Source · Select Committees · Transport Committee
Recommendation 15
15
Rejected
Mandate utility companies to share upcoming work plans earlier, improving coordination with authorities.
Recommendation
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)
Government Response Summary
The government agrees that early information sharing is essential but does not accept the recommendation to introduce mandatory requirements for utility companies to share long-term plans, citing existing tools and commercial sensitivity concerns. It will, however, work with the sector to explore wider adoption of best practices.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
The Government welcomes this recommendation and fully agrees that strong collaboration between utility companies and highway authorities is essential to minimising disruption and delivering efficient street works. Early sharing of information plays a key role in enabling better coordination and planning. Regarding utilities sharing their plans for upcoming work at the earliest opportunity, there are already various tools in place to facilitate sight of permit applications. When a utility company or other organisation applies for a permit to carry out street works, they may need to share a copy of their application with other organisations that have asked to be kept informed about works on certain streets. This requirement comes from Regulation 9(9) of the traffic Management Permit Scheme (England) Regulations 2007, but it can be fulfilled automatically if everyone involved is using the Street Manager system, which allows access to permit information digitally. There are areas where this is happening, but we believe both utility companies and HAs can do more, especially sharing forward plans and improving communications. To highlight one example would be the Bristol Code of Conduct, a voluntary agreement between Bristol City Council and utility companies including Bristol Water and Wessex Water. By sharing forward plans and coordinating works, the partnership saved over 150 days of road occupation in its first year, reduced disruption, and improved public satisfaction. This demonstrates how early information sharing and voluntary cooperation can deliver tangible benefits without mandating new powers.4 In our published co-ordination code of practice, we encourage utility companies to share ‘forward planning information’ on the Street Manager system. This is not mandatory because it relies on voluntary cooperation and the commercial sensitivity of long-term plans. Some utility companies particularly in the broadband sector are reluctant to share long-term plans too early, as doing so could reveal commercially sensitive information and signal to competitors where they intend to expand or connect new customers. Additionally, forward plans are often subject to change due to factors such as funding cycles, customer demand, or planning approvals, which can make early disclosure challenging. We will work with the sector to explore how best practice such as the Bristol approach could be adopted more widely, and to understand whether there are any barriers preventing this from happening.