Residents are growing increasingly frustrated by repeated roadworks as utility companies dig up the same streets multiple times. Now, MPs are calling for tougher rules to tackle the disruption.

“Bedford Road’s been dug up time and again like it’s Groundhog Day,” said Alex Mayer MP, whose cross-party Transport Committee is recommending action through its latest report, Managing the Impact of Street Works.

The report highlights poor coordination between councils and utility companies including broadband, gas and water providers, and calls for tighter oversight over when and how works are carried out.

“When residents see the same patch of road dug up again and again it’s frustrating and disruptive. It’s also bad economics as each time a road is dug up it becomes more susceptible to potholes. And the last thing we need is any more of them. Much of it could be avoided with better planning and coordination” said Alex Mayer.

The local MP pushed for a specific recommendation around new housing estates and says she is pleased this has been formally adopted by the Committee.

The Committee calls on the Government to require housing developers and utility companies to share plans and timelines for installation of utility infrastructure to new housing developments earlier, and set out guidance to minimise transport disruption from such works.

Other recommendations include extending the guarantee period on utility repairs from two to five years, so councils aren’t left with the cost of failed patch-ups; charging utility companies by the day to speed up works and tightening controls on last-minute road closures.

Ms Mayer added:

“These are all practical steps to cut disruption and get our roads moving again – so whether it's drivers, bus passengers, cyclists or pedestrians, people across Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Houghton Regis and the villages aren’t left paying the price for poor planning.”

Street works refers to when utility companies dig up roads to install or repair pipes and cables – for things like gas, water, electricity or broadband. It is different to ‘road works’ - maintaining roads such as by filling potholes.