Closed petition: No More Patchwork Paving: Change the resurfacing rules for utility companies.

Closed on 2 January 2026

Amend the law to require utility companies to fully resurface, at their own cost, the entire width of the pavement/road rather than just the strip they dug up. Local authorities can be left liable for repairs or injury compensation after the post-works guarantee period has elapsed.

There is research suggesting that 31% of older adults are prevented from walking on their local streets because of uneven pavements and that 48% of older adults would walk more if pavements were better maintained.

The Government estimated in 2022 that a hole is dug every seven seconds to access the 4 million km of pipes, cables, and sewers buried underground, causing an estimated 60,000 accidents with direct and indirect costs of around £2.4 billion a year.