Street Works
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Work carried out on the street, by the utilities or others, is legally controlled by the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (NRSWA). This act gives the Council, as the Highway Authority for Sheffield, the power to ensure that:
- Proper safety measures are in place (signs, cones, barriers etc) to protect and warn drivers and pedestrians about the work
- The new, repaired or rebuilt highway is constructed correctly
- Work undertaken on the street is co-ordinated so that any congestion and disruption is kept to a minimum
Monitoring
The Council Highway Authority co-ordinators have a database of work that is currently being undertaken, or planned to start, on the streets of Sheffield. Inspectors carry out regular checks to ensure that safety measures are in place and that the correct materials are used.
After the work on the street has been completed the inspectors return at regular intervals to ensure that the work is up to standard (no bumps, hollows, cracks etc). If the work doesn't meet the required standard then our inspectors have the power to ensure that the road is fixed.
Guarantee Periods
Contractors have to guarantee their work on the street for a minimum of 24 months (if they have had to dig deep the guarantee period is 36 months).
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 under the guarantee.
Legal Action
This is seen as a last resort, but prosecutions have taken place in extreme cases where a contractor hasn't complied with the legislation. For example if the street isn't 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 time for no good reason.
Planning
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When major resurfacing work is planned for a street the utility companies are asked, 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 send the utility companies a formal "Section 58" notice. If they don't respond the newly surfaced street is protected from a utility company carrying out work for 1 year.
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.
South Yorkshire's Caring Contractor Scheme
The local authorities of South Yorkshire (Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster, Barnsley), utility companies and their contractors operate a Caring Contractor Scheme. They have all agreed to meet certain basic standards for the work they undertake on the street.
In Sheffield, Street Force undertake additional monitoring concerning the Caring Contractor Scheme.
We check the signing and guarding of work sites - including pedestrian signs and routes that include creating a temporary ramp for a kerb where pedestrians, wheel chairs and push chairs are directed off a footpath.
We also check that information boards are in place. These boards tell you who is carrying out the work and give a contact number if something isn't right. We check that households and businesses have been informed that work is going to take place before it starts.
The Caring Contractor Scheme also aims to ensure that the environmental impact of the work on the street (fumes, noise and dust) is kept to a minimum.
And finally, our inspectors will look for evidence of polite and courteous behaviour on site and considerate positioning of plant and materials.
Further Information
If you require further information on street works related activities please ring the Street Force Contact Centre on (0114) 273 4567 or use this link to the Contact Street Force page.
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