Residents Hub

This hub has been created for the residents of Newcastle to help provide information and services relating to roads, pavements and streets that we believe will be beneficial to you.

Find out about roadworks in Newcastle

One.Network has information on current and planned roadworks taking place.

Find out:

• Where roadworks are taking place
• How long the work will last
• Who is doing the work and how to contact them

If you cannot find the roadworks you are looking for on One.Network, please email permits@newcastle.gov.uk with details on the location, who is carrying out the roadworks, and provide photographs of the roadworks if possible.

Frequently Asked for Questions

Why is digital infrastructure important in Newcastle?

Excellent digital connectivity is increasingly important for residents and businesses across the city.  Whether that is to support online learning, gaming and streaming, or online business and job creation we don’t want anyone to be left behind in the digital revolution.   

The Government has set ambitious targets for full fibre in the UK to be delivered in 2025. To achieve this, there will be undoubtedly be disruption in the short term but there will be significant benefits to the city and to our residents in the medium to long term. 

What is being deployed? The existing copper network that serves as the backbone of current communications infrastructure is increasingly unable to satisfy the demands of the country. The future of high-speed and high-quality connectivity lies in deeper, more extensive fibre networks. Fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) can deliver upwards of one gigabit per second download and upload speeds, and very high levels of service quality.  

What are the Benefits of Full Fibre?

More reliable full-fibre connectivity will:

• Install future proof-technology, investing now for the next 50 years!
• Huge capacity to allow all devices in a home to connect seamlessly and without compromise
• Enabling consumers to have access to more fibre-broadband providers
• Providing a new level of service with high -speed connectivity for download and upload - ensuring the video conferencing service to work to their best capability.
• Providing faster, more reliable and secure technology for home working
• Ensure residents can access new smart home technologies, sometimes called the ''Internet of things''
• Make homes more attractive to tenants and buyers, even increasing the value of properties.

What can telecommunication companies do in Newcastle?

Telecommunication companies are classed as Statutory Undertakers so this means that they are legally allowed to undertake work in or under the highway network. The status of statutory undertaker means they are granted a number of privileges regarding development and highway access. They are exempt from planning permission for small works through the General Permitted Development Order 2015 and have significant rights to undertake works in or under the highway network under the News Roads and Street Works Act (1991).

What permissions are required to work in Newcastle?

Undertakers are required to request permission of road works carried out by them or on their behalf. The City Council as Permit Authority and Highway Authority have very limited conditions that they are gifted to consider the request. As a general principle, the City Council cannot refuse the work being undertaken in all considerations, it has to work with the company? to consider ways in which the work can be undertaken to minimise disruption on the highway network. The City Council has a specified timescale to review the permit applications and make the decisions. The timescale varies depending on the type of works being approved. The City Council does not have the power or ability to consult with residents or businesses on the general principle of works being undertaken. The only ability to consult would be when the works involve a road closure.  

I'm not happy about the work which has been undertaken - what can the Council do?

We recognise that some level of disruption is inevitable with this scale of deployment.  However, we also recognise that there may be times when the deployment does not run as planned or where issues arise.  Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the companies to ensure that all works are reinstated to the required standards as set out in the ‘Specification for the Reinstatement of Road Openings in Highways’. The City Council have the resources to carry out inspections of 10% of all reinstatements to ensure compliance with the act. However, due to the large number of excavations currently being carried out across the city by telecommunications companies we are working to increase the percentage of inspection of works. Under the legislation, utility companies should be reinstating on a ‘like for like’ basis but under the legislation they can carry out temporary reinstatements for up to 6 months using different materials.  

Where can I find out more information about the works being undertaken?

You can find out more information about the works being undertaken by going to the One Network. On this, they can see when works start and finish.  

If works have finished and there is mess and damage, then a report to Your Local Services should be raised so that the Team can establish the permit that this works relate to, the type of reinstatement undertaken (permanent/temporary), last date of inspection and whether this has been a confirmed defect/snag that will be repaired.  

I'm not happy about the location of a cabinet box, will the Council move this?

Cabinet boxes installed for telecommunications work are not owned or managed the City Council, they are the responsibility of the company installing the infrastructure.  

