{"id":147417,"date":"2025-01-16T11:41:53","date_gmt":"2025-01-16T11:41:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?p=147417"},"modified":"2025-01-16T11:41:53","modified_gmt":"2025-01-16T11:41:53","slug":"get-on-top-of-new-highways-compliance-laws-and-avoid-unnecessary-fines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/digital-construction-news\/construction-software-news\/get-on-top-of-new-highways-compliance-laws-and-avoid-unnecessary-fines\/147417\/","title":{"rendered":"Get on top of new highways compliance laws and avoid unnecessary fines"},"content":{"rendered":"

Re-flow examins the new rules around English highways and how to ensure compliance in your roadwork operations<\/h2>\n

Summer 2025 brings changes to English street works regulations. Understanding these new highways policies is important for businesses to avoid extra costs.<\/p>\n

A tightening up of existing regulations and extra fines<\/h3>\n

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:<\/p>\n

Increases to fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for street works offences<\/h4>\n

After almost two decades staying at the same level, fines are set to double. The aim is to encourage compliance, help congestion, and reduce the impact on transport links.<\/p>\n

Supporting arguments said that the effect of FPNs has been eroded by not raising fines in line with inflation.<\/p>\n

Charges for overrunning street works to be extended to weekends and bank holidays and not just weekdays<\/h4>\n

With equivalent levels of road use on weekends and bank holidays as there is on weekdays, the intention here is to remove a loophole where companies leave works up longer than necessary, and to avoid the resultant disruption.<\/p>\n

Local authorities with lane rental schemes must use at least 50% of any surplus funds on pothole repairs or resurfacing<\/h4>\n

Aimed at addressing the pothole issue<\/a>, local authorities will need to use a significant portion of their surplus funds on addressing the problem. Setting the level at 50%<\/a> \u2018would mean that funds would still be available for innovation projects and to mitigate the effects on congestion\u2019.<\/p>\n

The consultation was carried out alongside the highway authority, utility companies, the public, specific roads firms, and others<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Image courtesy of Re-flow<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A closer look at the regulations<\/h3>\n

The government updated their street works lane rental guidance <\/a>to address concerns voiced during the consultation, and to add some clarity to the changes:<\/p>\n

FPNs<\/h4>\n

Offences cover NRSWA offences:<\/p>\n