SSEN facing £60k fee for closing Oxford A40 slip road

Oxfordshire County Council has pledged “firm action” against Scottish and Southern Electricity Network for the closing an A40 slip road without street works permits being approved.

Having closed at Marston on July 7 and expected to remain shut until December 2027, the work has resulted in traffic disruption in nearby villages Elsfield and Woodeaton.

A40 slip road at Marston (Image: OCC)

As highways authority, the council has vowed to issue fines and other fees against the company for the unauthorised closure.

By failing to obtain the necessary permit and working outside the agreed statutory process, the council accused SSEN of preventing it from managing the wider impact of the roadworks to minimise disruption.

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Tim Bearder, leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “It’s completely unacceptable that they did this unilaterally and without agreement.

“We, as highways authority, need to agree and schedule roadworks in a planned and considered way and I will be challenging this company about why this happened.

“It has caused immense disruption to residents who have seen heavy goods vehicles, double decker buses and a huge amount of traffic diverted on to a single-track road through their tiny villages.

A40 slip road at Marston (Image: OCC)

“This must not happen again, and we will be making that perfectly clear to the utility company involved while also making sure that this work is completed as soon as possible.”

Oxfordshire County Council has taken formal enforcement action in relation to the permit breach.

A fixed penalty notice has been issued in accordance with national regulations – the highest level of penalty ordinarily available for this category of permit offence.

In May, the council’s lane rental scheme came into force – a system which allows it to charge companies up to £2,500 per day for working on the busiest roads at peak traffic times.

As the work took place on a designated lane rental road during periods where charging applies, the firm is now facing fees of around £60,000.

Council officers will continue discussions with SSEN to ensure that “appropriate improvements” are made and that a similar situation does not arise again.

SSEN has been approached for a comment.

It is understood the company has acknowledged that the business undertook work without a permit.

Workmen have been tasked with replacing overhead lines with underground cable to improve supply reliability.