Severn Trent Water fined £56,000 for misuse of road closure powers

Severn Trent Water has been ordered to pay more than £56,000 for unnecessary disruption to the public on Shropshire Council’s highways network.

It’s due to misuse of the statutory powers that enable utilities companies to close a road for work classified as “emergency/urgent work” without prior planning or notification.

At Telford Magistrates Court on Monday 23 October [2023], Severn Trent pleaded guilty to 10 offences and must now pay a penalty of £37,600, plus costs and a victims’ surcharge – a total of £56,695.60.

The prosecution was brought by Shropshire Council.

The 10 offences related to work carried out across the Shropshire Council area including Ludlow between September 2022 and February 2023.

The court heard that these offences caused unwarranted inconvenience to the public and in some instances compromised public safety.