Infrastructure is the backbone of the economy – vital to jobs, economic growth, and quality of life for people across the UK. That infrastructure drive has an effect on the relationships within the Street and Roads Works industry in terms of maintaining cost effective outcomes of works and maintaining asset access. The Diversionary Works Code provides information on the needs of the various undertakers and promoting authorities when confronted with the possibility of having to divert or take some other action in regard to undertakers' apparatus. Having provided such information, the Code then gives guidance on the planning of works to ensure that an optimum engineering solution is reached in which the total costs are minimised regardless of who pays. For these objectives to be achieved, there must be close co-operation and co-ordination between the promoting authority and undertaker and the need for this underpins all of the provisions of the Code

The National Infrastructure Strategy was delivered in an HM Treasury Report in November 2020 and it sets out the government’s intentions for the UK. Fairer, Faster, Greener is the strapline and it sets out the Government’s ambitions in driving investment and change within the UK.

Infrastructure underpins the economy. Transport, digital, energy and utility networks are vital for jobs, businesses, and economic growth. But they also have a profound impact on people’s daily lives. The government wants to deliver an infrastructure revolution: a radical improvement in the quality of the UK’s infrastructure to help level up the country, strengthen the Union, and put the UK on the path to net zero emissions by 2050. This Strategy sets out the government’s plans to deliver on this ambition. It is the first of its kind: rooted in the expert advice of the highly respected National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) and responding to its ground-breaking 2018 assessment of the country’s infrastructure needs. Infrastructure is long-term. Decisions taken today on new rail lines, power plants, or road upgrades, will affect lives and livelihoods for decades to come. But infrastructure investment also has an important short-term role to help support jobs and stimulate the economy. This Strategy brings together the government’s long-term goals with the short-term imperative to rebuild the economy following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Diversionary Works COP was first issued in June 1992 and has remain untouched since that date save for an industry advice note in 2010.

Underpinning everything is the notion that diversion only takes place when operational and technical constraints demand it. The current Code aims to stimulate thinking by all concerned to explore alternatives to diversion, and where diversion has to take place, to ensure that it is done in a disciplined way. The current Code also recommends model procedures for dealing with diversionary works from the early planning stages, right through to detailed planning and estimating, execution of works, and final settlement of bills.

The code as it stands is a potential risk in terms of Government strategy on infrastructure, it is outdated, misused and often misquoted. It is out of print and does not take cognisance of any new and emerging utilities and technologies.

The National Infrastructure Strategy was delivered in an HM Treasury Report in November 2020 and it sets out the government’s intentions for the UK. Fairer, Faster, Greener is the strapline and it sets out the Government’s ambitions in driving investment and change within the UK.
Infrastructure underpins the economy. Transport, digital, energy and utility networks are vital for jobs, businesses, and economic growth. But they also have a profound impact on people’s daily lives. The government wants to deliver an infrastructure revolution: a radical improvement in the quality of the UK’s infrastructure to help level up the country, strengthen the Union, and put the UK on the path to net zero emissions by 2050. This Strategy sets out the government’s plans to deliver on this ambition. It is the first of its kind: rooted in the expert advice of the highly respected National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) and responding to its ground-breaking 2018 assessment of the country’s infrastructure needs. Infrastructure is long-term. Decisions taken today on new rail lines, power plants, or road upgrades, will affect lives and livelihoods for decades to come. But infrastructure investment also has an important short-term role to help support jobs and stimulate the economy. This Strategy brings together the government’s long-term goals with the short-term imperative to rebuild the economy following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Diversionary Works COP was first issued in June 1992 and has remain untouched since that date save for an industry advice note in 2010.
Underpinning everything is the notion that diversion only takes place when operational and technical constraints demand it. The current Code aims to stimulate thinking by all concerned to explore alternatives to diversion, and where diversion has to take place, to ensure that it is done in a disciplined way. The current Code also recommends model procedures for dealing with diversionary works from the early planning stages, right through to detailed planning and estimating, execution of works, and final settlement of bills.
The code as it stands is a potential risk in terms of Government strategy on infrastructure, it is outdated, misused and often misquoted. It is out of print and does not take cognisance of any new and emerging utilities and technologies.

It is our intention to conduct the review in a transparent and inclusive way, working with the devolved governments in delivering a framework for change balancing the needs of asset owners, authority project delivery and public purse burdens. Ensuring the Code provides clarity, fairness and consistency for all parties involved in works. It is clear this is a sizeable task and completion may be 18 months in terms of an agreed document. That does not mean we are not going to do anything in the meantime as we are acutely aware of the need to ensure the infrastructure plans are not held back whilst a review takes place, that would make no sense. HAUC(UK) initial review plan would be too:

1. Set up a review task group from within the industry to deliver a review of the COP. Completed in April 2021.

2. Produce an electronic version of the existing code and together with the HAUC Advice note from 2010, circulate to the industry setting out the review plan and guiding all concerned to use the current document and asking for feed back from the industry as a way of getting buy in to the review and the desire to support the Infrastructure needs of the UK. Completed in July 2021

3. Review Group to deliver a task plan setting out process and review milestones, including target review and COP publish date. Complete by October 2021