01-00 - Preliminaries

01-01 General

a. This specification applies to all Developers when constructing estate roads within North Yorkshire.  North Yorkshire Council (NYC) highway standard details are broadly based on the Department for Transport (DfT), Specification for Highway Works (SHW) and on the requirements of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) including any subsequent amendments.

b. The Specification applies to Residential Estates, Industrial Estates, Commercial Estates and Private Street works.

c. Any points not fully covered shall be determined by North Yorkshire Council (NYC) as Local Highway Authority (LHA).  In any cases of ambiguity between the Specification and the Drawings, the Specification shall take precedence unless it has been specifically agreed otherwise in writing by the Engineer.

d. In conservation areas or areas covered by National Parks alternative materials may be permitted, this will be subject to securing formal written approval of the LHA who may require a commuted sum to cover additional maintenance costs.  Information on commuted sums can be found in the Interim Guidance on Commuted Sums available on the NYC web site, Road adoption | North Yorkshire Council.

e. In accordance with DMRB the “verbal forms used in the DMRB” as set out in GG101 shall have the following meanings where used in this Specification:

MUST	Indicates a statutory or legislative requirement
SHALL	Indicates a requirement of NYC as Overseeing Organisation
SHOULD	Indicates advice expressed as a recommendation
MAY	Indicates advice expressed as a permissible approach

f. This Specification shall apply to any carriageway, footpath, verge, hard margin, surface water highway drainage system, service provisions and street lighting which is being constructed or installed as part of any development to be adopted by the LHA as highway maintainable at the public expense within North Yorkshire.

g. Within this Specification, words of the masculine gender shall include the feminine and neutral genders and shall be taken as interchangeable.

01-02 NYC Contacts

a. In the first instance, contact should be made with the appropriate NYC Office by calling 01609 780780

Area 1 – Richmond Office Gatherley Road Industrial Estate Brompton on Swale RICHMOND DL10 7JQ Area1.Richmond@northyorks.gov.uk		Area 2 – Thirsk Office Thirsk Industrial Estate York Road THIRSK YO7 3BX Area2.Thirsk@northyorks.gov.uk
Area 3 – Whitby Office Cholmley Way WHITBY YO22 4NQ Area3.Whitby@northyorks.gov.uk		Area 4 – Pickering Office Beansheaf Industrial Park, Tofts Road Kirby Misperton MALTON YO17 6BG Area4.Kirbymoorside@northyorks.gov.uk
Area 5 – Skipton Office Snaygill Industrial Estate Snaygill SKIPTON BD23 2QR Area5.Skipton@northyorks.gov.uk		Area 6 – Boroughbridge Office  Stump Cross Wetherby Road BOROUGHBRIDGE YO51 9H Area6.boroughbridge@northyorks.gov.uk
Area 7 – Selby Office Canal Road SELBY YO8 8AG Area7.Selby@northyorks.gov.uk	Development Management County Hall Northallerton North Yorkshire DL7 8AH Development.control@northyorks.gov.uk
Road Lighting Department 41 Northallerton Road Leeming Bar Northallerton North Yorkshire DL7 9AL Roadlighting@northyorks.gov.uk	Structures (Bridges) County Hall Northallerton North Yorkshire DL7 8AH Bridges@northyorks.gov.uk

b. The map indicates the areas of responsibility for the Area Highways Teams.

01-03 Definitions

The Council:	Means North Yorkshire Council (NYC)
The Engineer:	Means NYC’s Corporate Director of Business and Environmental Services and their appointed Representative or Agent.
The Developer:	Means the person or company by or on whose behalf the works are being carried out.
The Works:	Means all construction under, forming part of, or servicing the street to be adopted as a highway maintainable at public expense.
HAPAS:	Highways Authorities Product Approval Scheme.

