Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO)
The purpose of this page is to explain about the Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) process which would be used to obtain consent to build and operate the extension of the DLR to Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead.
What is a Transport and Works Act order?
A TWAO is a statutory instrument made by the Secretary of State under the Transport and Works Act 1992. A TWAO can authorise the construction, operation and maintenance of new transport infrastructure, such as the proposed extension of the DLR to Thamesmead.
A TWAO application could also provide compulsory powers for acquiring property interests and rights. A TWAO application could also be accompanied by a request to the Secretary of State for Transport to give a direction for deemed planning permission for the works to be authorised by a TWAO, meaning that planning permission could be granted by the government rather than the local authority/council.
The TWAO application process
A TWAO application is submitted to the Secretary of State for Transport and the procedure that follows allows any interested person to have their say before a decision is made.
The TWAO application would include:
- A draft of the proposed TWAO for the extension which would grant the required powers to construct and operate the extension
- Supporting plans and documents
- A request for a direction as to deemed planning permission
- An Environmental Statement which provides a description of the proposed scheme and how we propose to carry out the works and manage the construction process. It also sets out how the proposed scheme may affect the environment and how we propose to reduce those potential effects to an acceptable level
- A non-technical summary of the environmental statement
- A Funding Statement
After a TWAO is applied for there would be a statutory period where representations, comments or objections can be submitted to the Secretary of State for Transport.
The Secretary of State for Transport would consider the TWAO application carefully and all representations made during the process and make decisions only after considering all the comments made – sometimes through a public inquiry. There have been public inquiries for other large infrastructure schemes in London including; London Overground Barking Riverside extension, Northern Line Extension and Bank Station Capacity Upgrade.
Land acquisition and compensation
The land and property needed for the extension would be acquired either voluntarily or by compulsory purchase powers granted through a TWAO. Owners and occupiers of land that may be compulsorily acquired for the purposes of our proposals may be entitled to claim compensation. Where possible we would seek to reach an agreement with any landowner potentially affected by any compulsory purchase powers to be provided by the TWAO in advance of the TWAO application for those powers.
