ASPIREISSUE 11WINTER 2019

Consulting Development Engineers

Can I get a witness?Experts on the stand - page 3

Bird’s-eye view in SouthamProject profile - page 4

New heights for Geomatics£250,000 investment - page 7

ww

w.m

-ec.co.uk

ww

w.m

-ec.

co.u

k

Can I get a witness? Experts on the stand

2 | Company News 3 | Project News

As we head into our tenth year in business, the company has passed another milestone of £5 million turnover in 2018; credit to all of our team on this achievement. We have recently undertaken a senior management restructure to form stronger regional teams and added to our corporate function at head office. I am pleased to confirm that Michael Avery is promoted to regional director in our second largest office in Milton Keynes, which has just relocated to larger premises in the city centre. Michael joins the board alongside co-founder Alex Bennett, Tim Rose and myself.

The cover photo shows off some of the new equipment that M-EC has invested in. Whether it be topographical, measured building or utility mapping you require we have the resource and capability to deliver the most effective and state-of-the-art solution. This follows investment earlier in the year on a new drilling rig and other equipment for our Geo-Environmental and Site Technical Services teams.

We also focus in this edition on our expert witness capabilities for public inquiries, appeals and hearings – see Alex’s article on Page 3. Further pre-planning capabilities are demonstrated in other articles such as on pages 2, 4, 6 and 8. Tim discusses the impact of the new NPPF from our perspective on page 4.

We deliver in the four key stages of your projects (concept, pre-planning, design and delivery). No matter what stage you are at, we are here to assist you with our broad spectrum of capabilities, as demonstrated in this edition of Aspire. Finally, I would like to wish you well for the New Year and I look forward to working with you all in 2019.

Sometimes not everything goes as smoothly as one would hope when it comes to the planning process and projects can end up requiring an Expert Witness to help see them through to achieving permission. Director Alex Bennett discusses the process and highlights some examples of getting it right.

“The service we refer to as Expert Witness is a key one for our clients who find their sites heading towards Public Inquiries, Planning Appeals or Planning Hearings. Even with a robust application, Local Authorities can defer a

decision and then begins the task of preparing technical evidence, written statements or answering questions from the oppositions’ legal representation under cross-examination.

“The use of Experts is key to ensuring a successful end to the challenge and moving the site forward to development. M-EC employs a number of experienced and credible Expert Witnesses who have successfully presented evidence, compiled technical reports and fended off questions from local opposition.”

Getting the balance rightThe traffic vs air quality conundrum Poor air quality is a major public health concern in the UK. Most national objectives for pollutants have been met but the notable exceptions are NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) and PM10 (particulate matter), which are directly related to traffic on busy or congested roads.

Development invariably results in increases in journeys, therefore unless sustainable travel is feasible, via public or electric travel, there will be an increase in pollution. However, M-EC’s transport and air quality teams are able to work

together to provide deliverable and quantifiable mitigation strategies to reduce the impact of pollution.

Both teams have collaborated successfully on numerous projects, developing mitigation options such as; reducing or eliminating congestion, producing travel plans to promote sustainable modes of transport, incorporating electric vehicle (EV) charging points or providing improved local public transport routes and services.

M-EC supported Taylor Wimpey to bring forward a development of 55 dwellings, for which the planning application was heard at public inquiry on grounds of transport and air quality.

Due to the proximity of existing dwellings to the road and an inefficient roundabout causing congestion, NO2 concentrations in the vicinity exceeded the national objective. Although the air quality assessment showed that development traffic would result in only small increases in concentrations, the Local Planning Authority determined the change would be potentially significant and that there would be a severe impact on highways ground too.

We identified road network improvements to enable traffic to move more freely and negate the development’s impact. Our transport and air quality teams worked in conjunction with each other to develop a new roundabout design to allow traffic to move more freely and modelled the impact of the new design to demonstrate improved air quality compared to the original design. A travel plan we produced also encouraged local, sustainable travel.

The Planning Inspectorate allowed the appeal and outline planning permission was granted in June 2018.

