Yorkshire Common Permit Scheme For Road Works Street

Yorkshire Common Permit Scheme For Road Works & Street Works YCPS

Agenda • Welcome & Introductions. • Domestic Arrangements. • Presentation. • Comfort Break. • Presentation Continued. Please ask questions at any point throughout. YCPS

What We Will Be Covering • Permit Scheme Overview. • Permit Activity Categories. • Permit Application. • Information Requirements. • Permit Conditions. • Permit Variations. • Transitional Arrangements. • Performance Monitoring. YCPS

Introduction to Permit Schemes Permit schemes were introduced by Part 3 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 (TMA) to improve authorities’ abilities to minimise disruption from street and highway works. Permit Schemes provide a new way to manage activities in certain streets in the Public Highway. YCPS

Introduction to Permit Scheme • In permit streets, instead of informing a Street Authority about their intentions to carry out works in the area, all works promoters will need to obtain a permit for their works. • Permit schemes provide a change to the ‘Notification System’ under the New Roads and Street Works Act, 1991 (NRSWA). YCPS

Members of the Yorkshire Common Permit Scheme Phase I Implementation Phase II Implementation 12 th June 2012 2013 • Barnsley MBC • Bradford MDC • Doncaster MBC • Calderdale Council • Kirklees Council • Wakefield Council • Leeds City Council • Rotherham MBC • Sheffield City Council YCPS

Scheme Purpose and Objectives • To reduce delay and disruption to travelling public. • Focus on the busier parts of the network. • To save traffic congestion and reduce vehicle operating costs. • To enable improved LA coordination and control of works on highway. • To demonstrate parity. YCPS

Elements in Common with the NRSWA Notice System • Registered Activities / Works. • Categories of Activities / Works (Major, Standard, Minor and Immediate). • Street Gazetteers, including street references, by means of Unique Street Reference Numbers (USRN) and Additional Street Data (ASD). • Streets designated as protected, having special engineering difficulty or traffic sensitivity. YCPS

Key Points of Permits • A permit is only valid for the period of time stated on the permit. • The start and end dates will be in calendar days, even though many aspects of the scheme will operate on working days. • Where a permit allows weekend and Bank Holiday work, then the permit start and end dates will accommodate that. • A late start on site means duration lost. The end date cannot be ‘stretched’ without an approved variation. • No Permit No Work YCPS

Working Day NRSWA Section 98(2) For the purposes of administration of the Permit Scheme ‘Working Day’ means a day other than a Saturday or Sunday, Christmas Day or Bank Holiday; and for the purpose of this permit scheme, a working day will be treated as 08: 00 to 16: 30 YCPS

Streets Covered The scheme will cover all streets which are: • Reinstatement Categories 0, 1 or 2 • Traffic Sensitive Streets • Protected Streets • On Average 25% of road network YCPS

Exclusions from The Scheme (NRSWA Notices only) • Trunk roads and motorways, for which the Highways Agency is the Highway Authority. • Private streets. • Category 3 or 4 streets that are not Traffic sensitive. • On Average 75% of road network. YCPS

What Activities Need A Permit? • Registerable activities that involve the breaking up or resurfacing of any street in Cat. 0, 1 and 2 roads or Traffic Sensitive, or Protected streets, at any time. • All activities that involve the opening of the carriageway of Cat. 0, 1 or 2 roads, or Traffic Sensitive streets, or cycleways at Traffic Sensitive times. YCPS

What Activities Need a Permit? • All activities that require any form of temporary traffic control. • All noticeable activities that reduce the number of lanes available on a carriageway of three or more lanes. • All activities that require a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order, or Notice, or the suspension of pedestrian crossing facilities. YCPS

What Activities Need A Permit? • All activities that require a reduction in width of the existing carriageway of a traffic sensitive street at a traffic sensitive time. • Pole testing which involves excavation, and any reinstatement following pole testing, whether it involves any of the above criteria or not. YCPS

What Activities DON’T Need A Permit? Non registerable activities: • Traffic Census surveys. • Pole testing which does not involve excavation. • Road-marking works that are not part of other works, providing the ‘Registered Criteria’ do not apply. • Works on Cat. 3 and 4 streets which are not Traffic Sensitive at any time or in any part. YCPS

Permit Fees YCPS

Permit Activity Categories YCPS

Activity Categories Major Activities • Those works which have been identified or planned as part of a programme. • Works requiring a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (Not a Temporary Traffic Notice). • Works having a duration of 11 working days or more. YCPS

Activity Categories Standard Activities • Works other than ‘major’ or ‘immediate’ that have a planned duration of between 4 and 10 working days inclusive. YCPS

Activity Categories Minor Activities • Works other than ‘major’ or ‘immediate’ that have a planned duration of 3 working days or less. YCPS

