Utility companies that take too long to fill in the holes they have dug on Lancashire’s roads should face tougher fines. That is the call from county councillors who have asked the government to increase the charges local authorities are allowed to impose on water, power and telecoms firms when their roadworks last longer than they said they would.
It comes as figures obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) reveal 37,500 sets of highway works were carried out in the Lancashire County Council area – which excludes Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen – in the space of just 12 months. Of those jobs – undertaken between April 2023 until March this year – 189 of them over-ran and attracted fines from Lancashire County Council totalling almost £343,000. Separately, 1,337 fixed penalty notices were issued – amounting to £170,000 – for offences including breaches of the permit for the work, issued by County Hall, which occurred on 413 occasions – or failing to obtain such permission in the first place, which happened 97 times. However, the majority of those penalty charges – 580 – were levied in instances where the utility firms had failed to give notice that their roadworks would be “unreasonably delayed”. A further 247 fines were issued for the failure to advise highways bosses that works had been completed. Bringing a notice of a motion to a meeting of the full council, County Cllr Ash Sutcliffe – who represents the Pendle Central division – said even the phrase “temporary traffic lights” made drivers “shudder”. Calling for the county council’s chief executive to write to the government requesting an increase in the charges that can be levied for over-running works, he said: “We must have the power to hold companies to account and get our roads moving again as soon as possible. “I’m sure that I’m not the only who’s had comments from residents there are traffic lights and cones workin