Contractors fined for road disruptions near Bracknell Tesco

Drivers have faced delays to their journeys recently due to roadworks at the Whitegrove Roundabout in Warfield.

The roundabout serves as the junction of Harvest Ride, Maize Lane, Gough’s Lane and County Lane which leads to the Warfield Tesco Superstore.

Work on the roundabout has been undertaken by contractors for internet company CityFibre, which is undertaking a £20 million project to upgrade digital infrastructure in Bracknell Forest.

CityFibre has been hit with a fine for unauthorised works at the roundabout, which was revealed at a full council meeting of Bracknell Forest Council on Wednesday, January 11.

READ MORE: Concerns raised over unauthorised roadworks near Bracknell Tesco

The news was given after councillor Robert McLean (Conservative, Warfield Harvest Ride) asked what steps the council is taking to prevent unauthorised and disruptive roadworks from occurring.

He also asked the council to make sure fines are ‘commensurate’ to the inconvenience they cause.

Councillor Chris Turrell (Conservative, Harmans Water) executive member for transport, said: “During December 2022, the period to which this question relates, there were two incidents of unauthorised access to the public highway by contractors in the Warfield area.

“One case involved a fibre-optic telecommunications provider operating without a valid permit and the other was a Council contractor who failed to update their application for re-programmed work.

“A Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) was issued in both cases.”

The identity of the council contractor and the location of those works was not made clear.

The Whitegrove roundabout. Credit: Google Maps

Cllr Turrell said roadworks in Bracknell Forest are approved via a Street Works Permit Scheme.

If any work takes place that is not approved, or they breach conditions of permits, companies are liable for fines.

Pre-pandemic the council processed approximately 6,500 permits per year, which has risen to around 8,500 due to internet installation work.

The council issued 138 FPNs in 2021/22.

Fines for unauthorised or non-compliant roadworks averaged £64,000 annually in the four years to 31 March 2022, and have been £78,000 between 1 April and 31 December 2022.

Neil Madle, CityFibre’s area manager for Bracknell, said: “We endeavour to manage disruption as best we can and to limit the period of time we stay in each of our build areas, with agreed permits in place.

“As is the often case with major infrastructure projects of this kind, the duration of planned works can vary depending on the unique environment of each street.

“The works near Whitegrove Roundabout took longer than anticipated due to the discovery of very thick tarmac in the area, which resulted in a difficult dig. This caused a slight overrun on our agreed permit.

“On the occasion that this happens, our teams continue to work closely with our build team and all stakeholders to ensure the situation is resolved quickly and efficiently.

“CityFibre is investing £20m to transform Bracknell’s digital infrastructure and bring next generation full fibre connectivity to almost every home and business in the town.

“We are extremely grateful for the support we’ve received from the wider community to date and would like to thank residents for their patience as we deliver this essential upgrade.”