Statutory undertakers, gas, electric, water and telecommunications, have a right to open any part of the highway (subject to due notification to the highway authority) in order to install or maintain their equipment in a publicly maintainable highway.
This right can be extended to any private individual, developer or contractor on application to the highway authority for a street works licence, which grants temporary authority to excavate the highway during the duration of those works.
Applicants must give us a total of:
- 40 days notification if works require a cash security
- 50 days notification for Cash Bonds
to commence planned works up to and including a 10-day duration.
We must receive three months notification for major works that involve either a road closure or planned works of a duration of 11 days or more.
This is the legal amount of time required.
If works are deemed to be emergency repair works must be evidenced by the council to allow works to go ahead within 24 hours and must be agreed beforehand.
The 30-working days period incorporates the time needed for admin, utility searches and legal.
The fees for new works are:
| Total fee | |
|---|---|
| New apparatus | £1200 |
| Repairs to existing apparatus | £800 |
| Additional fees: Durations over four weeks will incur additional Cat A and Cat B inspections |
1 x Cat A Inspection per week additional at £50 each 1 x Cat B Inspection every 2 weeks additional at £50 each |
| Cash Security (if value of reinstatement is greater than £5000 |
All applications must be discussed with us and you cannot commence any works until you have been granted a licence from street works. We can be contacted on 01926 412515.
- Section 50 - Streetworks licence application form (PDF, 833 KB)
- Section 171 - Application form (PDF, 336 KB)
We cannot grant tacit consent as there are statutory time limits to be adhered to in the issuing of licences.
All street works licences granted are subject to legislative requirements.
Failure to apply for a licence before starting any works is an offence. Any breach of this requirement may result in prosecution with the full recovery of all costs involved and removal of any equipment installed during those works.
The processing and granting of your approval may take some time but we will acknowledge receipt of your application within five working days. If you have not heard from us within seven working days, please contact us using the contact details shown.