Select committee: Transport Committee
Conclusion 9
2nd Report - Managing the impact of street works
Published 3 Jul 2025
Addressed to Department for Transport
Transport Committee Managing the impact of street works All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The process whereby authorities inspect reinstatements for defects after works are complete is not working as well as it should be, with weak incentives for utility companies to fix the defects promptly, or at all, once they have been found during an inspection. (Conclusion, Paragraph 44)
From: Transport Committee, 2nd Report - Managing the impact of street works (HC 522), 3 July 2025
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 12 September 2025 (deadline 3 September 2025).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government says it "welcomes" the Committee's report and responds to each recommendation, generally agreeing with the aims while mostly favouring review, evaluation and engagement with industry over the specific changes proposed.
- On overrun charges for leaving signs in place, it agrees that doing so "can cause unnecessary disruption" but says a full charge "may not always be appropriate in every circumstance". It will review whether the £100 reduced charge "remains proportionate and effective".
- On reinstatement guarantee periods, it says it is right to evaluate the 2023 performance-based inspections regime "before considering the need for further changes", and will evaluate it "next year".
- On a Street Works Commissioner, it says a new arm's length body "appears inconsistent" with its review of such bodies, but it remains "open to exploring ways to improve the existing system" and will engage with HAUC (UK).
- On lane rental, it says extending powers universally could lead to "an inconsistent and fragmented approach". It consulted on devolving approval powers to Mayoral Combined Authorities and will publish results and next steps "in due course".