Compensation for highway obstruction

Ocean Leisure Ltd v Westminster City Council CA TLR 2 September

During the construction of two footbridges across the Thames on either side of the Hungerford railway bridge the defendant placed a site hoarding outside the shops of the claimant between August 2001 and September 2002. Although the council had statutory power to carry out work on the highway, this did not relieve it of the duty not to harm the occupiers of the property adjoining the highway.