Activity Categories Immediate Activities Emergency Works • Required to end or prevent circumstances existing or imminent which can cause damage to people or property. Urgent Activities – (Not being Emergency Works) • To avoid substantial loss to the promoter. • To prevent unplanned interruption to service. • To re-connect supplies or services where the promoter will be under civil or criminal liability if delayed. • Includes works that cannot be unreasonably severed. YCPS

Permit Applications YCPS

Requirements for a Permit Any activity promoter who wishes to carry out any activity requiring registration in a permit street must obtain a permit from the Permit Authority. The permit allows the promoter to carry out the specified activity: • At the specified location. • For a specific duration between the start and end dates shown. • Subject to any conditions which are specified, or agreed, by the promoter in the application. YCPS

Method of Making Permit Applications • Permit applications should be made via ETo. N (Where this is not possible, due to system failure, they may be made via alternative methods like fax, email or hand delivery. ) • Applications must comply with the technical specification for ETo. N. YCPS

Timing of Applications • The time period is measured from the time of receipt of the application by the Permit Authority. Major activities: • These require a Provisional Advanced Authorisation (PAA) at least three months in advance of the activity and; • A Permit Application at least ten working days before the activity is proposed to start. YCPS

Provisional Advanced Authorisation • Advanced authorisation is to be sought at least 3 months before start of Major activities. • A Provisional Advanced Authorisation (PAA) is an early provisional permit issued before the final details of an activity have been established. A PAA effectively ‘books’ the road space and ensures that others will not obtain a permit for conflicting planned works. YCPS

Timing of Applications Standard activities: Permit application required a minimum of ten working days before the proposed start date. Minor activities: Permit application required at least three working days before the proposed start date. Immediate activities: Permit application required within two hours of the works commencing (for out-of-hours, within 2 hours of the start of the following working day). YCPS

Timing of Applications Noticing V Permit Section 54 Provisional Advanced Authorisation Section 55 Permit Application Revised Duration Permit Variation Immediate works (2 hrs after) Permit Application Actual Start/Works Stop Registration YCPS Actual Start/Works Stop Registration

Application and Response Times YCPS

Information Requirements YCPS

Information Required • • • Unique Permit Reference Number – System generated Description of Activity Location Timing and Duration Illustration Technique to be used for Underground Activities YCPS

Information Required • • • Traffic Management and Traffic Regulation Orders Depth (Range of depth) Reinstatement Type Inspection Units Contact Person Early Starts YCPS

Permit Conditions YCPS

Permit Conditions Regulations provide provisions for permit authorities to attach conditions to permits and specify the types of conditions which may be attached. They may also specify certain conditions which apply to works before a permit is obtained i. e. for immediate activities YCPS

Permit Conditions The range of conditions that can be applied to permits will fall under the following categories: • • Timing and duration of activity Road space Traffic management provisions Methodology for carrying out activities Consultation and publicity Environmental conditions Supplementary and local conditions: e. g. provision for vulnerable people • Special publicity • Immediate activities YCPS

Timing and Duration • Start and end dates (calendar days). • Bank Holidays, weekend, out of hours working should be specified. • For Traffic Sensitive Streets – include times of day activities are to be carried out. YCPS

Road Space • The amount of space that can be used in the street during works. • In some locations a condition may be required by the Permit Authority to prevent materials and plant being stored on site. • In some locations the available space for the movement of pedestrians may have to be specified. YCPS

Traffic Management Provisions • Promoter must submit Traffic Management proposals - e. g. closure, one-way, temp. signals, width restriction, lane closure, parking restrictions. • Changes during the course of the works to be explained. • May require conditions to notify Authority before change brought in. YCPS

Methodology of Carrying Out Activities • Seek to use minimum dig technology wherever possible. • Permit Authority may require special provisions – which may be agreed following discussions. YCPS

Consultation and Publicity For all works, it is a requirement that the permit reference number, when issued, must be prominently displayed on the site information board at all times. Where planned activities have the potential to be especially disruptive to local residents, businesses and/or road users, Permit Authorities can request a condition requiring the promoter to provide advanced notice to nearby householders or businesses, or to drivers or pedestrians using the road. YCPS

Environmental Conditions • Activity promoters must contact relevant council environmental health teams if proposing planned ‘out of hours’ work. That is, outside of 8 am – 6 pm, Monday – Friday, and 8 am – 1 pm on Saturday (section 60: Control of Pollution Act, 1974). • Conditions may be required to protect residents, as well as people working, and schools close to proposed activities. Information needs to be requested asap to enable inclusion in permit application. YCPS

Environmental Conditions • Conditions may be needed where there is a concern about maintaining the site in a clean and tidy condition, including removal of any spillage of materials on the public highway during completion of the works. • Where trees will be affected by activities, promoters must contact the Authority’s Arboriculture Officers. YCPS