01-04 Construction Drawings

a. The developer shall have all construction drawings related to highway works approved before commencing work.  Any work started off the public adopted highway before drawings are approved, will be wholly at the risk of the developer, and subject to change solely at the developer’s cost.

b. The work shall be carried out in conformity with the plans, sections and detailed drawings approved by the Engineer.  No amendment shall be made to the approved drawings except with the prior written agreement of the Engineer.  A copy of the latest approved drawings and this specification shall be available on site at all times.

01-05 Design of the Works 

The design of the works shall be the responsibility of the Developer, who should have due regard to the advice in this document, the current Department of Transport and Transport Research Laboratory recommendations and reports, and to the current practices of the Engineer’s Department.  If in doubt as to the standard to be applied in any particular case, the Developer is advised to consult the Engineer at an early stage of design.  Residential Developments shall be laid out in accordance with the NYC Design Guide.

01-06 Design of Road Lighting

Developers are to ensure that any road lighting design shall comply with NYC Road lighting. The Developer should consult with NYC Road Lighting Engineer at an early stage. NYC offer a design service to Developers this is at a cost to the Developer. Using this service will save time on getting the design right first time. Section 13.0 gives general guidance on specifications of equipment, electrical supply and arrangements for road lighting.

01-07 Dimensions

Unless stated to the contrary, the thickness of the material described, in this Specification, shall mean the finished or compacted thickness.

01-08 Standards

a. Works, goods and materials shall comply with the standards specified in this document.

b. In all cases the European and British standards referred to in this Specification shall be the respective editions current at the date of Commencement of construction Incorporating all British Standard’s institution amendments current on that date.

c. Where appropriate, materials shall be marked with the licence number. BSI or EN number.  Any requirement for goods or materials to comply with the specified standard shall be satisfied by compliance with: -

· A relevant standard or code of practice of a national standards body, or equivalent body, of any member state of the European Communities; or

· A relevant international standard recognised for use in Highways, or have written technical description sufficiently detailed to permit assessment of the goods or materials for the use specified; or

· Provided that the proposed standard, code of practice, specification, technical description. Complies with current UK technical approval. In use, levels of safety, suitability and fitness for purpose equivalent to those required by the specified standard.

01-09 Quality Assurance Schemes

a. Where any work, goods or materials to be used in the works are the subject of a quality management scheme, or product certification scheme listed in Appendix B only work, goods or materials conforming to such a scheme shall be used.  The Developer shall, in each case, submit to the Engineer a copy of the certificate of conformity affirming compliance with the scheme unless the goods or materials bear a prescribed certification mark.

b. The requirement for any goods or materials to be manufactured, or supplied subject to a quality management scheme, or product certification scheme listed in Appendix B, shall be satisfied by compliance with an equivalent quality management scheme, or product certification scheme of the EU.  Provided that the proposed scheme is to ensure in levels of use and safety, suitability and fitness for purpose equivalent to those provided for by the scheme specified, this sub-clause also applies to works only in so far as the means of carrying out such works are indivisibly associated with the goods, or materials for which an alternative quality management scheme, or product certification scheme is proposed.

01-10 Bridges and Structures; British Board of Agrément Roads and Bridges Certificates

a. Where any work, goods or materials are required to have a British Board of Agrément Roads and Bridges Certificate, only works, goods or materials so certified shall be used and the Developed shall in each case submit to the Engineer a copy of the certificate.  Types of work, goods and materials subject to such requirements are listed Appendix C.

b. The requirement for types of goods or materials listed in Appendix C to have a British Board of Agrément  Roads and Bridges Certificate shall be satisfied by goods or materials having an equivalent Agreement certificate issued in any member state of the European Union, provided that the goods or materials covered by such a certificate offer in use levels of safety, suitability and fitness of purpose equivalent to those incorporated in the British Board of Agrément Roads and Bridges Certificate.  This sub-clause applies also to works only insofar as means of carrying out such works are indivisibly associated with the goods or materials for which an alternative Agrément Certificate is proposed.