Telecommunication companies are statutory undertakers they do not require planning permission instead they confirm the nature of their work and we operate under a tight timescale for providing feedback on road safety visibility issues relating to its positioning in the proposed location. In this regard, the City Council as a ‘landlord’ has less powers than when work is undertaken the highway. The statutory undertaker has the power to force through the installation of the cabinet if the City Council as landlord are seen to take too long in the approval process and do not provide adequate feedback as cabinets are critical to providing fibre connectivity in areas. The powers of the statutory undertaker in this space were strengthen by the legislation set in 2017 when the government reviewed legislation and the regulatory environment around the deployment of digital infrastructure at a local level, including the Electronic Communications Code. The Electronic Communications Code was substantially reformed through the Digital Economy Act 2017. Ultimately consulting on infrastructure that is essential to connectivity and will ultimately be installed is seen as an unnecessary delay to the rollout of digital connectivity across the country. As a result, the powers available to the City Council to limit the ability of the statutory undertakers to install cabinets or make fundamental changes in its locations are extremely limited. If you have an issue, please contact the Telecommunication Company who is working in the area. More information can be found on One.Network.  

What is a service strip?

A service strip is an area of land between the road and your property and your property boundary that allows utility companies to serve your property. A service strip could be a grass verge, tarmac, concrete and/or block paving.

Service strips are owned by the local Highways Authority but are sometimes maintained by home owners and look like part of their garden, many homeowners don't even know they might have a service strip, but it is crucial for utility businesses to help provide services to your home.

Report

If you need to report a problem in relation to a road, pavement or street, you can do this by visiting the pages listed below:

Report a faulty manhole cover

If you see a missing or broken manhole cover or gulley grate please phone 0191 2787878 and ask for "Your Local Services" to report it.  We will inspect it as soon as possible, make the area safe and inform the relevant organisation.  For further information, please visit our Report a faulty manhole cover page.

Report a problem with a road or pothole

We are responsible for inspecting, repairing and maintaining all public roads in Newcastle. If you report a problem, we will inspect the area as soon as possible. For further information on how to report a problem, please visit our Report a problem with a road or pothole page.

Report a problem with traffic lights or crossings

We provide a 24 hours per day, 365 days a year maintenance service. We currently attend 98% of all reported traffic signal faults within 2 hours of receipt. For further information on how to report a problem, please visit our Report a problem with traffic lights or crossings page.

Report abnormal load

If you intend to move an abnormal load or need advice concerning the movement of loads in Newcastle upon Tyne, please contact Your Local Services on 0191 278 7878 and ask for ‘abnormal loads’. For further information, please visit our Report abnormal load page.

Report damage to a retaining wall

We maintain and repair walls that support the structure of the highway, called highway retaining walls. For examples of retaining walls and how to report damage, please visit our Report damage to a retaining wall page.

Report a problem with a pavement

Pavements are inspected on a regular basis depending on their location. From these inspections, we get technical information which tells us which pavements need to be repaired. For information on how to report a problem with a pavement, please visit our Report a problem with a pavement page.

Report blocked gullies or incidents of surface water flooding

Newcastle City Council maintains the highway network, trying to keep the roads and pavements free of surface water that might cause an obstruction or hazard. Reports from residents and businesses on local incidents can be a big help. Report blocked gullies or incidents of surface water flooding to Your Local Services online or telephone 0191 278 7878. For more general flooding advice, please visit our Flood Management page.

Report a problem with Street Lighting

If you are having problems with Street lighting in Newcastle, you can report this with our partners at SSE Enterprise.

Report a problem with a bridge or highway structure

If you would like to report a problem on a bridge or other highway structure (footbridges, subways, retaining walls and culverts), please contact Your Local Services by:

•  Phone: 0191 278 7878 and ask for Bridges.
• Complete our online reporting and tracking form. 
• Text the word 'Roads' followed by your query to 80800.

If you want to report a problem found on the bridges across the Tyne, please use the contact phone numbers on our Report a problem with a bridge or highway structure page.

If the problem you are trying to report is not in the list below, please phone 0191 278 7878 and ask for ''Your Local Services'' to report it.