Utility company reinstatements are required to be undertaken in accordance with the Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Roads (SROR).
Since 1997, roads authorities across Scotland have undertaken coring of the bituminous bound layers of utility company reinstatements as part of their investigative regime.
In September 2011, RAUC(S) agreed that a minimum acceptable pass rate of 90% should be introduced for all future National Coring Programmes.
A Commissioner Direction was issued to all organisations on 23 January 2012 requiring all utility companies to achieve a pass rate of 90% during all future National Coring Programmes, so far as reasonably practical. This was reiterated in a Commissioner Good Practice Guide issued in January 2025.
National Coring Programme 2025
In 2023 RAUC(S) agreed that a further coring programme would be undertaken in 2025. Advice Note 3 has been reviewed by the National Coring working group endorsed by RAUC(S).
The 2025 programme will cover a 2% sample of utility company reinstatements undertaken between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025.
It is anticipated that the results will be published some time in 2026.
Six-year guarantee period
In line with the revised SROR, most reinstatements completed from 1 October 2024 are subject to a six-year guarantee period.