01-11 Samples

a. Before commencing the works, the Developer shall deposit samples of any materials that the Engineer may require.  The Developer shall obtain the Engineer’s written approval of the samples before commencing the work, or during the course of the works prior to the materials being used.  The materials used must be at least equal in every respect to the approved samples.  From time to time, the Engineer may require the Developer to provide material samples free of charge for testing.

b. Materials with a BS or EN mark will not generally require initial or routine sampling or testing. See appendix B for certified materials.

01-12 Testing

a. The Developer shall be responsible for the payment of all charges for tests on materials and, in the event of failure they shall replace any faulty materials.

b. A copy of the Engineers required testing schedule is available on request.

c. The Engineer may request testing on site of materials and workmanship if they believe the contractors work to be substandard, or materials used to be below standard.

01-13 Condemned Materials

Any materials condemned by the Engineer, as unfit for use in the works, shall be removed from site immediately.

01-14 Facilities for Tests on Materials

a. The Developer, shall when required, grant every facility to the Engineer for taking such samples, cores, specimens and carrying out any other test on site.  They shall provide all attendance and samples, cores and specimens and make good after the test.  Testing and the results shall be made available to the Engineer free from charge.

b. The Developer shall, at their own expense, provide any on site testing as required by the Engineer.

01-15 Statutory Undertakers Apparatus

a. Before commencing any works on or in the Highway the Developer shall, by means of test holes and or ground surveying using radar, locate all apparatus that is within the location of the works.  Any relocation of said apparatus shall be done prior to works starting or be scheduled by agreement with the Engineer to be done at the same time as the works.  NYC may, at its discretion, fine the developer £200 a day, for work delayed on the Highway that extends the time taken to complete the works.

b. The Developer shall take all necessary measures required by the Engineer or the Statutory Undertaker for the protection of existing mains, pipes, cables and other apparatus during the progress of the works, and shall ensure that all requisite notice is given, and all payments are made to the Statutory Undertaker for the protection concerned.

c. Where new Services are to be laid within the works, the relative positions in footpaths verges and roads are to be in accordance with the recommendations set out in the National Joint Group Publication, provision of Mains and Services by Public Utilities on Residential Estates (see standard detail D1, D1A) and NJUG Guidelines on the positioning and colour coding of underground utilities which can be found online.

01-16 Cleanliness of the Highway and Site Set-up

a. Prior to the first use of the Development access for construction traffic, the Developer must provide a Construction Method Statement for approval, the statement shall include all the measures to be put in place to ensure mud is not carried out of the site by construction vehicles.  The information provided shall also include details of the temporary warning signage required which shall be approved in writing by the Engineer and in place/or available prior to first use of the development access.

b. Generally, a Developer will require a S278 Agreement to be entered into with NYC to gain vehicular access to a site from the adopted public highway on which planning consent has been secured. At the Engineers discretion, a licence under S184 of the Highways Act 1980 as amended, could be utilised to enable a Contractor to gain access to a site for the purpose of setting up the Site Compound; undertaking investigatory work or constructing a temporary haul route in advance of the main works where the temporary access is separate from the site access. The principal purpose of a S184 licence however, is to facilitate works to a minor access for example the construction of a vehicular driveway over an adopted footway or grassed verge to a single private dwelling and therefore a S184 licence should not be used as a means of bypassing a S278 Agreement. Any Section 184 licence that is sanctioned shall be in place prior to the commencement of any works on site and will only be valid for the construction of a temporary vehicular crossing. Removal of the temporary access and reinstatement of the land shall be undertaken at the discretion and to the satisfaction of the Engineer.

c. All public highways including carriageways, footways, footpaths, cycle routes, bridleways, and verges used by the Developer, shall be kept clean and free from dust, mud and debris of any description.  This must be done to the satisfaction of the LHA and/or North Yorkshire Police.

d. The Developer shall employ such equipment, mechanical or otherwise, as is necessary to maintain the highway in a clean state for the duration of construction works on site.  The Developer shall provide and use appropriate wheel washing facilities on site as a matter of course to reduce the chance of mud or other detritus being deposited on the Highway.

