Hope for 'significant change' in roadworks problem

There are hopes for "significant change" in the issue of roadworks in Kent when council bosses talk to government.

Kent County Council (KCC) will go before parliament's transport select committee on Wednesday to discuss the growing disruption caused by roadworks from utility companies.

Neil Baker, KCC cabinet member for transport, said: "In the past six months Kent had almost twice as many emergency closures carried out by utility companies, telecommunication providers, and developers, compared to those carried out by KCC for emergency road repairs."

The Department for Transport said local authorities have "a range of powers to help them coordinate their roadworks efficiently".

The council expects the number of closures by utility companies to "only increase if nothing is changed", the councillor added.

Recent council papers showed in 2020-21 there were 6,604 closures for utilities, which jumped to 10,296 in 2023-24.

KCC works rose from 3,477 to 5,992 in the same period, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The select committee is exploring ways to limit the damage and disruption to roads and pavements carried out by utility companies and other providers.

It is also looking at the effectiveness of fines councils can impose if works are mismanaged.

KCC addressed the committee in January in a bid to change the definition of an "emergency" and to reduce the duration of works.

Roger Gough, Conservative council leader, said the council does not have the power to prevent utility companies carrying out planned or emergency works.

Her said: "The limited powers the council does have is to minimise disruption wherever possible through co-ordination of all works on the highway to avoid conflicts, and where you have emergencies that becomes so much harder."

Antony Hook, the local Liberal Democrat group leader, suggested the "road rental" scheme should be encouraged where contractors would need to hire the roads they worked on.

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