1. How many occupations can you have before the S278 works are completed?
Suddenly being told that you can’t sell any more of your onsite properties until the completion of the S278 works can prove incredibly costly.
Check the S278/S106/S38 agreements carefully before any works commence. Programme accordingly.
2. Are there any embargos on the roads?
Lots of roads have times when carrying out construction work is prohibited. Find out if there are any on that road at any point throughout the year. If there are, make note of them even if they are times that you’re not intending to be carrying out any construction work. Things change. Knowing where a programme can move and where it can’t is essential in any project.
3. Do you know the lead times on the licences you need?
Some licences have different notice periods depending on the type of works being carried out and their duration. A S171 licence for instance only requires a maximum ten day notice period (in some counties less) for works that will take ten days or less. Any works taking longer than ten days requires a 3 month notice period. Be sure of your lead times to allow your programme to run smoothly.
4. Who is responsible for obtaining licences?
If you will employ or are a principle contractor/contactor be sure it is made clear who is expected to obtain licences and be clear as to which ones are needed.
Once that has been established, if it’s not you doing it, check with whoever is, that the licences have been applied for/obtained before the dates necessary for the applications to go in taking into account necessary lead times.
5. Do you have the correct licences in place?
Having to stop a phase of works because the specific licence isn’t in place wastes time and money. Analyse all technical information and ensure that every aspect of the works is covered by a licence.
6. Has the S278/S106/S38 agreement been signed?
Without this no licences can be applied for and no works can commence on the public highway.
If it hasn’t been signed, enquire as to why and deal with any outstanding issues ASAP.
The main stumbling block tends to be gaining technical approval of the provisional drawings. Deal with any necessary changes quickly.
7. Have you met with the highways inspector on site?
If you haven’t, do so. Walk the site with them. Explain how you propose to carry out the works. Any input from a highways inspector at this point can prove to be incredibly valuable. Trouble shooting before works commence saves both time and money.
8. Will there be any conflict between works being carried out on site and works being carried out on the public highway?
The main things to consider are things that will block or shut entrances, but even things such as material deliveries and spoil removal must be considered carefully. Stopping for 20 minutes a day might not sound like much but over a 5 month project you’ve just lost 4 days.
Some things are simply unavoidable, but most are not. Even those things that are unavoidable, if programmed correctly, need not affect other areas of work.
9. Is the highway in a sensitive location?
There are many things that can make a location sensitive – schools, a busy route for motorists/pedestrians and emergency services stationed nearby are just a few. The usual result is restricted working hours/days.
Not being able to work after 6:30pm on a weekday or after 12pm on a Saturday is not such a problem, but if you can’t work on the highway before 9:30am and/or after 3pm on weekdays this is a different matter if it has not been factored in at an early stage.
10. Is the road space booked by another contractor and if so when?
This cannot be checked too early. Even though you can’t apply for a licence to work on the highway until the relevant S278/S106/S38 agreements are signed, you can check to see if any other contractor has booked the part of the highway that is relevant to you as well as the surrounding area. Some works result in no other works being able to be carried out on the same road even if it is not in your intended area of works and in some cases adjacent roads as well.
These are just 10 Things Check Before Carrying Out Works On The Public Highway! The full list is vast.
For anything from just professional advice to complete project management contact A&R Consultants on: 01803 469 979 or info@andr-civilengineering.co.uk