Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to support local authorities to hold to account utility companies that fail to reinstate the original road or pavement surface after the completion of their work.

Local Highway Authorities in England already have powers under the 1991 New Roads and Street Works Act to require utility companies to reinstate the highway to the prescribed standard set out in the Specification for Reinstating Openings in the Highway. The same Act also provides Authorities with powers to inspect utility works to ensure standards are met. The 2004 Traffic Management Act introduced the ability for authorities to operate a street works permit scheme which ensures proactive management of how works are undertaken. To date some 65% of authorities have introduced such a scheme.

Currently the Department is looking at a range of measures with the sector as a whole to continue to improve the quality of reinstatements of the highway improves. This is in addition to the wider point recently made by my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State that utility companies should look first at laying utilities under pavements or verges rather than under the road itself.