New Roads and Street Works Act 1991

83 Works for road purposes likely to affect apparatus in the street

(1) This section applies to works for road purposes other than major highway works (as to which see section 84 below).

(2) Where works to which this section applies are likely to affect apparatus in the street, the authority executing the works shall take all reasonably practicable steps—

(a) to give the person to whom the apparatus belongs reasonable facilities for monitoring the execution of the works, and

(b) to comply with any requirement made by him which is reasonably necessary for the protection of the apparatus or for securing access to it.

(3) An authority who fail to comply with subsection (2) commit an offence in respect of each failure and are liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

(4) In proceedings against an authority for such an offence it is a defence for them to show that the failure was attributable—

(a) to their not knowing the position, or not knowing of the existence, of a person’s apparatus, or

(b) to their not knowing the identity or address of the person to whom any apparatus belongs,

and that their ignorance was not due to any negligence on their part or to any failure to make inquiries which they ought reasonably to have made.