£3m in fines for utility firms as councils dig in over road chaos

The prosecutions were brought by 10 London councils after gas, electricity, telephone and water companies failed to meet deadlines to finish works.

Enfield council alone collected nearly £600,000, according to an Evening Standard poll of local authorities. Haringey and Camden councils both collected around £500,000. London-wide, the total fines issued last year will be even higher.

Enfield councillor Terry Neville said his borough had spent the money on road and pavement repairs.

"As a council we have been tough on the utility companies who have not completed their works on time," he said.

"Londoners are sick at the sight of roadworks. Although most of them need to be carried out, the utilities need to accept that they should ensure works are done on time and effectively."

Councils are by law allowed to fine utility firms up to £2,000 a day for failing to complete approved roadworks within pre-agreed timeframes, depending on how disruptive the delay is to road users.

Firms that are regularly fined for failing to get work done on time include Thames Water, National Grid and EDF Energy.

Transport for London, which is responsible for main roads across the capital, is also clamping down on late-running road- works. Last month, it mounted its first prosecution of Thames Water at Westminster magistrates' court for failing to issue adequate warnings before it proceeded to dig up Earl's Court Road and Vauxhall Bridge Road - and then breaching safety rules when it did so. The company was fined £8,500 with £6,500 costs.

A spokesman for the National Joint Utilities Group, which represents the companies, pointed out that half of all roadworks were carried out by local authorities.

He said: "Every effort is being made by members to minimise disruption. Measures include advance co-ordination of works and new technologies to reduce the excavation size and durations of works."

Thames Water said: "Thames Water is undertaking a massive upgrade programme to improve both our clean water and sewer network, which inevitably has resulted in an increase in streetworks. Over 97 per cent of all our streetworks are carried out to schedule."

EDF declined to comment.

FINES BY BOROUGH

Enfield - £582,650
Camden - £480,000
Hackney - £350,000
Hammersmith & Fulham - £236,050
Haringey - £500,000
Hounslow - £17,900
Islington - £61,250
Kensington and Chelsea - £285,000
Wandsworth - £216,550
Westminster - £70,700