Contents

2.1 Pre-Application overview
2.2 Planning Application stage
2.3 Post-permission stage

2.3 Post-permission stage

Transport Development Management (TDM) works with developers, consultants, architects and engineers during all stages of development, from concept through the pre-application and planning process to construction and certification.

To make this effective our team includes town planners, transport planners and highway engineers, each of whom bring specialist expertise at each stage to ensure that development works are safe, accessible and constructed correctly.

These planning and engineering functions were brought together to deliver a consistent service.

Process

TDM fulfils the council's responsibility as technical approval and inspection authority for all developer-delivered works to new and existing highway.

To protect the public purse from future safety and maintenance liability, we insist that all works undertaken by developers are done so in accordance with the following process. These incorporate our design requirements and standard details, as confirmed in the Transport Development Management Guide(TDMG) Section 3 and covered by a legal agreement pursuant to the Highways Act 1980, most commonly referred to as section 278 agreements (for works to existing highway) and section 38 agreements (for the creation of new highway).

These processes have seven stages:

  1. Planning Condition Discharge
  2. Legal Process and Payment of Bond and Fees
  3. Technical Approval
  4. Construction and Inspection
  5. Partial Completion (section 38 agreements)
  6. Substantial Completion and Maintenance Period
  7. Final certification and adoption

This process ensures the timely and satisfactory delivery of highway works that conform with our minimum requirements for safety, adoption and maintenance.

You will find more information about our section 278 and section 38 processes within parts 2.3.2 and 2.3.3 of the TDMG, accessible to the right of this page. Of particular importance are the pdfHighway Design Checklist (pdf, 158 KB) and the docxSection 278 application form (docx, 611 KB), which we require developers, engineers to become familiar with. 

Central to this is obtaining design technical approval from TDM and the approval of works on site following inspection.

A bond or surety must be secured for all new highway works, along with the payment of our technical approval, supervision and inspection fees. 

Why we do this

We have an obligation to protect the public through ensuring works to our existing and future assets are carried out safely and under our supervision. 

Failure to follow these processes has in the past led to unapproved and therefore deficient highway excavations and works, which in the short-term have delayed development and in the medium-long term have resulted in the following problems, not all of which are immediately visible. 

  • Safety hazards - leading to personal injuries, collisions and damage to vehicles
  • Geometry - inadequate widths resulting in damage to footways and landscaping
  • Carriageway defects - uneven or incorrectly laid / mixed surfaces
  • Incorrect materials - resulting in structural failures reducing the lifespan of the asset 
  • Drainage issues - resulting in pooling, flooding and water damage
  • Signage and lining - missing signs or road markings resulting in confusion or illegibility
  • Obstructions -  poorly placed street furniture and blockages to visibility and movement
  • Lighting - incorrect specification or positioning leading to dark spots
  • Parking - poorly located or sized parking leading to footway damage / visibility issues
  • Gradient - inaccessible environments or risk of vehicle skidding in freezing conditions
  • Structures - undermined highway stability resulting from unapproved excavation works

In each case, and depending upon when these matters are picked up, the above situations can result in considerable additional costs to both the developer as well as the council. This can result in the need for removal and reconstruction of works, or through future liability to the public purse.  

We will raise any of these issues as soon as we are aware of them, whether this is at concept / pre-application stage, during the course of an application or at the post-permission stage. This is reliant on the quality and detail of the information, designs and supporting information we receive.

No time is too early to raise these matters. The greater the level of detail provided early on in the process, the greater the chance you have of benefiting from a swift approval, inspection and certification process, and, most importantly, the completion of safe and reliable infrastructure to serve the occupiers of your development.

At the pre-application stage we strongly advise you to refer to pdfTDMG section 2.1.4 (pdf, 2.19 MB) and the section headed Existing Site Constraints section so that any challenging issues are addressed head-on and in so doing avoiding future pitfalls which add time and cost to a project.

We will not agree or certify engineering works which would either fail to meet our construction standards, result in a safety problem or generate a future maintenance liability to the council.