Crane or Mobile Elevating Work Platform on the highway terms and conditions

Conditions of Permit

The Licensee will indemnify us (Kent County Council) to the value of £5 million by the Licensee from and against all actions and claims arising out of the positioning of the crane and you are required to submit proof of this prior to the commencement of the work along with a copy of your £5 million public liability insurance.

All applications must be made by the main operator, who will be held by KCC to be responsible for all matters pertaining to the plant and its use on the highway.

Any reference to crane includes any crane ‘oversailing’ the highway and any Mobile Elevating Work Platform (a mechanical device that provides temporary access for one or more individuals via a movable platform to an area at a height above ground level, commonly referred to as vertical scissor lift, cherry picker, boom lift, lift platform or aerial work platform).

The permit application must be completed and submitted to the relevant KCC Highways and Transportation Office along with:

• 3 copies of a traffic management plan (no smaller than 1:2500 scale)
• method statement and site-specific risk assessment
• copy of your crane operators qualifications
• overall crane dimensions, including details of the load being lifted
• details of how the crane will be transported to and from site, especially if such transportation will involve the movement of an abnormal load on the highway
• proof of Public Liability Insurance to the value of £5 million, against any liability, loss or damage, claim or proceeding whatsoever arising under Statute or Common Law in respect of placing and using a crane on or over the highway or its removal.

In assessing any application KCC will require that a crane shall be positioned so that it does not impede the surface water drainage of the highway or obstruct access to any manhole or the apparatus of any Statutory Undertaker or KCC.

No crane shall partly or wholly obstruct a footway without the express permission of KCC Highways and Transportation and is conditional upon the provision of a 1.5-metre-wide pedestrian walkway, anything less than 1.5 metres by agreement only. This walkway is to be cordoned off in accordance with the Department of Transport ‘Traffic Signs Manual’ Chapter 8.

A crane shall be removed as soon as practicably possible once it has finished being used by the customer and should not remain on the highway after its permit has expired.

The works shall be carried out with all speed and diligence. No works will be carried out at night, weekends or bank holidays unless prior approval has been obtained from KCC Highways and Transportation.

Please note that it is necessary for KCC Highways and Transportation to receive an application for a crane permit, a minimum of 5 working days prior to the intended placing of a crane on or over the highway. It is expected that a minimum of 3 working days’ notice for any renewal is given. If a road closure is needed, then a minimum of 3 months’ notice is required.

It will be necessary for KCC Highways and Transportation to check the site location as to suitability before a permit is issued. This may necessitate a joint site inspection (KCC and Crane Operator). If a further inspection is required, then a further fee of £50 becomes payable by the crane operator. Spot checks will be made to ensure compliance. The applicant shall enable the council to inspect the operations at all reasonable times.

The applicant shall note that the council may, if it thinks fit and reasonable to do so, terminate this consent without notice. At such a time all operations and plant shall be dismantled and removed from the highway without delay.

Any location given on the permit application shall be unambiguous and will include property numbers where possible, rather than proper names of private properties or businesses.

In the placing and operation of a crane the applicant is required to adhere to Code of Practice 3010:1972 and BS7121, Part 1,1989: both of which refer to “Safe Use of Cranes”, with particular attention drawn to the following sections:

• Planning / Management of the lifting operation, to include a minimum clearance of 5.7m above the carriageway and 2.7 m above the footway
• Selection and duties of personnel
• Safety
• Siting of cranes
• Erection and dismantling
• Operating conditions
• Handling of loads, to include no swinging of a load over the live carriageway
• Raising or lowering of personnel
• Signalling systems

The signing and guarding of the works shall be in strict compliance with the Traffic Signs Manual Chapter 8 (Traffic Safety Measures and Signs for Road Works and Temporary Situations) and the Safety at Street Works and Road Works A Code of Practice 2013. The applicant shall take all steps to ensure safety of the public and shall comply with all reasonable requests made by the council and all other authorised persons.

Should a crane be in a position on the public highway where payment is necessary for parking (for example in a pay and display zone), it is the responsibility of the owner of the crane to place any necessary monies with the relevant authorities, prior to placement of the crane on or over the highway.

No crane shall be placed in, on or along any part of a bus stop or bus lane. KCC Highways and Transportation should be contacted if this is unavoidable prior to your application being submitted.

The applicant shall note that in the event of any damage, of any kind whatsoever, being caused to the public highway or assets as a result of their works at the location described, the applicant shall hereby undertake to pay KCC the total cost of any repairs to the public highway as may be deemed necessary by the KCC Streetworks Inspector.

This permit is being issued on the understanding that the crane is being used in conjunction with work at the premises named in the application and for no other purpose.

If any crane is found on the public highway without a valid permit, a charge of £47.50 plus a retrospective permit fee of £169 per 7 days (or part thereof) will be incurred by the crane operator, along with Lane Rental charges (if applicable).