Highway Maintenance FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the maintenance of highways.

The water/gas/telephone/electric/cable company have dug up our pavement and made a mess!

All these companies are known as ‘statutory undertakers’, and Parliament has given them the legal right to lay and maintain their equipment in our highways. They dig about 12,000 holes in our highways each year and do not require permission from the Council to do so.

The New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, which governs this type of work, makes these companies wholly responsible for their works, including the permanent reinstatement of their trenches in the highway.

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Why has the Council replaced our flagstone pavement with tarmac?

The decision to use macadam instead of flags enables the Council to reconstruct more pavements each year and reduces the number of tripping accidents. Bitumen macadam is also more resistant to damage caused by vehicles being driven over the pavement. However, flags are normally only removed when a majority of them are damaged.

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Why wasn't my bit of pavement/street done when you did next door/the next road?

Finance available for highway maintenance is limited. Difficult choices sometimes have to be made and consequently some people will be disappointed.

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