The Essex Permit Scheme

Background to Essex County Council

Essex County Council is responsible for some 8,000 Km of road network

Essex County Council Serves almost 1.4m residents across Essex

Essex County Council is the 2nd largest non-metropolitan county in England

Background to Essex County Council

Rank County Population Area(in km²)

Density(people/km²)

1 Kent 1,466,500 3,544 4142 Essex 1,396,600 3,464 4033 Hampshire 1,322,300 3,679 3594 Lancashire 1,171,600 2,903 4045 Surrey 1,135,500 1,663 683

6 Hertfordshire 1,119,800 1,643 682

7 Norfolk 859,400 5,371 160

9 West Sussex 808,900 1,990 406

10 Nottinghamshire 786,700 2,085 377

This is a list of top ten two-tier counties of England by population. (non-metropolitan counties also known as shire counties)

District Overview

Southend - Unitary

Thurrock - Unitary

Briefing Session Agenda

Permit Charges

Application Process

Introduction to Permit Schemes

Conditions and Permit Scheme Basics

Any questions

The Journey (Phase 1 & 2)

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.

Introduction to Permit Schemes

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).

The Strategic Objective

The strategic objective for the Permit scheme is to provide a capability to manage and maintain the local highway network for the safe and efficient use of road space, whilst allowing Promoters access to maintain their services and assets

The Permit Scheme Sub-ObjectivesTo proactively manage the local highway network to maximise the safe and efficient use of road space.

To improve the quality and timeliness of information and compliance with highway legislation from all activity promoters

To ensure the safety of those using the street and those working on activities that fall under the scheme, with particular emphasis on people with disabilities.

To protect the structure of the street and the integrity of the apparatus in it.

To ensure parity of treatment for all activity promoters particularly between statutory undertakers and highway authority works and activities.

Key Points to Permit Schemes

A permit is only valid for the period of time stated on the permit in TSS Streets.

A late start on site means duration lost. The end date cannot be ‘stretched’ without an approved variation. 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.

No Permit No Work !!

Key Points to Permit Schemes

Permit Schemes in England

What is happening out there ?

The view from ECC

How ECC made the decision to proceedWith an application for a scheme

LOPS SchemeWent live on 2010

Phase 4 2013

Kent Scheme

Northants SchemeSt Helens Scheme

Yorkshire Scheme

East of England

The CurrentPermit Scene

Oth

er s

chem

es o

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ay

Lane

Ren

tal T

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nd K

ent

GMRAPS 22 m

ore

applied

DfT

loca

lism

Agenda

Bucks/Norfolk etc

The Journey

Scrutiny Report to Feasibility Study

The Project idea was presented to Paul Bird

Phase 1 – Started on the 7th May 2014

Phase 1 – Deadline 31st July 2014 (DfT)

Phase 1 – Completed on 28th July 2014

Phase 2 – Started 1st August 2014

Phase 2 – Ends 1st April 2015

(Start to finish = 11 weeks/3 months | average 18 months for this phase)

Application Process

Consultation Process

Apply For Statutory Instrument

DfT Application

Give 1 month of Starting

Jun

e 1

4 – A

pril 1

52013/14 Feasibility Study/

Develop Scheme

2012 Could have joined

EEPS

Scheme Document

Outlines the Scheme

Part of DfT Application

It forms the Permit Schemes SI

Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA)

The Permit Matrix (Volumes & Costs)

Congestion data

Traffic Flow data

The CBA Looked at the following

Accident data

Set up costs

Entered into a QUADRO model to give a Cost Benefit Ratio:• The Essex Permit Scheme = 20.16 • Net Present Value (NPV) = £1 billion +

Permit Matrix (Fees)

DfT Permit Matrix (Mandatory)

Lighter touch on Non-TSS

DfT Guidance on fees 2013

Looked at Activity Volumes

Looked at current time to do checks

Looked at over & above time to do checks

Maximum Permit Fees

Essex Permit Fees

Fee levels per Permit or Provisional Advanced Authorisation  Road Category 0-2

Strategic or Traffic Sensitive

Road Category 3 & 4 Non- Traffic Sensitive

Provisional Advanced Authorisation £100 £50

Major Activity – over 10 days £201 £80

Major Activity – 4 to 10 days £125 £40Major Activity – up to 3 days £60 £25Standard Activity £125 £40Minor Activity £60 £25Immediate Activity £50 £35

Variations

For permit variations, the Permit Authority will charge:-

• £45 for all works on category 0, 1 and 2 streets and category 3 and 4 streets that are traffic-sensitive.

• £35 for all works on category 3 and 4 non traffic-sensitive streets

Discounts

Suggested discounts in Scheme document

Coring Performance

First Time Permanent ratio

Collaboration

Permit Scheme Requirements

Regulation 19 provides that it is a criminal offence for an undertaker or someone acting on its behalf to undertake works without a permit.

Regulation 20 provides that it is a criminal offence for undertaker or someone acting on its behalf to undertake works in breach of a condition.

For the first time, the field force are affected !!

Conditions (HAUC UK)

English HAUC National Condition Text

Consistency across new schemes

Currently draft version 14

Sign off expected early Sep 14

Future changes possible via HAUC

NRSWA Timescales

Table 1: Matrix of notice periods and response times

Notice Period Validity Period Response Time S 54 Ss 55/57 S 54 Ss 55/57 S54 Ss55/57 S 74

Major 3 months 10 days 15 days 5 days 1 month

5 days 5 days

Standard 10 days 5 days 5 days 5 days

Minor 3 days 2 days 2 days 2 days

Immediate 2 hours after

any time during works

2 days

New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 Code of Practice for the Co-ordination of Street Works and Works for Road Purposes and Related Matters. Third Edition - Revised August 2009

Permit Timescales

Works Type Minimum Notice Period

Validity Period Response Period

PAA Appl’n PAA* Appl’n* PAA Appl’n

Var’n

Major 3m 10d 15d 5d 1m 5d 2d

Standard 10d 5d 5d 2d

Minor 3d 2d 2d 2d

Immediate – Urgent/ Emergency

-2h 2d 2d

*The validity periods only apply to permits in Category 3 or 4 Non Traffic Sensitive streets; Otherwise the permit start and end dates cannot be varied.

Basic MAJOR Works PERMIT Life Cycle

Provisional Advanced Authorisation

Send FORWARD PLANNING Notice more than 3 months in

advance (optional)

Permit Application

Send Section 74 WORKS STOP Notice

Send Section 74 ACTUAL START Notice

Send Section 70 REGISTRATION Notice

Perm

it Au

thority

100% Response

Maybe YES

Maybe NO

Basic MINOR Works PERMIT Life Cycle

Three Day Permit Application

Send Section 74 WORKS STOP Notice

Send Section 74 ACTUAL START Notice

Send Section 70 REGISTRATION Notice

Perm

it Au

thority

100% Response

GRANT?REFUSE?

Basic STANDARD Works PERMIT Life Cycle

Ten Day Application

Send Section 74 WORKS STOP Notice

Send Section 74 ACTUAL START Notice

Send Section 70 REGISTRATION Notice

Perm

it Au

thority

100% Response

Existing NRSWA Structure

Traffic Manager

NRSWA Manager

Co-Ordinators

Inspectors

High level overview

Covers main job roles

New Structure

Traffic Manager

Streetworks Manager(operational)

Co-Ordinators

Inspectors

Permit Manager(Permit Scheme)

Senior Performance Officer

Performance Officer

Invoicing Officer

Senior Permit Officer

Permit Officers

Any Questions?

The Essex Permit Scheme