e. The Developers attention is drawn to Sections 148 of the Highways Act 1980 as amended & 149 Updated November 2000 and the Corporate Manslaughter Act 2007.

f. Where required by the Engineer, suitable approved temporary warning signs must be exhibited whilst works are in progress. All temporary signs and barriers used in the highway must comply with Chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual.

g. The Developer shall also ensure that all highway drains and ditches etc., within the adopted highway or the construction site, are kept clear of any spoil, mud, slurry or other material likely to impede the free flow of water therein.  If requested to do so by the Engineer, or any authorised representative of the LHA, the Developer shall clean all highway drains and ditches, roadside grips and any other drainage features so that they run freely.

01-17 Prohibition of Use of the Highway

a. The existing public highway or Public Rights of Way must not be used as site access roads or sites for stockpiling and storing plant, materials or equipment.  The Developer shall be liable for the cost of reinstatement if any damage caused to the adopted highway or Public Rights of Way.  Developers are not permitted to put any signage, including “A boards” or flags for their site within carriageways, footways or verges or other areas which form part of the adopted highway without planning permission and a licence from NYC.

b. NYC can and will remove any signs flags or other items put in the highway without permission.  The Developer will be charged a fee for removal of each item, a storage and administration charge will also apply.  The Developer may also be charged for the disposal of items removed by NYC, should they not be collected in a timely manner.

c. The Developers attention is drawn to the need to provide visibility splays, in accordance with the relevant standards prior to the use of any access.

01-18 Notification of Emergency Telephone Numbers

The Developer shall erect and maintain for the duration of the construction of the estate roads, a board or sign, within the site boundary, but clearly visible from the adopted highway, indicating the name and contact telephone number of a responsible person for the site.  The named person and contact telephone number shall be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, should the Engineer or Engineer’s Representative or the Police need to advise the Developer and/or Contractor of a serious or dangerous situation.

01-19 Notification of Commencement or Recommencement of Works

a. The Developer shall comply with NYC’s Street Permit notification system for works in the Highway. Typically, works within the public highway having a duration of more than 2 weeks (classed as major works) will require a 3-month notification period.  Details on notification are available in Appendix A.

b.   The Developer should also arrange a pre-start meeting one month before starting on site, or at a time agreed with the Engineer.  

01-20 Notification of Works Requiring Inspection

a. The Developer’s notice is drawn to NYC’s weekly diary system, which requires the Contractor/ Developer to submit details each Friday morning of the following week’s proposed works and inspections required to development.control@northyorks.gov.uk Details are available in Appendix G.  The Developer shall give the Engineer at least 48 hours’ notice of any inspections required.

b. As much notice as possible, but not less than a week shall be given to the Engineer of night or weekend working.

c. Failure to give such notice may result in the requirement for the later exposure of the work, at the Developers cost and the removal of the work done without inspection if considered necessary by the Engineer.

01-21 Quality of Workmanship

a. Industry standards, Codes of Practice and this Specification shall apply to the work; the most onerous standard shall be applied.  

b. Where specific standards do not exist the workmanship throughout shall be of a “good standard” for the respective trade or class.

c. Contractors maybe required to satisfy NYC that they have appropriately skilled and experienced personnel and supervision on site to ensure the expected quality of workmanship can be achieved for all operations.

01-22 Quality of Materials

a. All materials for use in the works shall, unless otherwise specified, comply with the latest relevant BS or EN codes and Specifications as identified in the latest version of SHW and DMRB.  They shall include relevant Quality Management Certification.

