Section 50 streetworks licence
You need permission from the council to put some equipment connected with digging into a public road on the street.
This equipment is often known as ‘apparatus’.
You can do emergency work without a licence but you must tell the council within 2 hours of starting work.
Other work you need a licence for
You need a licence to dig or tunnel into a street, sewer or drain.
You also need a licence to do any of these to apparatus:
- inspect
- adjust
- maintain
- repair
- renew
- move
- alter
- remove
Sewers
You must ask the sewer authority before giving notice to the council if you want to do work that will affect a public sewer.
This is an introduction to the requirements of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (“NRSWA”), and is a simple checklist and guide for the applicants of section 50s.
Apply for a streetworks licence
Complete each section of the streetworks licence application process as required. ('SWL' means 'streetworks licence' and is the reference used for different parts of the form)
- SWL 1 - read the guidance notes for all applicants
- Initial application - required at least one month before the proposed start date:
- SWL 4 - notice of works - required at least seven days before the proposed start date
- SWL 5 - registration of works - required within seven days of completion of reinstatement
- SWL 7 - waste transfer note - complete only if required, and send together with the registration of works
Form SWL 6 is deliberately excluded.
Conditions
- to minimise the inconvenience to persons using the street, having regard to people with a disability in particular
- for works in traffic sensitive streets, streets with special engineering difficulties and protected streets
- the licensee must permit the council to monitor their performance throughout all stages of street works. These are signing and guarding, excavation, backfilling and reinstatement:
-
- immediately after permanent reinstatement
- between 6 and 9 months after permanent reinstatement
- during the one month preceding the end of the guarantee period. (this period will begin from the date the council is notified of the permanent reinstatement)
-
where the apparatus in respect of which an application for a street works licence is made to the council is to be placed or retained on a line crossing the street, and not along the line of the street, a person aggrieved by any of the following may appeal to the Secretary of State on the grounds of:
- the refusal of the council to grant him a licence
- the refusal of the council to grant a licence except on terms prohibiting its assignment or
- any terms or conditions of the licence granted to him