The Ramsey Internal Drainage Board (Reconstitution) Order 2026
This Order confirms a Scheme submitted by the Environment Agency to reconstitute the Ramsey Internal Drainage Board.
It reduces the number of elected members from nine to five and provides for the initial appointment of these members by the Secretary of State.
The Order guarantees that all existing property, rights, and obligations of the previous Board transfer to the newly reconstituted entity, affecting the governance of land drainage in specific English regions.
Arguments For
The order confirms a Scheme prepared by the Environment Agency under the Land Drainage Act 1991 to modify the internal governance of the drainage board.
Proponents may state that reducing the number of elected members from nine to five aligns the board's structure with its current administrative requirements.
The document notes that no objections were received following the publication of the notice of intent, suggesting a lack of opposition from local authorities and defined stakeholders.
The explanatory note asserts that no significant impact on the private, voluntary, or public sector is foreseen, justifying the absence of a full impact assessment.
Arguments Against
Legal observers might question if reducing the number of elected members limits the diversity of representation for local ratepayers within the drainage district.
Affected parties might express concern regarding the concentration of decision-making power in a smaller group of five members compared to the previous nine.
Administrative challenges could arise during the transition period between the current board and the appointment of new members by the Secretary of State.
Citation, commencement, extent and application
- -(1) This Order may be cited as the Ramsey Internal Drainage Board (Reconstitution) Order 2026 and comes into force on 14th July 2026.
(2) This Order extends to England and Wales, and applies to England only.
This section establishes the official name of the statutory instrument and sets its commencement date as 14th July 2026.
It specifies that while the legal jurisdiction extends to both England and Wales, the actual application of the law is restricted to England.
Confirmation of Scheme
- -(1) The Scheme submitted by the Environment Agency is confirmed with modifications.
(2) The Scheme, as modified by the Secretary of State, is set out in the Schedule to this Order.
This provision gives legal effect to the Environment Agency's proposal for reorganizing the drainage board, subject to changes made by the Secretary of State.
It incorporates the detailed text of the reorganization plan into the Order via the attached Schedule.
SCHEDULE
Article 2(2)
Scheme submitted by the Environment Agency as modified by the Secretary of State
This Scheme comes into force on the day after the day on which the Order confirming this Scheme is made.
In this Scheme-
'the Board' means the Ramsey Internal Drainage Board constituted by the Scheme confirmed by the Ramsey Internal Drainage Board Order 2005( a );
'the commencement date' means the date on which this Scheme comes into force;
'elected members' means those members of the Ramsey Internal Drainage Board who are appointed by the Secretary of State pursuant to this Scheme or elected in accordance with the provisions made by or under Schedule 1 to the Land Drainage Act 1991 and any applicable regulations made under that Act;
'property' includes books of account, other books, deeds, maps, papers and other documents, in whatever medium held, and computer and other electronic records;
'rights and obligations' means all rights, powers, duties (including statutory powers and duties), obligations and liabilities.
- -(1) On the commencement date the Board is reconstituted to comprise five elected members( b ).
(2) The first elected members of the reconstituted Ramsey Internal Drainage Board are to be appointed by the Secretary of State and are to hold office until the expiry of one year from the first occurrence of 1st November following the day on which they are appointed.
- The property, rights and obligations of the Board immediately before its reconstitution in accordance with paragraph 3 become the property, rights and obligations of the reconstituted Ramsey Internal Drainage Board upon its reconstitution.
The Schedule defines the operational terms and membership of the reconstituted Board, specifically reducing the number of elected members to five. It mandates that the Secretary of State will appoint the initial members for a set term ending approximately one year after the first November following their appointment.
Additionally, it ensures a legal continuity of assets and responsibilities by transferring all existing property, digital records, and legal duties from the old board structure to the new one.
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