Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has provided guidance to local authorities on whether companies are required to provide notice to local authorities when digging up pathways.

Highway authorities have a duty to manage their networks effectively by co-ordinating works taking place on their roads under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 and the Traffic Management Act 2004.

Before planning to carry out works on the highway, which includes the footway, utility companies must seek permission (a permit) from the highway authority and agree how long the works will take. If they take longer than expected, the highway authority can levy penalty charges against the utility. The Government does provide statutory guidance on the operation of permit schemes: www.gov.uk/government/publications/street-works-the-2007-permit-scheme-regulations-as-amended-in-2015