Hampshire Highways: Utility Roadworks, Responsibilities and How to Report Problems

Hampshire Highways have responsibility for the roads in the County. Here are some of their FAQs and links to report road problems:

U𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐲 

There is a huge amount of work being carried out by utility companies around Hampshire at the moment. Southern Water are renewing their mains, SSEN are upgrading their network and SGN are similarly undertaking gas main renewal. Add to that the work by super-fast broadband providers and it seems there are roadworks constantly taking place. 

All this has resulted in quite a number of questions about why and how Hampshire County Council allow utility companies, other public bodies and development companies to work on the roads.

So, I hope it’s helpful to share this Q&A which helps explain the process for granting permission and what control Highways have over these type of roadworks:

Q: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐂𝐂 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐲’𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞? 

A: The Highways team is responsible for the coordination of all works and events on the public highway in order to minimise traffic disruption. The Streetworks team also monitors utility Co’s activities on the public highway and checks active work sites and reinstatements for compliance with National specifications.

Q: 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐲? 

A: Yes, they have legal duties and rights to install and maintain apparatus on the public highway. However, they have to comply with National Specifications and obtain a permit from the County Council for planned works. 
Legislation gives them legal rights to install cabinets and masts (up to 15m high) on the public highway without planning permission. 

Q: 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐇𝐂𝐂 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐚 𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐲? 

A: No, except under very specific circumstances, for example: where a utility company wants to install new apparatus on a highly important and strategic road that has been specifically designated, by law, as a protected street. 

Q: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐲? 

A: The County Council can place conditions on any permit application. Conditions are used to try to minimise traffic disruption. The conditions available as part of the permit scheme are not ‘free form’ and are restricted to controls over works timing, works area, traffic management type and stakeholder engagement. Conditions have to be reasonable and be able to be met by the works promoter. 

Q: 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (𝐓𝐌) 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬𝐞? 

A: The works promoter is entirely responsible for selecting the most appropriate type of TM. They are the experts in the works they are undertaking and what the risks are. In selecting the TM type they must consider the risks to the workforce, passing traffic (including pedestrians) and relevant legislation and Codes or Practice. 

Q: 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝? 

A: The works promoter is entirely responsible for selecting an appropriate diversion route. Best practice is to ensure that the diversion route uses similar roads to those closed. Unfortunately, the existing networks don’t always permit this. Diversion routes are not enforceable. 

Q: 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐭? 

A: The works promoter is ALWAYS responsible for the information they supply. The County Council must assume that it is correct when assessing the permit and determining what conditions to apply.

Q: 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 w𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬/𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧? 

A: No, the permit relates ONLY to the works and its impact on traffic. Approval for installing apparatus is given either by a utility company’s legal rights or via the local Planning Authority. 

Q: 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞. 𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 a𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝? 

A: Yes, utility companies are allowed to use a temporary reinstatement in order to re-open a road quickly or to give them me to source specialist materials. Normally temporary reinstatements are allowed for up to 6 months, the utility company has to reinstate the original surface within that me. 

Q: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭? 

A: Legislation states that a utility company is liable for any ‘reasonable’ repairs for two years. 

Q: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬? 

A: Legislation requires all works promoters to submit permit applications between 3 working days and 3 months ahead of works starting. 
For ‘Immediate works’ (relating to safety or loss of service) there is no advance warning. Works are started and the County Council is alerted within 2 working hours. 

Q: 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐧-𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞? 

A: Yes. There are a range of penalties open to the County Council where works promoters do not comply with permit conditions.

Q: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐨 𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬? 

A: Very well. In 2022 Over 95% of site signage and 96% of reinstatements complied with the National specifications. 97% of utility sites comply with permit conditions. 99% of utility sites were completed on me, or early. 

Q: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲? 

A: The County Council handles all permits via a National IT system. This system automatically publishes all permits on the https://one.network website 

Q: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲’𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤? 

A: In an average year we process around 52,000 permit applications/changes from utility companies which result in around 36,000 works being undertaken. The last couple of years have seen even higher numbers processed. When you take into account there are 5,500 miles of publicly maintained roads in Hampshire this equals 6.5 pieces or work per mile per year on our roads!

Reporting Highway Problems

Links to report road issues are here:
Potholes: https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/highways/report-a-problem/potholes
Tree/hedge problems: https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/highways/report-a-problem/tree
Flooding/drainage issues: https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/highways/report-a-problem/flooding
Pavement problems: https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/highways/report-a-problem/paving
Broken or missing signs: https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/highways/report-a-problem/brokensigns
Faulty street lights: https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/highways/report-a-problem/streetlight
Faded or missing road markings: https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/highways/report-a-problem/road-markings
Problems with rights of way: https://www.hants.gov.uk/landplanningandenvironment/rightsofway/reportaproblem