Highways 171 license

[john p]

We recently ‘got busted’ by Somerset Highways while felling some dead elms on a very quiet country lane. We had appropriate TM/signs in place, using a mewp because of adjacent phone lines.

 

Highways matey drives up asking if we’ve got a 171 and we need a road closure because there wasn’t enough room to have cones 1.2 meters from the mewp.

 

Just looked on highways website and they want £232 for the license for a £280 pound job!

 

I’m a bit concerned that not many customers are going to want to stump up that cost on a job. And now my card is marked! Curious to know if everyone applies for these licenses as a matter of course, and are your customers happy to pay?

[roseyweb]

That's cheap for a road closure, I paid £1,500 to close a road around here on Sunday. That's before I paid the TM company to put up the closure, signs and diversion.

 

sticking up traffic lights is free but you need a permit still, 

we loose a lot of work as we don't do bodge TM and usually the next week we will see the local landscaper with a transit blocking the path and raining branches in the road. 

[john p]

That's cheap for a road closure, I paid £1,500 to close a road around here on Sunday. That's before I paid the TM company to put up the closure, signs and diversion.
 
sticking up traffic lights is free but you need a permit still, 
we loose a lot of work as we don't do bodge TM and usually the next week we will see the local landscaper with a transit blocking the path and raining branches in the road. 

The road closure would be £1200, but from what he was saying, any work on the highway or adjacent to it would need a 171 at a cost of £232. So even if we were straight felling them back into the field we would still need it...

[steve30]

It’s a good revenue earner for them, some of the fines they are dishing out now are massive.

 

[ESS]

9 hours ago, john p said:

The road closure would be £1200, but from what he was saying, any work on the highway or adjacent to it would need a 171 at a cost of £232. So even if we were straight felling them back into the field we would still need it...

I have worked on several FC sites in recent months adjacent to roads. They insist on TM for any felling work,..mechanical or manual up to 2 tree lengths from road. Two reds whilst felling takes place.

[Toad]

A s.171 license isn't quite correct, as Big J says, it is usually for excavations on the highway, bit in the case of Somerset Highways it might be the most appropriate license they have decided on for Arb work/tree felling. We would use a building materials in the highway license where I was. The s.171 license will require the applicant to prove they have insurance and the traffic management qualifications to allow them to be on the road and the permit will allow the occupation of the road to be recorded properly so there won't be clashes with other roadworks or diversion routes.

[john p]

A s.171 license isn't quite correct, as Big J says, it is usually for excavations on the highway, bit in the case of Somerset Highways it might be the most appropriate license they have decided on for Arb work/tree felling. We would use a building materials in the highway license where I was. The s.171 license will require the applicant to prove they have insurance and the traffic management qualifications to allow them to be on the road and the permit will allow the occupation of the road to be recorded properly so there won't be clashes with other roadworks or diversion routes.

Yeah, I think that’s the case here, on their website it’s says a 171 is required for any work on or adajacent to the highway,

[Toad]

46 minutes ago, ESS said:

I have worked on several FC sites in recent months adjacent to roads. They insist on TM for any felling work,..mechanical or manual up to 2 tree lengths from road. Two reds whilst felling takes place.

That would be what I would have asked for. 2 way lights in all red is a great alternative to a closure for a short period of time. 

[ESS]

21 minutes ago, Toad said:

That would be what I would have asked for. 2 way lights in all red is a great alternative to a closure for a short period of time. 

On one site we had 2 weeks cover,one lane closed alternating lights, 2 reds whilst felling.

Without looking into it I suspect it is a FISA recommendation as I looked at a private estate job recently and it was needed for a few roadside trees.

Certainly as far as forestry goes, if its a recommendation the shit would hit the fan in the event of something going wrong.

[dumper]

We use these almost daily. no 171 “open notice” can lead to a lot of problems they then start asking for streetworks ! supervisor and operative and you can’t be both. The fines keep the local authority in business. From talking to my local area supervisor in Essex they see tree works as a revenue stream to be exploited. just having to park your truck in the road requires notice and compliant signing and guarding if not another fine. All the utility companies are conversant with them. Some opt to pay the fine if they get caught and hope they don’t.