Apply for a street works licence

If need to dig up or alter a public pavement or road to install or maintain things like cables and pipes, you may need to apply for a street works licence. This is  also known as a section 50 licence.

Section 50 licences and who should apply

Streets works licences are issued under Section 50 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (NRSWA).

Those organisations who need to apply for section 50 licences are those without a statutory right to install ‘apparatus’ in the highway, known as a statutory undertaker. 

Any organisation or individual that is not a statutory undertaker must apply for a licence from the relevant highway authority if it wants to:

• place, or to retain, apparatus in the street
• carry out any works required for, or incidental to, such works (including, in particular, breaking up or opening the street, or any sewer, drain or tunnel under it, or tunnelling or boring under the street)

We are the highway authority for Luton.

Apply for a Section 50 street works licence

We will refuse your application if the form if not fully completed. The also will mean that the 12 week noice period will start again. 

Application costs

The fee for the licence is £510, exempt from VAT.

We will charge an administration fee of £70 to cover administrative costs in the event of the works being cancelled after the application form has been submitted

We will charge an additional £70 administration fee for any variations or amendments to the issued licence. 

Bonds

A £1,000 bond is required for opening up to 5 square metres. 

Work in excess of 5 square metres requires an additional bond of £100 per additional square metre. 

The bond is returnable (two years) from registration) or (three years) if the excavation is more than 1.5m deep. 

This is subject to satisfactory reinstatement that complies with the Code of Practice Specification Reinstatement of Openings in the Highway third edition 2010.