Our work
As the ‘street authority’, Devon County Council is responsible for work that ranges from planned activities to emergencies. This work can entail large scale road improvements, routine or cyclical maintenance, for example, gully emptying, grass cutting and carriageway or footpath surface treatments.
Other types of work
Other work is generally performed by utility companies (also referred to as ‘statutory undertakers’), developers or private companies.
Each may have their own separate contractors or sub-contractors which may separately deal with the excavation, the work required to the apparatus in the road, the traffic management or the reinstatement of the excavation.
Some utilities can use their own ‘direct labour’ instead of contractors or a combination of contractors and direct labour.
Coordinating the work
Applications to carry out works on Devon’s roads are assessed and coordinated to avoid direct clashes. In some cases there may be multiple works taking place in one locality which does not mean a lack of coordination. If there is no clash between the works, they may go ahead, while considering the potential for disruption.
In the coordination process an overview is taken of works in a locality. In some cases, depending on the nature of the works and the road network in that locality, multiple works may go ahead in an effort to gain collaboration where possible and pull necessary works together in an area so they occur over a shorter timescale rather than happening individually over a longer period with each set of works causing disruption time after time.
Work carried out by other organisations
In the same way that we want to ensure the network is maintained and improved, utility companies also wish to ensure the provision of reliable, safe and efficient utility supplies and services (gas, water, electricity and telecommunications).
Most utility apparatus is located in the public highway and while efforts are made to limit disruption when works occur, it is inevitable there will be some disruption even with the best managed works when there is encroachment into the carriageway.
To enable utility companies to ensure the continuous supply of services or supplies, they have certain legal rights to work on their apparatus. We must coordinate activity, so the utilities are required to cooperate with us when planning their work and then seek permits to access the road network.
As such, utility providers are ultimately responsible for the delivery of their own work and for ensuring effective traffic management. For this reason, public feedback is actively encouraged to be directed to the promoter responsible for the work, if any local problems occur.
Every utility site is required to permanently display a permit board on the site with the specific works reference number and contact information.
Planned work and ‘immediate’ work
Pre-planned work must be notified and will be subject of an assessment before being permitted or licenced. Unplanned or reactive ‘immediate’ works occur due to potential danger or damage (emergency) or a service or supply has failed or been compromised (urgent).
A utility operating under an ‘immediate’ reactive permit can set traffic management, enter the road and work while only being required to notify us within two hours of starting. Outwardly, this may give the appearance of uncoordinated activity.
While every effort is made to limit disruption, these works will inevitably lead to this at some level. The utility companies have legal rights to access, repair, install, remove and maintain their apparatus with regulatory obligations to fulfill.
We aim to enable work where it is possible to do so while using conditions on permits when applicable to try and mitigate disruption.