01-23 Temporary Traffic Signs

a. The Developer shall erect and maintain all necessary traffic signs and traffic control signals for the direction and control of traffic on the site and approaches to the site. The signs shall comply with current version of Chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual and Traffic Safety Measures and Signs for Roadwork’s and Temporary Situations 2020 published by HMSO (“The New Red Book”) Signs and cones shall be reflective and kept clean, visible and appropriately located at all times.

b. The Developer shall be responsible for temporary lighting works where street lighting has been removed, or permanent lighting has not been commissioned at a new feature being constructed such as a roundabout, or for any traffic manoeuvres that the Engineer considers needs to be illuminated on grounds of highway safety.

c. The Developer is reminded that Chapter 8 states:                                      

“Highway Authority contractors and Statutory Undertakers have a civil law liability to warn road user of obstructions on the Highway, caused in connection with road works. This also comes under the corporate manslaughter Act 2007.”

d. In the event of temporary traffic control by means of single way working becoming necessary on the approaches to the site, the Developer shall submit his proposals for the control of the traffic to the Engineer for approval in writing; this shall be done no less than seven days before the start date.  The Developer shall submit a Temporary Traffic Light Form as part of the process, two-way traffic must not be interrupted without formal written permission from NYC.  The formal written approval of the Engineer shall be provided before the single way traffic management becomes operational on site.

01-24 Site Safety

a. The Developer or the principal contractor must take full responsibility for all aspects of health and safety on site.  They must comply fully with all requirements of the Health & Safety at Work Act (1974) and other subsequent legislation including the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015 and any subsequent amendments (CDM regulations).

b. The Developer or contractor shall ensure that all excavations on the site and on the approaches to the site are correctly signed, supported and fenced at all times.  All temporary fencing in the Highway must fully comply with Chapter 8.

c. The Developer shall be responsible for any highway defects during the time they are vested any section of road or highway through an Agreement under Section 278 or 38 of the Highways Act 1980 as amended.  They must undertake any repair works directed by the Engineer in the specified time scales.  The Agreements allow the Engineer to undertake works himself and recharge the developer to ensure public safety.  The Developer is advised to request a pre-works inspection of any section of public highway to be affected by the works or deliveries to the site.

d. If it is necessary for the Developer to put up hoardings or Heras type security fencing on the highway, NYC may charge a licence fee that is related to the time the fencing is in position; this is not applicable if the Developer has a signed Agreement under Section 278 of the Highways Act 1980 as amended. 

01-25 Understanding the Specification

a. If the Developer or Contractor is unclear as to the meaning or intent of any item of this Specification, they should consult the Engineer and shall obtain a decision prior to work proceeding.  A copy of the Specification should be made available on site by the Developer at all times.

b. An experienced Supervisor employed by the Developer, with a competency in roadworks and trench reinstatement and to whom instructions can be given, shall be present on the site during the construction phases of any Section 278 works and estate roads.  All supervisors and operatives employed on any stages of the construction of Section 278 works and new estate roads shall be HAUC accredited, under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 and or CSCS (CITB) certified.

01-26 Setting out of the Works

The Developer shall be responsible for setting out the works to the correct line, level, widths and cambers.  They shall be fully responsible for correcting works that have not been set out correctly at their own expense.  The Developer shall ensure construction is within specified tolerances at every stage.  It is recommended that a “binder layer stage survey” is undertaken and an as-built survey at the stage of asphalt base layer on both channel lines, crown levels, and gully positions prior to final surfacing.

01-27 Completion of the Works

a. The Developer shall inform the Engineer in writing when the works are completed.  The Engineer and developer will then agree a date to hold a pre-maintenance inspection of the completed work.  The Developer must arrange for any Road Safety Audit requested by the Engineer to be undertaken prior to the inspection.  For the works to be considered complete the Developer shall ensure that the following information has been provided to NYC:

· CCTV recordings of any drainage to be adopted by NYC including gully leads and culverts;

· documentation from the relevant water authority confirming the drains have been placed on maintenance; and

· electrical testing certificates and inspection shall be provided to the Street Lighting team

b. Any remedial work found during the pre-maintenance inspection, shall be undertaken before the site can move onto Maintenance.  The start date for Maintenance will be set by the Engineer.

01-28 Period of Maintenance

a. The Engineer will set the date for the commencement of the Maintenance period.  The Maintenance period will normally be twelve months, but this may, in exceptional circumstances, be lengthened or shortened at the Engineer’s discretion.

b. The Developer is responsible for making good at their own expense, any defects or damage arising during the period of maintenance.

