Coordination of highway works
Collaboration
We work closely with utility companies and others, such as developers and private licence holders, who undertake works on our highways network to prevent repeated digging up of the same roads.
As part of this, we launched the Lincolnshire Street Works Charter on 1 September 2023. The charter acts as a commitment to drive positive change and ensure work is completed safely, whilst striving to keep disruption to a minimum, and has been signed by ten of the major utility companies working in the county.
Each organisation committed to the charter has a champion who ensures the aims and objectives are embedded throughout their business and contract partners.
Protecting our highway network
We take the protection of the highway seriously, and we strive to understand and utilise powers available to us within the New Roads and Street Works Act (NRSWA) 1991, Traffic Management Act 2004 and the Highways Act 1980.
On a day-to-day basis, our work to achieve this includes:
- Using Section 58 restriction notices, where major schemes with substantial resurfacing/construction are undertaken, to prohibit planned works for a period of two or three years. These are published on our website and Street Manager to ensure works promoters have visibility of where planned works cannot be undertaken. Where utility work is exempt, we consider the impact on a case-by-case basis, seeking an agreement with the works promoter to widen or increase their reinstatement where this would be beneficial for the longevity of the surrounding highway.
- Operating the Lincolnshire Permit Scheme to coordinate works on the highway. We receive over 75,000 permit requests each year and are focused on effective coordination to reduce repeated visits to the same street, where possible – a permit fee discount of 30% is available to utility companies who plan to work collaboratively.
- Utilising third party systems, such as One.Network, to provide greater visibility of historic works when assessing permit applications.
- Encouraging the use of Forward Planning Notices by works promoters to increase awareness of major schemes. We are currently developing a map-based portal where major works across the county can be viewed by all organisations working on the highway. It is the long term intention to use this as a platform to view new development sites, where multiple sets of works are likely, with the portal having the ability to request collaborative working.
- Undertaking a rigorous inspection regime at all stages of street works. We fully engage with Performance Based Inspections and carry out additional routine inspections to ensure reinstatements that will have the most impact should they fail are inspected before their guarantee periods expire. This includes undertaking inspections at weekends, to ensure the correct standards are met.
- Carrying out a robust investigatory core testing regime to ensure the newest of surfaces which have been reinstated by utility companies (usually in the case of immediate or connection works) are correctly reinstated.
- Issuing of Fixed Penalty Notices, defects and Section 74s where non-compliance is identified.
- Where a works promoter fails to complete remedial works following the notification of a defect, we will complete the remedial and recharge the works promoter where necessary.
- Fostering collaborative working at developer sites to reduce the impact on the highway both from an asset and disruption point-of-view. We have included developers in our Street Works Charter discussions to gain their understanding of how this type of collaborative working can be achieved.
We also contribute to local and national working groups, such as the Joint Authorities Group and Highways and Utilities Committees, to promote the importance of effective planning.
