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Street Works Permit Scheme
Managing works carried out on our roads, and minimising disruption they cause
West Berkshire operates a street works permit scheme.
The 
Permit Scheme Order for West Berkshire Council [2Mb] is in line with the requirements of the Department for Transport.
The permit scheme is intended to manage when, how and where street and road works take place across public highways in our district. It doesn't affect motorways and trunk roads (the M4 and A34), for which Highways England is the Highway Authority.
Within the permit scheme, anyone carrying out works in the road will legally need to apply to West Berkshire Council for permission, in advance of the works. Using this scheme is intended to improve management of all works on our roads and reduce unnecessary disruption to road users.
Applying for a permit
Fill out and return the Street Works Permit - Application Form [516kb].
Fees and charges [16kb] will apply according to the type of work you're planning to carry out. You may wish to check whether you need a permit [618kb] for the work you're planning before you apply.
About the scheme
Permit schemes were introduced by the government as a way to help councils minimise disruption from street and road works.
The following supporting documents give more background as to the introduction of the scheme, our aims, and the codes of conduct we operate to.
- Street Works Permit - West Berkshire Council Objectives [554kb]
- Street Works Permit - The South East Permit Scheme for Road Works and Street Works [277kb]
- Gov.uk - The Traffic Management Act 2004 - Code of Practice for Permits
- Gov.uk - Street Works Co-ordination Code of Practice
- Highway Authorities and Utilities Committee (HAUC) - Advice Note Guidance for the Use of National Condition Text in Permit Schemes (England only)
- Street Works Permit - Evaluation Report 2015-16 (Year One) [1Mb]
- Street Works Permit - Evaluation Reports 2016 - 2018 (Years two and three) [3Mb]
Our powers under the new scheme
West Berkshire Council can choose to grant a permit, apply conditions to a granted permit or decline permission [58kb] for the proposed work to be carried out. These powers were not available before. By managing proposed work in this way, we can reduce unnecessary disruption to road users.