DEFRA has made the Ouse and Derwent Internal Drainage Board (Reconstitution) Order 2026, confirming an Environment Agency scheme under the Land Drainage Act 1991. The Order takes effect on 27 February 2026, reconstitutes the Board to 11 elected members, establishes a single electoral division for the whole district, and preserves all existing property, rights and obligations on transfer to the reconstituted body.
The legal route is section 3 of the 1991 Act, under which the Environment Agency submits a reconstitution scheme to the Secretary of State for confirmation following public notice. The Agency’s July 2024 notice proposed consolidating three electoral divisions into one; the Order implements that change. (gov.uk)
Membership is reset on commencement to 11 elected members. To manage transition, the first cohort is appointed by the Secretary of State and serves until the expiry of one year from the first occurrence of 1 November after appointment-if appointed in late February 2026, terms would run to 1 November 2027, aligning future ballots to the usual cycle. The instrument extends to England and Wales but applies to England only.
Electoral arrangements are simplified. The three divisions created by the 1977 Yorkshire Water Authority (Ouse and Derwent Internal Drainage District) Order are superseded by a single division, and references to the former First Schedule for those divisions are to be disregarded from commencement. Ballots will therefore be conducted for the district as a whole rather than by sub‑division.
For local authorities and ratepayers, the instrument does not alter funding powers or charging bases. Internal Drainage Boards continue to raise income through drainage rates on agricultural land and special levies on councils; the change is one of governance and representation rather than finance. (publications.parliament.uk)
In this district, North Yorkshire Council and the City of York Council act as charging authorities. Published figures for 2025/26 show total funding of £605,688.57 at a 5.40p rate, with special levies providing about 83% (£327,220.73 from North Yorkshire; £176,606.36 from City of York). Those arrangements are unaffected by the reconstitution. (yorkconsort.gov.uk)
Board composition has historically included nominated members from the City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council alongside elected members. The new instrument addresses elected membership and electoral divisions; any local authority nominations continue to follow the Board’s standing governance framework and relevant statutory provisions. (yorkconsort.gov.uk)
Administrative continuity is explicit: all property, rights and obligations of the existing Board vest automatically in the reconstituted Board on commencement. The Explanatory Note indicates no full impact assessment, reflecting an expectation of no significant effect on the private, voluntary or public sectors; ratepayers and councils should watch for updated election and meeting notices from the Clerk as the new arrangements bed in.