Legislation – Deregulation Act 2015
Changes to legislation:
Deregulation Act 2015, Section 24 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 04 April 2026. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.![]()
Changes to Legislation
Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.
Changes and effects yet to be applied to Section 24:
- s. 110A inserted by 2016 c. 12 s. 16(1)
Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act associated Parts and Chapters:
Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):
- s. 110A inserted by 2016 c. 12 s. 16(1)
Use of land
24Extension of powers to authorise erection of gates at owner’s request
(1)
Section 147 of the Highways Act 1980 (which allows highway authorities etc to authorise the erection of stiles and gates etc on footpaths or bridleways crossing agricultural land) is amended as follows.
(2)
In subsection (1), after “For the purposes of this section” insert “
.
as it applies in relation to footpaths or bridleways,
”
(3)
“(1A)
The following provisions of this section, so far as relating to the erection of gates, also apply where the owner, lessee or occupier of agricultural land in England, or of land in England which is being brought into use for agriculture, represents to a competent authority in England, as respects a restricted byway or byway open to all traffic that crosses the land, that for securing that the use, or any particular use, of the land for agriculture shall be efficiently carried on, it is expedient that gates for preventing the ingress or egress of animals should be erected on the byway.
For the purposes of this section the following are competent authorities—
(a)
in the case of a restricted byway which is for the time being maintained by a non-metropolitan district council by virtue of section 42 above, that council and also the highway authority; and
(b)
in the case of any other restricted byway or in the case of a byway open to all traffic, the highway authority.”
(4)
In subsection (3), for “footpath or bridleway” substitute “
.
footpath, bridleway or byway
”
(5)
“(5A)
In this section, “byway open to all traffic” has the same meaning as in Part 3 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (see section 66(1) of that Act).”
(6)
In consequence of the amendments made by this section to section 147, section 146 of the 1980 Act is amended as follows—
(a)
in subsection (1), after “restricted byway” (in the first place it occurs) insert “
;
or across a byway open to all traffic in England
”
(b)
in that subsection, for “or restricted byway” (in the second place it occurs) substitute “
;
, restricted byway or byway open to all traffic
”
(c)
in subsection (2)(b), after “restricted byway” insert “
;
or in the case of a byway open to all traffic
”
(d)
“(6)
In this section, “byway open to all traffic” has the same meaning as in Part 3 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (see section 66(1) of that Act).”;
(e)
in the heading to the section, for “restricted byways” substitute “
.
byways
”