Section 50 licences and street works

What is a section 50 licence?

A section 50 licence is a street works licence granted under section 50 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991. It gives a person or company permission to place apparatus, such as a private cable, duct or pipe, in the street, and to inspect and maintain it afterwards. The street authority grants it. For most public roads that is the local highway authority.

Who needs one?

Utility companies have their own statutory rights to work in the street. Anyone else who wants to place private apparatus in the public highway needs a section 50 licence first. The private wire we are building in Cornwall, from a solar farm to a National Grid substation, is one example. Carrying out street works without a licence or a statutory right is an offence under section 51 of the Act.

What the licence commits you to

For the licensed works, the licence holder takes on the duties the Act places on an undertaker. That includes carrying out the work safely and reinstating the street. Each authority sets its own fees, conditions and processing times, so check them with the authority before you fix a programme.

How Ground Utilities helps

Our supervisors and operatives hold NRSWA street works cards. Where a client needs it, we have applied for and managed the Section 50 licence and highway permits ourselves, as on the Indian Queens private wire in Cornwall and on a scheme in Grimsby. At Indian Queens that sits alongside the traffic management and council liaison for a route with 4km of trench in the highway.

We then build the route: the trench, ducts, joint bays, cable installation and reinstatement. See HV and LV cable installation.

Frequently asked questions

Who grants a section 50 licence?

The street authority. For most public roads that is the local highway authority.

Do utility companies need a section 50 licence?

No. Utility companies have their own statutory rights to work in the street. The licence is for anyone else placing private apparatus in the public highway.

Is it an offence to work in the street without a licence?

Yes. Carrying out street works without a licence or a statutory right is an offence under section 51 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991.

How much does a section 50 licence cost, and how long does it take?

Each authority sets its own fees and processing times. Check with the authority for the road in question before you fix a programme.

Can Ground Utilities apply for the licence for us?

Where a client needs it, we have applied for and managed the Section 50 licence and highway permits ourselves, as on the Indian Queens private wire in Cornwall and on a scheme in Grimsby.