Recommendation 15

Collaboration and coordination of works between utility companies and local authorities relies on sharing information on upcoming works well in advance. There are currently no requirements on utility companies to share plans for their upcoming work with local authorities. The Department should introduce requirements for utility companies to share their plans 33 for upcoming work at the earliest opportunity, such as by making forward planning notices mandatory. The Department should keep under review how effectively this increases collaboration in practice. If it does not, the Department should develop options for tools to mandate collaboration when necessary, such as giving local authorities ability through permit conditions to enforce site-sharing. (Recommendation, Paragraph 69)