Works data: what it does and what's available
LiveRoad works data is a searchable record of street works permits in England, taken from the Department for Transport's Street Manager system. You can look up works around your own sites, watch for new ones, and download the results for your reports or GIS.
What it does
Search past and planned works
Filter by area, highway authority, street, operator, dates, status and permit size. Narrow to closures and contraflows only when that's all you care about.
Monitor your own sites
Upload a list of sites by postcode, latitude/longitude or British National Grid, each with its own cordon from 10 m to 20 km. Every result shows which site it is near and how far away.
Check for changes
Pull only what has changed since a given date, so a weekly or pre-completion check picks up new permits and restrictions without starting over.
Download or connect
Export to CSV, Excel, GeoJSON or JSON, up to 50,000 rows at a time. An API key lets your GIS or scripts pull the same data on a schedule.
Share with your clients
Consultancies and advisers can give each client their own login, limited to that client's site list.
Every row is traceable
Each record carries the Street Manager permit or works reference, so anything you report can be checked against the source.
Availability
| England | CoveredEvery highway authority in England that files permits in Street Manager, which covers all local authorities. |
|---|---|
| Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland | Not includedThese nations don't use Street Manager, so they're not in the works data. Ask us if you need them. |
| History | From July 2020Permits from July 2020 to the present, including works that have finished. |
| Freshness | Near real timeNew and changed permits arrive as Street Manager publishes them, usually within minutes. DfT's monthly archive is loaded as well to fill any gaps. |
| Section 58 restrictions | Live feedRestriction notices that stop further street works on a road after major works. These come from the live feed, so they aren't in the July 2020 history. If you need to rule one out for an earlier date, ask us. |
| Actual start and finish | Where reportedOperators report actual start and stop dates on roughly half of permits. Where they don't, you get the planned dates only. |
| Cancelled, revoked and refused permits | MarkedShown with their status rather than removed, so you can see what was applied for and didn't go ahead. |
What's in each record
- Permit or works reference
- Operator or contractor
- Highway authority
- Work type
- Street
- Planned start, end and duration
- Actual start, end and duration
- Status
- Traffic management
- Permit category (major, standard, minor, immediate)
- Latitude and longitude
- Easting and northing (British National Grid)
- Works shape and length
- Last updated
- Link to the works on the LiveRoad map
- For site searches: your site reference, name and distance
What the statuses mean
- Planned
- The planned start date hasn't arrived and nothing has been reported.
- In progress
- The operator reported a start and no stop yet, or today falls within the planned dates. Works that started and run past their planned end stay in progress for up to 30 days.
- Completed
- The operator reported that the works stopped. This is confirmed.
- Ended (planned)
- The planned end date has passed and no stop was reported. The works are probably finished, but the operator hasn't confirmed it.
- Cancelled
- The permit was cancelled, revoked or refused.
Good to know
- This is permit data. It shows what was applied for and reported in Street Manager. It is not a local authority search and doesn't replace one.
- Works carried out without a permit, or not yet filed, won't appear until they are.
- Source data is published by DfT under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Downloads include that attribution.
Getting access
Works data is a paid licence, priced by the number of sites and how you want to receive it. Tell us roughly how many sites or matters you check each month and where they are, and we'll set you up with a trial on your own sites.
Developers get an API guide with their key. LiveRoad is a 5 Rivers Labs product.