Possible Local Conditions • Updated information boards situated around work site. • Stone cutting equipment to be used with dust suppression measures, i. e. water facility. • Where special materials are identified, works promoter must contact Highway Authority engineers. • New materials to be replaced like-for-like. • Works to be restricted in narrow roads on days of refuse collection. YCPS

Permit Compliance Inspections • Permit compliance inspections may be made at the Permit Authority’s own expense. • Breach of conditions is an offence for which an FPN may be given. YCPS

Permit Variations YCPS

Permit Variations Changing circumstances, for either an activity promoter or for the Permit Authority, may require permits and/or the conditions attached to them to be varied. YCPS

Permit Variations (incl. extensions of duration) • Prior discussion recommended if potentially contentious. • Application as soon as possible when known that any of the permit conditions may be breached. • If 2 days, or more than 20% of duration left – apply via ETo. N. • If less than 2 days, or 20% - telephone, then ETo. N. YCPS

Permit Variations • The Permit Authority must respond within 2 working days. Otherwise, the variation is deemed to be granted • Section 74 charges may still be considered, even if permit variation agreed, if ‘reasonable period’ exceeded • Authority imposed variation – no fee YCPS

Early Starts • When an early start has been agreed after a permit application has been approved or deemed, the Promoter shall submit an application for a variation to the permit. • Follow agreed early starts process document. YCPS

Revocation / Cancellation • No mechanism, nationally, formally suspending or postponing a permit, only for varying or revoking one. • If need for a revocation due to the promoter failing to comply with the permit conditions, Authority may use provisions to clear the street • If promoter wishes to cancel a permit, MUST use the Cancellation Not provided via ETo. N. • No charge for a cancellation Notice. YCPS

Transitional Arrangements YCPS

Transitional Arrangements • The basic rules of transition will apply on all roads where the permit scheme operates. • The permit regime will apply to all activities where the administrative processes, such as application for a Permit or Provisional Advance Authorisation, start after the commencement date. • Activities which are planned to start on site more than one month after the changeover date (for standard, minor and immediate activities) or three months (for major activities) shall operate under the permit scheme. • Any other activities/works which started under the notices regime will continue under that regime until completion. YCPS

Transitional Arrangements Permit Go Live Date 3 month 1 month Standard, Minor Immediate Major Works raised prior to Change Over Date will be closed as notices only where they do not exceed the Transition windows above. • Standard, Minor and Immediate that start 1 month or more after change over date must be re-raised as a Permit • Major that starts in excess of 3 months from the change over date must be re-raised as a Permit YCPS

Performance Monitoring YCPS

Criminal Offences • It is a criminal offence for an undertaker or someone acting on its behalf to undertake works without a permit or breach of conditions. • The offence of working without a permit carries a maximum fine of level 5 on the standard scale. The FPN fee is £ 500, reduced to £ 300 if paid within 29 calendar days. • The offence of breaching a permit condition carries a maximum fine of level 3 on the standard scale. The FPN fee is £ 120 reduced to £ 80 If paid within 29 calendar days. YCPS

Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) • Offer undertaker an opportunity to discharge liability for noncompliance by paying a penalty amount; • FPN may not be given more than 91 calendar days after the act of non-compliance (beginning with the day on which the breach is committed); • If the undertaker fails to pay within the required period (36 days), the Authority may bring proceedings in Magistrates’ court. YCPS

Parity and Performance Monitoring • A requirement for permit schemes is to ensure that authorities apply a consistent approach to all activities and activity promoters, demonstrating parity of treatment. • Another requirement is to demonstrate the success of the permit scheme in meeting its objectives • Equality will be measured through KPIs. Permit Authorities will produce an annual set of KPIs that identify the treatment of individual promoters which will be published. • A series of measures designed to track delivery of the anticipated benefits will be established. These measures will be subject to periodic reviews (at least annually) in consultation with activity promoters. YCPS

Parity of Treatment (KPIs) • The number of permit and permit variation applications received, the number granted and the number refused. • The number of conditions applied by condition type. • The proportion of approved extensions. • The number of agreements to work in section 58 and section 58 A restrictions. • The percentage of PAA, permits and applications cancelled YCPS

Key Success Measures • Minimising delay and reducing disruption to road users arising from street and road works activity. • Reduction in remedial measures. • Better information for road users. • Improved compliance with the ‘Safety at Street Works and Road Works Code of Practice’. • Improved activity planning YCPS

Yorkshire Common Permit Scheme • • Initially Six Authorities change over 12 th June 2012 Three more may follow in 2013 Fundamental change in thinking Only part of the network – approximately 25% Obvious from ETo. N system Internal training on details of own systems Good luck Work together YCPS

Thank You – Any Questions YCPS