19.—(1) A street authority shall use its best endeavours to co-ordinate the execution of works of all kinds (including works for road purposes) in the streets for which it is responsible—
(a)in the interests of safety,
(b)to minimise the inconvenience to persons using the street (having regard, in particular, to the needs of people with a disability), and
(c)to protect the structure of the street and the integrity of apparatus in it.
(2) That duty extends to co-ordination with other street authorities where works in a street for which one authority is responsible affect streets for which other authorities are responsible.
(3) The Department shall issue or approve for the purposes of this Article codes of practice giving practical guidance as to the matters mentioned above; and in discharging their general duty of co-ordination street managers shall have regard to any such code of practice.
(4) If it appears to the Department that street managers are not properly discharging their general duty of co-ordination, the Department may direct the street managers to supply it with such information as the Department considers necessary to enable the Department to decide whether that is the case and if so what action to take.
The direction shall specify the information to be provided and the period within which it is to be provided.
(5) If after the end of that period (whether or not the direction has been complied with) it appears to the Department that the street managers are not properly discharging their general duty of co-ordination, the Department may direct the street managers to take such steps as the Department considers appropriate for the purpose of discharging duty.
The direction shall specify the steps to be taken and the period within which they are to be taken, and may include a requirement to make a report or periodic reports to the Department as to what steps have been taken and the results of taking them.
(6) A direction under this Article may be varied or revoked by a further direction.