The National Joint Utilities Group (Njug) has welcomed concessions by the Department for Transport (DfT) on streetworks planning.
Transport minister Norman Baker told an Njug meeting last week that he expected to retain a central role for his department in assessing permitting schemes for utility streetworks. Utilities had feared they would have to manage a variety of inconsistent requirements if local authorities were not required to get sign-off from the secretary of state for their schemes.
A permit scheme was recently granted approval in Yorkshire, and delegates were told of a raft of other schemes in the pipeline.
The concession came as the DfT published new proposals to change the qualifications required by streetworks operatives.
As part of the government’s Red Tape Challenge, DfT wants to remove requirements for specific qualifications, saying this was unnecessary layering given that operatives had to meet company requirements and statutory codes of practice.
A consultation on that change will close on 31 May.