On 21 September 2026 the Department for Transport published a draft of the first full rewrite since 2013 of Safety at Street Works and Road Works: A Code of Practice, better known as the Red Book. The consultation is open until 14 December 2026.
If your teams sign, light and guard works on the highway, this will change how they set out sites.
What the draft covers
The draft brings in, or substantially changes:
- Minimum footway widths and temporary walkways, so pedestrians keep a safe, usable route past works
- A cycle-route hierarchy, setting out how cycle lanes and routes are kept open or diverted
- New definitions of hard and soft closures
- Requirements for vulnerable road users, including people with disabilities, older people and children
- Redrawn diagrams for site layouts
Who it affects
- Utility companies and their contractors carrying out street works under NRSWA
- Highway authorities and term contractors carrying out road works
- Anyone trained in Chapter 8 or the NRSWA signing, lighting and guarding unit, because both teach site layouts based on the code
What you should do now
- Nothing changes on site yet. The current Red Book still applies until the new code is adopted.
- Read the draft and respond if your work will be affected, particularly footway and cycle provision on busy urban sites.
- Plan a briefing. Once the new code is adopted, every carded operative and Chapter 8 trained team will need to know what changed.
How we will help
We are tracking the consultation. When the new code lands, we will run a short "what changed" briefing that you can roll out across your teams, online or at your depot, and every Chapter 8 and NRSWA course we deliver will teach the new layouts from day one.
Want to be told when the briefing is ready? Register your interest or call 0333 0523 003.