Utilities companies promise to reduce roadworks disruption

Update: Lincolnshire County Council have clarified that the agreement to reduce disruption is still being discussed at this stage.

Lincolnshire County Council say utilities companies have signed an agreement to cut the amount of disruption when roadworks are going on.

They hope Anglian Water – one of the most criticised firms – will sign up too.

Roadworks have been causing frustration for people in the Sleaford area recently.

One resident told BBC Look North the roadworks are “an absolute pain” while another said they are “really frustrating because you’re sat there for no reason”.

One woman said: “It doesn’t matter what direction I go, I hit roadworks, and you end up sitting in them forever and a day”.

The county council told BBC Look North it is important that the workforce is kept safe and that disruption is kept to a minimum, but says this doesn’t always happen.

Anglian Water say that because of the location of their pipes, and the need to dig underground, some disruption is “unavoidable”, but they aim to keep it to a minimum, while safety is their top priority.

There are laws about how and when roads can be closed, and companies have to apply for a permit.

It was revealed in November last year that Lincolnshire County Council fined utility companies more than half a million pounds for rogue signage and overrunning highways works in 2021, with Anglian Water making up nearly a third of all fines.

Just last month Martin Hill, leader of the county council, said roads being closed by Anglian Water when work isn’t going on are a ‘massive issue’ in Lincolnshire.

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