Project Profile: Benson Lane, Crowmarsh GiffordClient: Bloor Homes and Hallam Land ManagementAlongside a number of project partners, M-EC was requested to attend a Planning Appeal Hearing after an application to build 150 houses on land east of Benson Lane in Crowmarsh Gifford was rejected by the Local Planning Authority.

Although the site was rejected on a number of matters, M-EC was specifically requested to present technical evidence on air quality matters in relation to the local Air Quality Management Area (AQMA). Under cross examination, Alex Bennett explained that

whilst the development would lead to a small increase in local traffic, our modelling showed only a small increase in nitrogen dioxide and based on this, development would not result in unacceptable impacts on air quality within the AQMA.

Based on a combined effort from all project partners, the Planning Inspectorate overturned the decision and planning permission was granted in May 2018.

Project Profile: Daventry Road, SouthamClient: Taylor Wimpey (Warwick Strategic)M-EC was commissioned by Taylor Wimpey Warwick to look into a Compulsory Purchase Order made by Warwickshire County Council for a parcel of land adjacent to its Flying Fields development, which the council intended to use as a temporary caravan site or Emergency Stopping Place (ESP).

Supporting Taylor Wimpey in their objection to the ESP’s location on safety and suitability, M-EC presented evidence at the Inquiry to demonstrate that the site was unsuitable

for its intended purpose. The team utilised vehicle tracking modelling to demonstrate the entry and exit of vehicles to the site and presented accurate road speed and accident history data. The team also highlighted the safety of the site’s proximity to a main road with high-speed traffic for its intended users.

The Compulsory Purchase Order was rejected by the Planning Inspectorate and the ESP is to be relocated to a more suitable and safer location.

Project Profile: Pool-in-Wharfedale, Yorkshire

Picture courtesy: Sten Architecture

Managing Director’s

WELCOME Client: Taylor Wimpey (Wakefield Strategic)

eddie.mewies@m-ec.co.uk

ww

w.m

-ec.co.uk

ww

w.m

-ec.

co.u

k

To support a vital basement renovation project at Royal Berkshire Hospital, VINCI Technology Centre commissioned M-EC to undertake testing of the sub strata below the existing floor slab to obtain California Bearing Ratio (CBR) values for the construction of a new, lower floor slab.

Whilst this is nothing new for the Geo-Environmental team at M-EC, on-site constraints made the project a little more challenging.

Access and the physical working space presented the first challenge, which meant there was no room for an excavator to carry out Plate Load Testing on site so the team chose to recommend carrying out a Transport Research Laboratory Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (TRL DCP) test following concrete coring using an electric powered rig in eight locations across the basement area. As some areas of the basement had been cleared already, carrying out the TRL DCP was a relatively easy operation but other areas, such as disused laboratories and smaller assessment rooms, proved more difficult. The team had to operate the equipment and

hand dig trial pits in small spaces without compromising the results of the test.

The concrete coring, TRL DCP testing and hand dug pits were all completed within one working day and a report produced based on the results of the testing. This information was then presented to VINCI Technology Centre for their client’s structural team to use when designing the new basement floor slab.

4 | Project News 5 | Project News

Back in October 2016, M-EC was commissioned to provide a constraints plan and conceptual engineering layouts for a proposed 500 plot residential scheme in Southam, Warwickshire. Two years on and work has commenced on site with M-EC having been involved in each stage of the project to date. Our roles include:

Flood report and mitigation measures on nearby underpass beneath A423 to ensure potential for flooding had been fully considered

Section 278 roundabout improvement designs on nearby A423 Southam Road/A425 Daventry Road and A423 Southam Road/Leamington Road to allow for increased traffic levels to flow and improved pedestrian safety features

Noise assessment and mitigation measures across the development including acoustically sound garden fencing; glazing ventilation and building fabrics with sufficient sound reductions

Section 184 temporary site access design for construction and sales traffic prior to full site access junction constructed

Section 38 and 278 street lighting designs, including modelling and layouts for all on-site and off-site street lighting requirements on new junctions or highways improvements

Site external works and private drainage designs in accordance with Part M and Part H of the Building Regulations 2010

Section 278 new right turn lane design for site access

Sustainable drainage designs for four ponds and swales across the development site to provide required surface water storage and water treatment requirements

Foul water pumping station design to transfer waste water from the development site to an existing foul sewer within Daventry Road

