Road opening licence

A private company wishing to open the public highway for any reason, must obtain a road opening licence, (known as a section 50 or section 171/174 licence depending on the works to be carried out), in the name of the owner of the apparatus being installed.

Examples of a Section 50 Licence:

• New sewer connection

• New connection to gas main

Examples of a Section 171/174 Licence:

• Repair to cable

• Repair to sewer connection

• Dropped crossing

Eligibility criteria:

• Contractors accredited under the New Roads & Street Works Act 1991 can apply for this licence.

Required documentation:

• Evidence of £10 million Public Liability Insurance policy

• Evidence of Contractor's accreditation under the New Roads & Street Works Act 1991.
  No less than one supervisor and one operative's details will be accepted

• A site plan, to scale, showing the location of the proposed works

• Traffic Management Plan complying with Chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual and related Codes of Practice

• Evidence of permission to connect to Utility’s plant/apparatus (if applicable)

• Fees will be applicable and conditions attached

Fees:

• Licence fee £195.00

• Fee for manual notices £26.00

• Inspection Fee (4 x inspections @ £52.50 each) £210.00

• Deposit £78.00 per m² of reinstatement (minimum deposit £520.00)

Cheques payable to Southampton City Council

Applications:

To apply, please follow this link to our EU Service Directive page where you can learn more about the application process and download the application forms.