An extremely well attended seminar & workshop at Fulham Palace on the 4th of October, chaired by Bob Hetherington from LB Bromley heard a number of speakers from the area groups giving their account on Co-ordination, Inspection and Reinstatement of street works. The delegates also heard from Bob on Section 74 and the proposed changes to the Code of Practice. All the presentations were interesting, entertaining and provoked numerous questions during the q & a session that ended the mornings proceedings.

(The link below connects to the presentations, some are quite large and may take some time to down load.)

The main message to come from the day was that the:

• SU's should shoulder their responsibilities

• HA's need to have their teeth sharpened and

• That particular major telecom company should rethink it's policy of "meet in court first, never on the highway!"

Co-ordination

• What are major works?

• [ major to us---emergency to SU's]

• Su's say ring Council, Public expect HA to know everything.

• The message is not getting through to the front line staff. The wrong people attend meetings.

Inspection & Communication

• We are given the wrong information.

• Non attendance at meetings

• SU's must take ownership & responsibility

• Courtesy boards are inadequate or not used.

• Sect 74 adds teeth to HA

• HA's must make use of the Regulator.

Reinstatement

• Welcome Sect 74

• (Need for training and technical advice)

• LA's should return to doing reinstatement

• Need to rationalise specs

• Need for co-ordinated intervention levels.