjourn the conference and to report back to the Commissioners of Public Works. At the conclusion of one hour as aforesaid the chairman, unless he is then of opinion that agreement is likely to be reached, shall adjourn the conference and report back to the commissioners.
(9) On receipt of the report of a chairman of a conference convened under the foregoing sub-section that the conference concerned has failed to reach agreement the Commissioners of Public Works shall consider the works proposed to be executed and the objections which have been lodged thereto and shall make such proposals for changes in the works proposed as in their judgment are reasonable in the light of the aforesaid objections and shall circulate such proposals to all the authorities represented at the conference for their consideration provided always that if the commissioners decide that the objections lodged to the proposed works are insuperable or that it is not in the public interest that the proposed works should be executea they shall not make proposals for the amendment of the works, but instead shall proceed to act as prescribed in sub-section (10).
(10) If the Commissioners of Public Works, having considered the proposed works and the objections lodged thereto in accordance with sub-section (9) of this section, decide that the objections lodged to the proposed works are insuperable or that it is not in the public interest to execute such works, they shall convey such decision to the local authority proposing to execute the works and thereupon the decision of the local authority to execute the proposed works shall be deemed to be rescinded and such works shall not be proceeded with.
(11) If the Commissioners of Public Works acting under sub-section (9) make proposals for changes in the works proposed, the conference prescribed in sub-section (5) shall be reconvened and the proposals of the commissioners shall be submitted for its consideration. The conference shall thereupon consider the proposals of the commissioners and in relation thereto shall decide
(a) to accept the proposals of the commissioners, or
(b) to submit amendments to them for the further consideration of the commissioners.
If the conference decides to submit amendments to the proposals of the commissioners, all such amendments shall be submitted to the conference in the form of a motion which shall be duly proposed and seconded.
(12) All the decisions at an adjourned conference shall be taken on motions duly proposed and seconded and shall be made by majority vote.
(13) If the conference as reconvened under sub-section (11) of this section decide to accept the proposals of the Commissioners of Public Works such proposals shall be deemed to be accepted by the authorities proposing to execute the works and the works in question shall be executed in accordance with them.
(14) If the conference acting under sub-section (11) of this section decide to amend the proposals of the Commissioners of Public Works, the proposals as amended shall be considered by the Commissioners who shall decide whether
(a) to accept all the proposals, or
(b) to accept certain of the proposals, or
(c) to accept none of the proposals.
When the commissioners have thus decided they shall communicate such decision to the local authority proposing to execute the works and if the works in question are proceeded with, they shall be executed in accordance with the decision of the commissioners.