Requirements overview
For information regarding the Infrastructure Planning team’s role at the feasibility and preliminary design stages of the development please refer to Highway Development Management ‘Preparing Development Proposals’.
Road works, including structures, should be designed in accordance with the Design Layout and Materials and Construction sections of the LHDG. The developer should also refer to the councils Palettes of Materials when designing a scheme.
Technical approval will only be issued by the council when:
- All checks are completed, and the council are satisfied that the design meets all required standards
- The stage 1 and 2 safety audit processes have been satisfactorily completed
- Ordinary Watercourse Consent is completed (where required)
- Existing carriageway and drainage surveys and investigations have been submitted.
Drawings issued must meet the council’s format requirements (See LHDG Legal Agreement Applications and Plan Requirements).
It is vital that the highway works are designed by reputable, chartered consulting engineers with experience in designing highway works. Please inform the council of developer proposed design consultant prior to starting design work. In some case will request additional details to assess their suitability. The council reserves the right to determine the acceptability of consultants who are proposed to prepare designs for works involving the public highway.
Road safety audits are required for all highway works covered by Section 278 agreements. Audits must be carried out by an accredited safety audit team that is independent from the designers.
Technical approval does not guarantee the buildability of the proposed scheme which is undertaken based on the details provided with the design submission. It’s the responsibility of the developer to ensure designs are buildable on site.
Detailed design
Detailed design must be submitted to the council in accordance with the completed checklist provided with the application form.
At this stage the council will also require:
- The results of surveys and investigations with utility/statutory undertakers companies
- The results of surveys and investigations in relation to the composition and condition of the existing highway network (carriageway construction)
- Details of the developer’s street lighting design.
When the suitability of the detailed design has been agreed, technical approval will be issued. Please note that technical approval does not discharge any responsibilities under the terms of the s278 agreement. As required, works must be amended to the standards and specifications contained within the agreement and satisfy the recommendations of the Stage 3 road safety audit.
Technical approval is valid for 12 months from the date of the approval notification. If a legal agreement has not been signed by both parties at the point at which the approval expires, then the approval documents will need to be resubmitted to the council for review and the bond recalculated. Additional fees will be charged for any subsequent reviews of approval documents submitted following a lapse in the validation period.
Structures
Where the highway works involve structures, please refer to Design Layouts Highway Structures for design requirements.
Traffic-signal equipment
Please contact the Highway Authority at an early stage for advice regarding traffic-signal equipment, procedures, design, supply and installation requirements of traffic-control equipment which forms part of the highway works.
To assist the carrying out of future maintenance and installation work, council officers should be allowed access to any part of the site on which cables, pipes, ducts or other apparatus associated with the traffic-signal equipment is to be installed or is located at all reasonable. Please refer to the submission requirements for ‘traffic signals equipment’.