Street works licence

Any person or organisation who wishes to carry out works on a highway, will need to apply for a street works licence (Section 50 Licence). This requirement does not apply to anyone acting under a statutory right.

Applicants will still need to obtain any necessary permission of any other person affected, for example, when putting up highway frontages.

Definition of street works

Any of the following activities on a highway will constitute street works and require an application:

• placement of apparatus
• retention of apparatus
• inspection of apparatus
• repair of apparatus
• alteration of apparatus
• changing the position of apparatus
• removal of apparatus.

Excavation

The Highway Authority can grant the right to excavate the highway on an application for a Street Works Licence to any:

• Streetworks accredited developer
• Streetworks accredited contractor.

This grants the applicant temporary authority to excavate the highway throughout the duration of the works for which the licence is granted.

Failure to apply

Failure to apply for a licence before starting any works, is an offence under the Highways Act 1980 and the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991. Any breach of this requirement may result in prosecution with the full recovery of all costs involved and removal of any equipment installed during those works.

All Street Works Licences granted are subject to the legislation requirements of the New Roads and Street Works 1991 and its associate Codes of Practice.