A BROADBAND company faces a five-figure court bill for flouting the rules during work on two sites.

Jurassic Fibre Ltd was pleaded guilty to three offences after it was prosecuted by Somerset County Council.

The case at North Somerset Magistrates' Court returned guilty verdicts against Jurassic for:

  • failing to install traffic management to ensure pedestrian safety while carrying out street works at North End, Creech St Michael, on June 18 last year. It was fined £2,000 on that count;
  • blocking a cycle path and pedestrian footway and thus posing a danger to all those affected by street works at Taunton Road, Wellington, on December 1 last year. It was fined £3,000 on that charge;
  • carrying out the above works in Wellington without a valid or deemed permit, for which it was fined £3,000.

As well as the £8,000 overall total of fines, Jurassic Fibre was his with a £4,500 costs bill and a £190 victim surcharge.

In passing sentence, the court accepted in mitigation that:

  • Jurassic Fibre was a new company, not only to the area but to the service and operation pertaining to the sector of street works;
  • the company carries out a large amount of work around the country;
  • this particular occasion was of an isolated nature and that it was the first prosecution of the company in the county;
  • the company was of previous good character;
  • the company has taken steps to address these failings;
  • and that the company had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

Somerset County Council’s lead member for transport and digital, Cllr Mike Rigby, said: “As a local authority, we are responsible for implementing our statutory duty to prevent the public from unlawful and unsafe street works.

“It is vitally important to hold companies to account and uphold the relevant safety standards and provide information to the highways authority.

"We cannot allow instances where utilities carry out works without obtaining a valid permit, if this happens, we expect suppliers to feel the full force of the law.”

Somerset County Council brought the prosecution in its role as the authority responsible for managing the road network and its commitment to minimising disruption and keeping the public safe.