Post Grant of Planning Consent - Part Two

Design Standards and Specification for Highway Works

Highway designs are completed to design standards and guidelines that set parameters for road design.  Key design standards and guidelines are set out in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges and Manual for Streets. These are national documents designed to ensure there is uniformity and consistency across the country and are regularly updated.

As well as the design, the Department for Transport and Local Highway Authority also control the types of materials used in road construction and how they are applied.  This forms part of the Specification for Highway Works.  Local differences in material availability mean that Local Highway Authorities are able to amend the material specification to suit their network / region. Section 278 work would be expected to be subject to the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM 2007).

Construction (Design and Management) Regulations

The construction industry has always had a disproportionate level of fatalities, major injuries and incidents of ill-health when compared with other industries.  It was identified that there was a need to reduce risk by better co-ordination, management and co-operation between all parties involved in construction projects.  This led to the introduction of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 (CDM 94) and its later revision the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM 2007).

The CDM 2007 Regulations are aimed at improving the overall management and coordination of health, safety and welfare throughout all stages of a construction project – from inception to completion.  Hazards must be identified, and, where possible, removed.  Any remaining risks need to be either reduced, or, if this is not possible, then the risk needs to be controlled. All those involved in a construction project must co-operate with each other to allow other duty holders to comply with their duties under the Regulations.