Road Safety Audit Stages 1 and 2 along Daventry Road to support the application for temporary access and the new right turn lane

Internal Section 38 highway design to satisfy requirement of Warwickshire County Council

1 2

3

4

5

67

8

9

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

1011

12

Topographical survey of entire site and underground utility mapping to PAS128 of existing highways and roundabouts local to the site12

13

13

Photograph taken by M-EC Geomatics UAV in Oct 2018

WHAT’S NEW IN THE NPPF?The revised 2018 National Policy Planning Framework (NPPF) seems to be very much a rewording of its predecessor but as highlighted in the last issue of Aspire, there are some subtle but important changes to be considered. Tim Rose, regional director comments:

Sustainable TransportThere is still a lack of clarity on the definition of ‘severe’ but the inclusion of the word ‘safety’ in paragraph 109 starts to bring some guidance:

“Development should only be prevented or refused on highways grounds if there would be an unacceptable impact on highway safety, or the residual cumulative impacts on the road network would be severe.”

Our Road Safety Auditors now have a keen eye out for further advice promised by the government in future revisions to planning guidance to see what impact this has moving forward.

Noise & Air QualityThe ‘agent of change’ principle, first introduced in the government’s Housing White Paper ‘Fixing our Broken Housing Market’, published in 2017, has now been included in paragraph 182:

“Where the operation of an existing business or community facility could have a significant adverse effect on new development (including changes of use) in its vicinity, the applicant (or ‘agent of change’) should be required to provide suitable mitigation before the development has been completed.”

The updated framework also sees the planning system more closely aligned with Defra’s 25 Year Environment Plan and places a greater importance on considering air quality impacts in paragraph 103:

“This can help to reduce congestion and emissions, and improve air quality and public health.”

Flood RiskAgain, a minor but important change in paragraph 156 is the move from site-specific flooding impacts to local impacts:

“Strategic policies should… consider cumulative impacts in, or affecting, local areas susceptible to flooding.”

This may throw up a challenge of allocating sites within higher risk areas and require further modelling and evidence to support applications, especially if there are high risk developments nearby.

What’s a TRL DCP? The TRL DCP test is an in-situ measurement of the structural properties of the sub strata. An 8kg hammer is dropped from a height of 575mm and the number of blows and penetration is recorded down to a depth of around 1000mm. From the data collected and additional assessments of the materials, a CBR value can be calculated.

The basement area of Royal Berkshire Hospital and inset: Carlo Camposano, lead driller, M-EC coring on site in Berkshire

Public Inquiry to defend Emergency Stopping Place adjacent to site (see page 3 for more details).

Project Profile: Flying Fields, Southam

Project Profile: Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading Client: VINCI Technology Centre UK

Client: Taylor Wimpey Midlands

ww

w.m

-ec.co.uk

ww

w.m

-ec.

co.u

k

Project Profile: Wheatfield Manor, Codsall

M-EC’s Transport team has seen a growing demand for its travel plan coordinator role and services and production of its Residential Travel Information Packs (RTIP).

At Wheatfield Manor in Codsall, a development of 150 residential dwellings, M-EC provided a multi-disciplinary, pre-planning service and has a three-year contract to perform a travel plan coordinator role.

This role included the production of a RTIP, a 12-page brochure for new residents, which includes information to encourage the use of sustainable transport, information about local amenities and general information to encourage the modal shift to help deliver the sustainable transport targets set in pre-planning.

Rachel Jones, senior design and planning executive at Taylor Wimpey said: “M-EC provide a great service with the travel plan coordinator role, taking the pressure off of us to help deliver against the obligations set during planning.”

(L-R) Anna Keene and Ally Halford, sales executives, Taylor Wimpey & Simon Prescott, associate transport engineer, M-EC

6 | Project News 7 | Company News

FOCUS ON: The Education SectorM-EC has a long history of providing multi-disciplinary consultancy services to support both private and public sector school development projects. Procuring work through public tender processes or by private appointment, the team at M-EC is no stranger to the complexities and challenges of going back to school.

