Construction Traffic Management Plans
Practical Construction Traffic Management Plans for Planning and Development
DW Transportation prepares Construction Traffic Management Plans (CTMPs) for developments throughout the UK, helping developers, contractors and planning consultants manage the highway impacts associated with construction activity.
A CTMP sets out how construction traffic will access and leave a development site and the measures that will be put in place to minimise disruption to the surrounding highway network, neighbouring properties and other road users.
CTMPs are frequently required as a condition of planning permission, although they may also be requested during the planning application process where construction access or traffic movements are likely to be a particular consideration.
Our approach is practical and proportionate to the scale of the development, providing the information required by the relevant planning and highway authorities without unnecessarily complicating the construction process.
When Is a Construction Traffic Management Plan Required?
A CTMP may be required where construction activity has the potential to affect the operation or safety of the surrounding highway network.
This is particularly common where sites have constrained access arrangements, are located within residential areas, generate significant HGV movements or are close to schools, pedestrian routes or other sensitive locations.
The requirement is often secured through a planning condition requiring a CTMP to be submitted and approved before construction or development commences.
Where a planning condition has already been imposed, DW Transportation can review its precise wording and prepare the CTMP specifically around the information required to discharge the condition.
What Does a Construction Traffic Management Plan Include?
The precise content will depend on the development and the requirements of the relevant authority, but a CTMP will typically consider:
construction vehicle access and egress;
anticipated construction vehicle types and movements;
construction traffic routes;
delivery arrangements and hours;
loading and unloading of materials;
contractor and construction worker parking;
wheel washing and measures to prevent mud and debris being deposited on the highway;
temporary traffic management where required;
pedestrian and cyclist safety;
construction vehicle turning and manoeuvring;
site compounds and material storage; and
measures to minimise disturbance to neighbouring properties and other highway users.
For larger or more constrained developments, additional measures may be necessary, such as delivery booking systems, banksmen, temporary signage, restrictions on HGV movements during peak periods or arrangements for particularly large construction vehicles.
The level of detail should be appropriate to the development rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach.
Construction Vehicle Access and Swept Path Analysis
One of the most important considerations is establishing whether the vehicles required during construction can safely access and leave the site.
This can be particularly challenging where construction access is constrained by narrow roads, parked vehicles, boundary walls or restricted junction geometry.
DW Transportation can undertake swept path analysis using appropriate construction vehicles to demonstrate that the proposed access arrangements are workable and to identify any temporary measures that may be required.
Where necessary, this can include assessment of articulated HGVs, rigid construction vehicles, concrete mixers and other vehicles expected to access the site.
Construction Traffic Routes
The route used by construction vehicles can be just as important as the site access itself.
Where possible, construction traffic should use routes that are suitable for the size and type of vehicles involved while avoiding unnecessary movements through sensitive residential streets.
A CTMP can identify preferred construction traffic routes between the site and the strategic or principal highway network and, where appropriate, identify roads or movements that construction vehicles should avoid.
The proposed route should take account of matters such as road width, weight or height restrictions, bridge constraints, junction geometry and sensitive neighbouring uses.
Deliveries and Construction Vehicle Management
On constrained sites, there may be insufficient space for construction vehicles to wait within the development.
In these circumstances, deliveries may need to be carefully managed to prevent vehicles waiting on the surrounding highway or arriving simultaneously.
A delivery booking system can be used to coordinate vehicle arrivals, while banksmen or other trained personnel may be required to assist vehicles entering or leaving particularly constrained sites.
Where appropriate, delivery times can also be managed to avoid the busiest periods on the surrounding highway network or sensitive times such as school arrival and departure periods.
Protecting the Surrounding Highway
Construction activity should not result in unacceptable damage or obstruction to the public highway.
A CTMP can therefore set out measures for keeping the highway clear of mud and debris, managing construction materials within the site and preventing construction vehicles from obstructing pedestrian routes or neighbouring accesses.
Depending on the nature of the development, measures may include wheel washing facilities, road sweeping, temporary protective measures and procedures for monitoring the condition of the highway during construction.
Discharging Construction Traffic Planning Conditions
Where planning permission has already been granted subject to a CTMP condition, the objective is normally straightforward: provide the information necessary to satisfy the condition and allow the development to proceed.
DW Transportation can review the planning permission, highway authority comments and relevant drawings before preparing a CTMP specifically addressing the requirements of the condition.
Where comments are subsequently received from the planning or highway authority, we can also assist with amendments and responses through to discharge of the condition.
Construction Traffic Management Plans for Different Developments
The scale of a CTMP should reflect the scale and complexity of the project.
A small residential development with occasional deliveries does not require the same level of traffic management as a major commercial development generating regular HGV movements.
DW Transportation provides proportionate construction traffic advice for residential, commercial, retail, industrial and mixed-use developments, ranging from small constrained sites to larger developments requiring more detailed construction traffic management arrangements.
Need a Construction Traffic Management Plan?
Whether a CTMP is required to support a planning application or discharge a planning condition, early consideration of construction access can help identify potential problems before work begins.
DW Transportation can review the site, planning requirements and proposed construction arrangements and advise on the appropriate level of assessment.
Contact us to discuss your development and the Construction Traffic Management Plan requirements.