Under the Land Drainage Act 1991, Internal Drainage Boards have a duty to exercise a general supervision over all matters relating to the drainage of land within its district. Also contained within this Act are the various permissive legal powers (i.e they are not a requirement on the Board) that permit a Board to undertake the operation, maintenance and improvement of any watercourse in its area. (Main Rivers are excluded from this power). To assist a Drainage Board in undertaking these roles, Section 66 of the Land Drainage Act 1991 allows a Board to create Byelaws that control all activities within 8 metres of all watercourses.
We may permit certain works or structures to be erected or undertaken within the Byelaw zone but a formal consenting system must be followed. We must receive details of any proposed works affecting watercourses, whether they are temporary or permanent. We may request modifications which we consider necessary to protect our District’s interests.
Consequently, riparian owners, utility companies and developers must obtain a Land Drainage Consent from the Board before any work commences (where the watercourse is a Main River, a Flood Risk Activity Permit from the Environment Agency, rather than the Board, is required). It should be noted that our Consent is exclusive of any other permission that may be required, and that we should be consulted as early as practicable to ensure our requirements can be met.
The Board’s Consent Application Form, Byelaws, Byelaw Strategy and Fees documentation can be downloaded from this page. The document will open in the same window.
| Document Title | Format |
|---|---|
| Byelaws | PDF - 489KB |
| Consent Application Form | PDF - 277KB |
| River Stour IDB Planning & Byelaw Strategy | PDF - 484KB |
| RSIDB Development Control Charges & Fees | PDF - 133KB |
| Surface Water Development Contribution FAQ | PDF - 181KB |