Challenge
Durham County Council is the unitary authority for County Durham in North East England. It is responsible for public services, including maintaining and repairing roads, drainage, street works, and highway inspections.
Durham County Council teams were losing valuable time waiting for underground asset information from multiple sources, delaying highways and excavation work. Different approaches across teams also made it harder to access and share the information needed to plan work efficiently and dig safely.
Solution
Durham County Council joined the NUAR pilot in 2023, giving teams instant access to a secure, standardised map of underground pipes and cables. Practical training helped drive adoption across highways and other teams involved in excavation work, with almost 150 active NUAR users at the council.
Result
NUAR has significantly reduced the time teams spend waiting for underground asset information, with some activities saving weeks of time. Faster access is helping teams to identify risks and constraints earlier, improving collaboration and planning, enabling quicker responses to enquiries, and supporting safer digging practices.