Roadworks round here are finishing quicker, about 2.8 days on average instead of 3.9 Roadworks in Cumberland now last 2.8 days on average, down from 3.9, council review finds

The council's checked how its roadworks permits are doing. Jobs are taking 2.8 days on average instead of 3.9, and roadworks are taking up 28% less time on our roads overall.

This one's for drivers, bus users and anybody in Cumberland who's sat at temporary lights wondering who decides when the road gets dug up.

On Thursday 22 October the council's highways board looked at how its roadworks permit scheme is going. The idea is that utility firms and anyone else who wants to dig up a road has to get a permit from the council first. That way the council can decide when the work happens, get jobs done at the same time, and keep the road blocked for as short a time as possible.

The review, covering 2023 to 2026, found jobs now take 2.8 days on average, down from 3.9. Altogether, roadworks took up 15,516 fewer days on the roads, a drop of 28%. There were more utility jobs than expected too, about 12,391 a year. There were also more planned small jobs and fewer emergency ones, which the council says makes it easier to line things up.

Cumberland Council took over from the old county council on 1 April 2023, and its own permit scheme kicked in on 1 April 2025.

Councillor Denise Rollo, who looks after roads and transport, said: "Road and street works are sometimes unavoidable, but it is important that they are planned and coordinated as effectively as possible to minimise disruption."

The council says it'll keep an eye on permit numbers, staffing and the fees coming in so the scheme keeps working.

What you can do: before you set off, check the roadworks map linked from the Cumberland Council website for planned works and closures. If a job's been left with nobody working, the signs are wrong, or it's running over, ring the Highways Hotline on 0300 373 3736 or report it on the council website, with the street and the name of the firm on the signs.

A review of Cumberland Council's roadworks permit scheme, heard by its highways board on 22 October, found the average length of works fell from 3.9 days to 2.8 days, and the total time works took up the roads fell by 28%.

This is for drivers, bus users and anyone in Cumberland who has sat at temporary lights and wondered who decides when the road gets dug up.

A review of the council's roadworks permit scheme went to its Highways and Transport Strategic Board on Thursday 22 October. Under the scheme, utility companies and others who want to dig up a road must get a permit from the council, which lets it decide when work happens, line jobs up together and limit how long a road is occupied.

The review, covering 2023 to 2026, found the average length of works fell from 3.9 days to 2.8 days. The total time that works took up the highway network fell by 15,516 days, a drop of 28%. Utility works were higher than first forecast, averaging 12,391 jobs a year. The review also found more planned minor works and fewer urgent ones, which the council says gives it more chance to coordinate.

Cumberland Council became a unitary authority on 1 April 2023 and its own permit scheme, replacing the old Cumbria County Council one, came into operation on 1 April 2025.

Councillor Denise Rollo, the council's executive member for sustainable, resilient and connected places, said: "Road and street works are sometimes unavoidable, but it is important that they are planned and coordinated as effectively as possible to minimise disruption."

The council says it will keep monitoring permit applications, staffing and fee income to keep the scheme properly resourced.

What you can do: before a journey, check planned roadworks and closures on the roadworks map linked from Cumberland Council's website. If works are left unattended, signs are wrong, or a job overruns, report it to the Highways Hotline on 0300 373 3736 or through the council's website, giving the street and the name of the company on the signs.