Highways Act 1980

230 Urgent repairs to private streets

(1) Where repairs are needed to obviate danger to traffic in a private street the street works authority may by notice require the owners of the premises fronting the street to execute, within such time as may be specified in the notice, such repairs as may be so specified.

(2) Where such repairs as are mentioned in subsection (1) above are needed in a part only of the street (other than a part extending for the whole of the length of the street), a requirement under that subsection shall be made only of the owners of the premises fronting the length of the street which constitutes or comprises that part.

(3) A person aggrieved by a requirement of a street works authority under this section may appeal to a magistrates' court.

(4) Subject to any order made on appeal and to subsection (5) below, if, within the time specified in a notice served under subsection (1) above, the repairs required thereby have not been executed, the authority may execute the repairs, and may recover the expenses reasonably incurred by them in so doing from the owners in default, the expenses being apportioned between those owners according to the extent to which their respective premises front the street.

(5) If, within the time so specified, the majority in number or rateable value of owners of premises in the street by notice require the street works authority to proceed in relation to the street under the private street works code, the street works authority shall so proceed, and on the completion of the necessary works shall forthwith declare the street to be a highway which for the purposes of this Act is a highway maintainable at the public expense; and thereupon the street shall become such a highway.

(6) Where a requirement under subsection (1) above has been made in respect of a part only of a street (other than a part extending for the whole of the length of the street), subsection (5) above has effect as if for references therein to the street there were substituted references to the length of the street which constitutes or comprises that part.

(7) Without prejudice to the foregoing provisions of this section or to any other enactment for the time being in force relating to private street works, the street works authority and also, in the cases mentioned below, the district council may, in any street that is not a highway maintainable at the public expense, execute such repairs as are in their opinion urgently required to prevent or remove danger to persons or vehicles in the street.

The cases in which the district council may act under this subsection are those in which the street concerned is a footpath, bridleway or any such road as is mentioned in section 42(2)(c) above (urban roads).

(8) The power of a district council under subsection (7) above is subject to Part I of Schedule 7 to this Act.