Street Works

The Council mainly dig up the highway (road and footway) to replace worn out stretches and or make improvements.

 

Other companies known as Statutory undertakers ( gas, water, electric , telecommunications etc), need to dig up the street to get at their equipment so that they can maintain, repair or renew it.  Statutory undertakers are organisations licensed by the government to dig holes in accordance with the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991.  Qualified people must carry out all the works.

 

Under the New Roads & Street Works Act 1991 and The Traffic Management Act 2004 Sheffield City Council has a duty to:

 

 

 

 

All Councils in England must appoint a Traffic Manager.  In Sheffield this is John Lashmar and he can be contacted at the following email address: Traffic.Management@sheffield.gov.uk  

 

The Traffic Manager is responsible for ensuring that traffic (including pedestrians and cyclists) on the highway network is managed efficiently.

 

Under the Traffic Management Act 2004, there is provision to operate a permit scheme, and Sheffield City Council is currently considering this option.

 

 

 

The Council Highway Authority co-ordinators have a database of work that is currently undertaken, or planned to start, on the streets of Sheffield.

 

Inspectors carry out regular checks to ensure that safety measures are in place (signs, cones, barriers etc) and that the correct materials are used.

 

After the work on the street has been completed, it carries at least a 2-year guarantee.  The inspectors check at regular intervals within the guarantee period to ensure that the work is up to standard (no bumps, hollows, cracks etc).  If the work does not meet the required standard then our inspectors have the powers to ensure that the road is fixed.

 

Our intention is to protect the structure of your street - so please let us know if humps, bumps, hollows or cracks appear after recently completed work and we will take action to get the street fixed by the contractor at their expense under the guarantee.

 

 

 

This is seen as a last resort, but prosecutions have taken place in extreme cases where a contractor has not complied with the legislation.  For example if the street is not up to the required standard when completed or safety work (signs, cones etc) to protect the general public and road workers hasn't been undertaken.  Fines can also be made if work on a street isn't completed to the agreed timescale for no good reason.    

 

When major rehabilitation work is planned for a street by the Council, the utility companies must notify the Council, 3 months before the work is due to start, if they have any work planned – if they do then the Council and the utility company will work together to co-ordinate their work on the street.

 

The Council sends the utility companies a formal "Section 58" notice.  If they don't respond a newly resurfaced street is protected from a utility company carrying out work for a period between 3 & 5 years depending on the depth of newly constructed road.

 

On occasions, no matter how good the planning, emergencies do happen.  If there is a gas or water leak then the utility company responsible has a legal right to dig up the road to fix it, even if the road was only resurfaced the day before – safety must come first.

 

The utilities also have the legal right to dig up a protected road if they are required to supply new services.  For example, a few months after the road is completed, plans are submitted for a new house on land that requires new gas, electric, water and communication services.  The utility companies then have the right to dig up the road to provide these new services as new unplanned/unforeseen service connections are exempt from the "Section 58" notice.