Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what regulatory requirements are placed on utilities and other companies to notify residents of the reason for digging up their pavement or road; and what statutory safety requirements they must meet.

There are no specific regulatory requirements for utilities and other companies (i.e. undertakers) to notify residents of the reasons for excavating pavements or roads. However, it may be a condition in certain authority areas where permit schemes are operating that undertakers provide advance publicity to residents of their intentions. There is also a national permit condition that requires undertakers to notify local residents and businesses but the condition is only meant to be applied where such notification is vital owing to the sensitivity of the location of the works.

Where street works involve a road closure or the imposition of certain other temporary traffic restrictions, a Traffic Order is needed under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. This legislation requires authorities to publish a notice in one or more local newspapers beforehand. They are also required to take other measures, such as placing notices along the affected street, if they consider it necessary to give adequate publicity to the order.

With regard to statutory safety requirements, undertakers must comply with a statutory Code of Practice ‘Safety at Street Works and Road Works’. This Code is issued under Section 65 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 and Section 174 of the Highways Act 1980.