Road repairs firms to face tighter curbs

UTILITY firms digging up roads are to come under tighter Town Hall control.

Islington Council is the first borough in the country to introduce a permit system, which will allow it to determine who is working on streets, where and when. 

Companies carrying out road repairs without a permit will face a heavy fine. The council can ensure roadworks are done at specified times, that the amount of road space used is minimised and that the work is planned to prevent the road being repeatedly dug up.

Lib Dem environment chief Councillor Greg Foxsmith said: “We already fine utilities companies for overrunning on roadworks and causing unnecessary disruptions. It can be galling for motorists and cyclists when traffic is snarled up unnecessarily by contractors taking their sweet time digging up our roads – or, even worse, when roads are fenced up but no work is being done.”

Holloway Road was revealed last year to be London’s most-dug-up road. The A1 is controlled by Transport for London rather than Islington Council, but TfL will now also use the new permit powers to minimise disruption.
ROISIN GADELRAB