Tim Rose, regional director said: “The fundamentals of a construction project in the education sector are the same as any other but the logistics of school term times, access to site and safety do make them more of a challenge. Working closely with project partners is key to a successful project delivered on time and to budget.”

Taking surveyingand mapping

TO NEWHEIGHTSM-EC has invested £250,000 to further develop its in-house surveying and mapping division, M-EC Geomatics.

The purchase of the latest state-of-the-art, survey grade hardware and software demonstrates M-EC’s commitment to using the latest technology to provide a full data capture service. We provide underground utility surveys, land and building surveys, aerial surveys, geographical information systems (GIS) and building information modelling (BIM).

The investment includes the purchase of two Leica TS16 precision Total Stations, two Leica TS18 GNSS RTK Rovers, a Leica P30 3D Laser Scanner, a Leica DS2000 GPR Utility Detection Radar, RD8100 EML units and a DJI Matrice 200 Series UAV, which included professional training to achieve the CAA PfCO (Permission for Commercial Operation) license, together with the associated software platforms.

Dan Halstead, associate director with M-EC Geomatics said: “Providing a comprehensive data set across the lifespan of a project, whether from the air by UAV or underground via the GPR (or anything in between), is becoming increasingly essential in our work. The investment in the new technology is a response to trends we’ve seen to consult on and provide data from the start to the finish of our clients’ projects.”

Eddie Mewies, managing director, M-EC added: “Having our own equipment provides us with the capability to respond quicker to both clients and our in-house teams, who require fast and accurate data collection services to make informed decisions in the planning of development projects.”

(L-R) Philip Quelch, survey manager; Joe Landers, UAV pilot; Dan Halstead, associate director & Michael Watkinson, senior surveyor

M-EC was a proud sponsor of this years’ RTPI Young Planners’ Conference and as a company with an active Apprenticeship programme, we chose to support a sector we work very closely with but also a group that has a lot of synergy with our own values. Alex Bennett, director, M-EC

welcomes guests to gala dinner

M-EC was commissioned by NPS Group to produce drainage and infrastructure designs for a primary school extension project in Leeds. The team worked closely with NPS, Leeds City Council and local water authority, Yorkshire Water, to design drainage solutions using an attenuation tank to limit the amount of surface water draining into public sewers.

The team also helped to design an internal drainage system for a new block of toilets as part of a renovation to an existing building.

M-EC had already provided a range of pre-planning engineering services, including topographical and utility surveys, geo-environmental studies, flood risk and drainage assessments and structural surveys before Architects YMD Boon requested a steel frame design for a unique architectural concept as part of a school extension.

Using 3D modelling techniques, M-EC was able to visualise the complex design and complicated geometry of the structure. Construction is due for completion in August 2019.

M-EC was commissioned to provide a transport statement featuring possible travel improvements to support a planning application for a three-storey expansion and construction of nine, one and two bedroom apartments on behalf of Ebrahim College in Whitechapel, London, one of the leading providers of Islamic Education in the UK.

The transport statement provided evidence of local sustainable transport options and set out that no highways or transportation reasons for refusal.Planning permission is pending.

Photo Credit: M

ark One Photography

Project Profile: The Old Coach House, Leicester

M-EC was commissioned to provide a complete suite of data for proposed works to a renovated coach house and grounds in Leicester, including topographical survey, measured building survey and PAS 128 underground utility detection survey.

To achieve the best result for the client, M-EC Geomatics utilised the 3D laser scanner and ground-penetrating radar, which required only two days’ data capture on site and caused minimal disruption to staff and clients. The equipment enabled us to capture additional information during the scanning process too, which includes useful topographical data of the nearby street scene and neighbouring buildings for future use.

Project Profile: Proposed Solar Farm

We provided a topographical survey for a proposed 128 hectare solar farm in a top secret location. Due to the size of the site and the need to be discrete about the purpose of the data collection, the team opted for an aerial survey by UAV, together with a small ground control team to collect specific points not visible from the air.

The UAV collected over 5,600 GPS aerial images and the team produced both a 2D orthomosiac map and a 3D model of the site to an accuracy of +-20mm. By capturing the data via UAV, additional mapping later in the project can be done quickly and cost-effectively to the same GPS locations, saving clients both time and money.

