Summer 2025 brings changes to English street works regulations. Understanding these new policies is important for businesses to avoid extra costs.
Plans to reform street works fines, penalties, and the use of surplus lane rental funds culminated with a consultation period (Jan-March 2024), and led to the following measures:
The consultation was carried out alongside the highway authority, utility companies, the public, specific roads firms, and others3.
A closer look at the regulations
The government updated their street works lane rental guidance4 to address concerns voiced during the consultation, and to add some clarity to the changes:
Offences cover NRSWA offences:
And permit offences:
Fines have been doubled, set to £240 full charge and £160 discounted charge for NRSWA offences and breaching permit conditions, and £1,000 full charge and £600 discounted charge for working without a permit.
This is the first increase in the level of fines since 2007, and
received significant support from the public and highway authorities. As
always, the hope is that companies will maximise their efficiency and
minimise disruption.
Fines – up to £10,000 depending on the type of road and the number of days overrun – are to apply on weekends and bank holidays as well as weekdays.
Those in support of the measure cited roads being closed unnecessarily over bank holiday weekends, and the ability for traffic authorities to incentivise contractors to avoid overruns.
Getting your business and managers to a level where they’re running at maximum efficiency is the best way to avoid fines and reduce overheads – and keeps you streamlined and flexible to easily adapt to future regulatory changes.
Field management software like Re-flow5 is designed for this purpose. (And to the wider needs of highways companies).
When your operatives get to site, they have everything they need to get going. They quickly and effortlessly fill out site forms. They get to work quicker. Time-stamped and geo-tagged photo uploads of completed works and compulsory task lists gives managers everything they need to keep on top of their teams.
Book a demo and try for free today or call 01392 574002