Openreach fined £5,800 after third conviction for unauthorised street works

At the hearing on Tuesday 3 November, magistrates fined Openreach £3,000 and ordered the company to pay a £1,200 victim surcharge and £1,600 in prosecution costs. The total £5,800 must be paid within 28 days.

The court took into account that this was Openreach’s third conviction, as well as the potential risk posed to pedestrians and the company’s failure to follow the correct procedures. Street works permits are an important part of how Wandsworth Council coordinates activity on Wandsworth’s roads, helping to keep works safe, minimise unnecessary disruption for residents and road users, and keep traffic moving. This reflects our wider focus on strong everyday services and better traffic management across the borough.

Openreach pleaded guilty to carrying out works on Clarendon Drive without the necessary permit. The telecommunications company had made two unsuccessful applications for permits for the works on Clarendon Drive before carrying them out on 24 April 2026.

Councillor Nick Austin, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “Everyone should have fair access to our streets and public spaces, whether they are walking to school, cycling to work, driving across the borough or simply getting around their neighbourhood.

“The rules are there to protect that access. Businesses do not get a free pass to ignore them any more than individuals do. Where poor behaviour creates unnecessary disruption or puts other people at risk, we will take action.

“This latest prosecution shows we are serious about holding companies to account. We will continue to use enforcement action where businesses and individuals fail to follow the rules, and their behaviour negatively affects others."

In related news, Wandsworth Council is laying out the latest transport progress and a range of new measures to tackle congestion, reduce disruption from roadworks and improve journeys in the borough.