Picture courtesy: NPS Group

Picture courtesy: 1618 Architects

Client: Taylor Wimpey Midlands

Project Profile: Hawksworth Wood Primary School, Leeds

Client: NPS Leeds

Project Profile: St John the Baptist Primary School , Leicester

Client: YMD Boon

Project Profile: Ebrahim College, London

Client: The Chaudhry Group

Civil Engineering | Transport | Road Safety | Flood Risk & Drainage | Structures | Geo-Environmental | M-EC Acoustic Air | Utilities | M-EC Geomatics | Street Lighting

Key contacts:Civil Engineeringmichael.avery@m-ec.co.uk

Transportsimon.prescott@m-ec.co.uk

Road Safetychris.berry@m-ec.co.uk

Flood Risk & Drainagejames.gunn@m-ec.co.uk

Structuresphilip.donnelly@m-ec.co.uk

M-EC Acoustic Airrosie.james@m-ec.co.uk

Utilitiesshyam.joshi@m-ec.co.uk

M-EC Geomaticsdaniel.halstead@m-ec.co.uk

Street Lightingpete.ubhi@m-ec.co.uk

Geo-Environmental/Site Technical Servicesdavid.torrance@m-ec.co.uk

Consulting Development Engineers

Birmingham: 0121 726 4888 Brighton: 01273 036 853 Leeds: 0113 468 1127 Leicester: 01530 264 753 Milton Keynes: 01908 018 200 Nottingham: 0115 697 8578

@M_ECEngineerslinkedin.com/company/m-ec

group@m-ec.co.ukwww.m-ec.co.uk

“In July 2018 the Department for Transport (DfT) published its Inclusive Mobility Strategy with one key recommendation stating: “local authorities pause the development of shared space schemes which incorporate a level surface,” whilethe current guidance was reviewed and updated, meaning that Local Transport Note 1/11: Shared Space was temporarily withdrawn.

“Shared Space schemes have courted controversy since their first introduction. The issue of inclusive mobility – the responsibility placed on designers and local authorities to ensure that their streets are inclusive and meet the requirements of the Equalities Act 2010 - has been an ever present one and the lack of clear guidance has led to a variety of interpretations of best practice.

“This pause allows a re-focus on the key responsibility to ensure all schemes consider the inclusivity of the finished article. All too often, as road safety auditors or when undertaking Walking, Cycling and Horse-Riding Assessments and Reviews, we see schemes that have attempted to embrace the aesthetics of shared space, whilst ignoring inclusivity and functionality for all users.

“It may be too optimistic to hope for new guidance any time soon but the DfT issued clarification in September 2018: “The pause does not apply to streets within new residential areas, or the redesign of existing residential streets with very low levels of traffic, such as appropriately designed mews and cul-de-sacs, which take into account the relevant aspects of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and associated guidance”. This clarification was much needed but it is a certainty that Planning Authorities will be taking a much closer look at the design elements of any shared areas in the future.”

M-EC first became involved the project almost a decade ago undertaking initial feasibility highway and drainage technical documents to promote the site through Derby City Council’s Local Plan process.

The site was successfully allocated in 2015 and working alongside Planning and Design Group (UK) Ltd, we were commissioned to prepare technical documents in support of a planning application, which was granted permission in 2016. As part of the outline planning application, M-EC provided transportation expertise (transport assessment, travel plan and access design), flood risk and drainage, geo-environmental desk study and utilities assessment and were subsequently commissioned by Persimmon Homes to continue with the Section 278 agreements for the site access. The site is currently under construction.

Project Profile: Lime Lane, Derby

Client: JGP Properties Ltd

Lime Lane, Derby

Shared Space- Chris Berry, transport associate:

Social icon

Rounded squareOnly use blue and/or white.

For more details check out ourBrand Guidelines.

Chris Berry, associate transport engineer

We produce standalone reports, input into land promotion documents or support at Examination in Public on:

• Flood risk & drainage • Noise & air quality• Transport & road safety • Utilities • Ground conditions • Topographical data

For more information on the process or to discuss a project, contact director, Alex Bennett on alex.bennett@m-ec.co.uk or 0121 726 4888

Is your landdevelopable?Land promotion services from M-EC