01-29 Access to new Properties

a. Private driveways must be designed to provide a satisfactory connection to the highway (see Standard Details A1-A3).

b. Prior to the occupation of any building served by a new or amended road Developers are required to provide a carriageway and footpath constructed to at least basecourse or binder macadam level, or its equivalent. The road lighting must also be in and working from the existing Highway to the frontage of the completed property before occupation.  This is a requirement of both planning conditions and Section 38 Agreements. NYC also require street nameplates to be displayed on streets where the properties are occupied.

01-30 Site Investigation

a. Where requested by the Engineer, the Developer shall undertake a site investigation; whilst this will be discretionary for most sites, it will be necessary on all brown field sites.  This work shall be carried out by a competent site investigation company, with appropriate UKAS accreditation, to provide adequate information for the design of adoptable areas.

b. The Developer shall supply to the Engineer an analyst’s report on the sulphate content of the sites sub grade and its classification in accordance with the BRE Digest 363.  The Developer shall also provide the Engineer a list of all contamination on the site with a plan showing its location.  The Developer must also inform the Engineer in writing of what actions are being undertaken to remediate any contamination.

01-31 Openings in the Highway

a. The Developer should note, that when making connections outside the site boundary and in the adopted highway for a utility connection, they are required to secure a Section 50 licence, New Roads & Street works Act 1991 (NRSWA) and paying the required fee.  No service connections are covered by a Section 38 or 278 Agreement.  A minimum of one-month notice to NYC Street Works section is required for a Section 50 licence application. 

01-32 Condition of the Highway

a. Before any works start on site a highway dilapidation survey shall jointly be carried out by the Developer and the Engineer.  The survey shall include as a minimum photograph’s showing the state of the roads local to the site as identified by the Engineer.

b. When directed by the Engineer cores shall be taken on existing adopted highways leading to construction sites.  The location of the cores shall be as identified by the Engineer.  Any strengthening works required shall be undertaken before the site is opened to construction traffic.

c. The Developer shall excavate test holes or use ground Radar to locate all services in existing highways in the vicinity of construction works.  These investigations shall be undertaken no less than 3 months before commencement of the works.  The Developer shall ensure appropriate Streetworks permissions to work in the highway are in place and the appropriate traffic management is displayed as required by Chapter 8.

01-33 Road Safety Audits

a. The Developer will be expected to carry out Road Safety Audits in accordance with GG119 of DMRB and NYC’s protocol for Road Safety Audits https://www.standardsforhighways.co.uk/dmrb

This shall apply to all Section 278 and S38 works.  The stages of a Road safety Audit are:

Stage 1:	May be required on completion of the Preliminary design and before a planning permission is issued.
Stage 2:	Shall be undertaken on completion of the detailed design and before a Section 278 Agreement is signed.
Stage 3:	Shall be undertaken on completion of Construction.
Stage 4:	May be required prior to final adoption if directed by the Engineer due to ongoing issues being identified on site.

b. The audits shall be carried out by an Independent Audit Team at the Developer’s expense.  The Audit brief team and date shall be agreed in writing with the LHA before the audit is undertaken.  The NYC Traffic Engineering Team must have first refusal tp undertake the audits and the Developer must make contact to find out if they wish to submit a Tender price for undertaking the RSA work. If not, auditor CV’s must be approved and RSA brief agreed with the Engineer before carrying out an audit.      

c. Any additional work identified by the Audit shall be carried out by the Developer at their expense.  The Engineer may decide, at their discretion, that not all the audit recommendations are appropriate for the location.  If this is the case, a formal Exemption Certificate shall be prepared by the Designers for approval by the Engineer.

01-34 Provisions for LHA Officers on Site

a. The developer shall make available for LHA officers visiting the site appropriate welfare and office facilities.  These shall be regularly cleaned and maintained.