Section 56 Highway Maintenance Notices
I am writing to you to request information relating to notices issued under Section 56 of the Highways Act 1980 concerning the repair of highways maintainable at public expense. Specifically, I request the following information for each of the last five financial years (2020/21 - 2024/25 or most recent available): 1. VOLUME OF SECTION 56 NOTICES * The total number of Section 56 notices received by the authority in each financial year. 2. OUTCOME OF SECTION 56 NOTICES For each financial year, please provide a breakdown of outcomes for those notices, including: * Number of notices acknowledged but no further action taken * Number of notices that resulted in inspection and/or assessment only * Number of notices that resulted in remedial works / repairs being carried out * Number of notices that were rejected or deemed invalid 3. ESCALATION AND LEGAL ACTION For each financial year: * Number of cases where the complainant progressed to court action under Section 56 * Number of cases where the authority undertook repairs following court direction or prior to hearing * Number of cases where the authority successfully defended the claim 4. TIME TO RESOLUTION (IF RECORDED) If held, please provide: * Average time between receipt of a Section 56 notice and: o Inspection o Decision o Completion of any remedial works 5. POLICIES / GUIDANCE If available, please provide: * Any internal policy, guidance, or procedural documentation used by the authority in handling Section 56 notices. FORMAT REQUEST Please provide the information in Excel, CSV, or other machine-readable format where possible. PURPOSE OF REQUEST This request forms part of a broader national analysis into the use and effectiveness of statutory mechanisms available to the public for addressing highway defects. The findings will be used to better understand: * The volume and utilisation of Section 56 notices * The effectiveness of the process in triggering remedial action * The extent to which cases escalate to legal proceedings * Variations in approach between authorities