What are Street Works?
Street works are works carried out to the utility services that are located within public highways, as opposed to works which are carried out for the benefit of the road or footpath users, which are known as “works for road purposes".
Street Works are carried out by “statutory undertakers” (formerly known as public utilities) such as gas, water, telecom, cable TV and electricity companies. These companies have a legal right to install and maintain apparatus in a public highway.
The legislation that covers this area is the New Roads & Street Works Act 1991 and the Traffic Management Act 2004. Further information on Street Works can be obtained from the government’s Department for Transport Website [external link]
What is the Council’s role?
The Council has a duty to coordinate works carried out in the highway and in the words of the Traffic Management Act 2004 [external link] to secure “the expeditious movement of traffic” (so far as is reasonably practicable). The term “traffic” includes pedestrians. The Council is a member of the North of England Highway Authorities Utilities Committee (NEHAUC [external link]) and liaises with the statutory undertakers through quarterly meetings to discuss programmes of work. On important street works projects the Council holds regular and frequent progress meetings to help minimise possible disruption and inconvenience to the public.
The Council also inspects a sample of the undertakers’ work to ensure that they are carried out in a safe manner and to the required standard. Where defects are found the Council instructs the utility to carry out remedial works as appropriate.
Accessing information on Roadworks
You can access the Council’s Street Works Register. By searching on a street name you will be able to see what works are planned, or have been carried out in that street. This is a live link to the Council’s Register which is updated every 30 minutes during the working day. It contains information on utility works and Council schemes.
You can also look at details of the street itself such as its road number (if applicable), reinstatement categories and whether any other restrictions apply, such as being designated as Traffic Sensitive (streets where works are likely to cause the greatest disruption, for example: North Road) or Special Engineering Difficulty (for example: bridges).
Every street in the country has a unique reference number in the National Street Gazetteer [external link]. By using this reference number utilities are able to transmit details of their works to the Register.
Search the Street Works Register
As well as the Register a weekly Roadworks Report is produced which highlights any planned works which may lead to possible disruption.
Restrictions following Substantial Roadworks
Under Section 58 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 Highway Authorities are able to place restrictions on the work that can take place in a street following substantial roadworks. This is intended to prevent a utility company digging up a road shortly after it has been resurfaced. Not all works qualify for protection. They must extend at least 30 metres continuously and:
- reduce the width of a footpath or cycle track by more than two-thirds or
- prohibit the use of the carriageway by vehicles or
- reduce the width of the carriageway by more than one-third.
The restrictions usually last for 3 or 5 years depending on the type of works (for example: resurfacing or reconstruction). Some works, such as emergencies, are exempt from the restriction.
The current "Section 58" [pdf document] list is available for download.