Collection

Street works and road works

Street works and road works information for local authorities and statutory undertakers carrying out work on or under the street.

Street works

Street works are carried out by statutory undertakers using equipment and machinery on or under the road. Statutory undertakers include:

Street works are necessary to provide and maintain utility and transport services, but can be disruptive to road users.

Road works

Road works are different from street works. They are works carried out to repair or improve the highway including footways, pavements and street lighting.

Diversionary works

Diversionary works are works to reroute utility services. They are sometimes necessary to accommodate highway improvement schemes. A code of practice, ‘Measures necessary where apparatus is affected by major works (diversionary works)’, can be bought from TSO. It is not available electronically.

Operational advice

Permit schemes

Lane rental

Overrun charges

2012 regulations outline that when utilities are planning works they must agree with the highway authority on how long it will reasonably take to complete them. If they take longer than this, the highway authority may impose an ‘overrun charge’, so utilities are incentivised to complete their works on time.

The charges should be imposed as set out in chapter 10 of the code of practice for the co-ordination of street works and works for road purposes and related matters.

Inspections

Qualifications

Updates to this page

Published 21 July 2011
Last updated 6 March 2019 + show all updates
  1. Added consultation on a new code of practice for reinstating a road after street works.

  2. 'Future of lane rental schemes for roadworks' consultation outcome published

  3. Statutory guidance on street works inspections coring added to collection page.

  4. Added new statutory guidance on permit schemes.

  5. Advice on changes to street works permit schemes required by 1 October 2015 issued.

  6. First published.