This guidance has been written to provide supplementary support when developing Construction Logistics Plans (CLPs) and is complementary to the Construction Logistics Plan Guidance document.
It includes the various steps you should consider when developing a CLP to minimise the impact of construction on the various communities local to a construction site or infrastructure project.
Who makes up a ‘community’?
The construction phase of any development will have significant impacts on the surrounding community, particularly for those who are located near a work site. A local community may include any of the following:
- Residential areas
- Businesses
- Transport hubs
- Places of worship
- Sports facilities
- Public institutions such as schools, hospitals, health and community centres
These communities will be made up of a diverse range of ‘users’ including:
- Owners or tenants of residential properties
- Owners, building managers and employees of local businesses
- Managers, employees and users of public institutions, transport hubs etc
This is not a definitive list of the types of places and people who make up a community and will differ depending on the location and locality of each construction or infrastructure project.
Vulnerable road users (VRUs), such as cyclists and pedestrians, are also part of a community.
Why community engagement is important
It’s vital to build and maintain strong and effective relationships with local communities, irrespective of the size and scope of any construction or infrastructure project. Failure to do so has the potential to impose time delays, financial impacts or even to terminate a project.
In addition, not involving the local community in your project development can also have serious long-term negative impact on the community’s economic, environmental or social situation.
Engagement – the earlier the better
It’s recommended that engagement with a local community begins as soon as possible once a project proposal has been made public – this is usually when a public exhibition or consultation is announced.
This stage is critical and will inform the community engagement strategy. It will identify the extent of the potential impacts and all those who may be affected should be invited to view and comment on proposals. This invitation should typically include homes, businesses, institutions etc local to the construction or project development site.
It’s also essential to give equal importance to all phases of a project, including demolition and construction. Sole focus should not be placed on the final build, its appearance and long-term impacts. Setting realistic expectations for the local community will only help develop and strengthen relationships.
The next steps
From the outset of a project, in collaboration with the developer, you should look to hold well-publicised meetings in the local community. Timely invitations should be extended to all residents, businesses, institutions etc. You should also consider and provide details on:
- Any working group that has responsibility for co-ordinating and interfacing with the local community
- An individual who has responsibility for community engagement on behalf of their developer and their contact details
- How this person’s contact details will be shared with and made available to the whole local community
The following ideas, recommendations and steps were preovided by contractors and can be used these as examples in writing your CLP:
A good practice checklist
- A dedicated Community Liaison Manager will be appointed to the project. They will be responsible for the delivery of an effective community engagement strategy.
- Regular community liaison meetings should be held to update local businesses and residents of the area on the activities and to respond quickly to any concerns raised.
- Newsletters should be sent out updating the local community of any site activity or any upcoming works that might affect them.
- A direct hotline number to the Community Liaison Manager should be clearly displayed, so if the public have any questions or queries, they can make direct contact.
- All complaints and issues raised by neighbours and members of the public must be recorded in a logbook, which will be discussed at project meetings and made available to the appropriate stakeholders.
- The complaint log will include the date, the nature of the complaint and what was done to resolve it. In some circumstances an issue could form the subject of a toolbox talk, to help relay the message to front-line workers.
- Hold regular Working Group meetings to ensure coordination at the interfaces with project neighbours.
- Refer to Considerate Constructor Scheme audits, the scoring and monitor’s feedback.
- Refer to CLOCS site review visits for performance against the CLOCS Standard
Community feedback methods
To enable two-way communication with the community and to collect ongoing feedback, the following are recommended:
- A letter box clearly displayed on a section of hoarding. Care is needed as this can be abused and used as a litter bin.
- An online web page, including a box for comments. These should be collated with responses in updates.
- Social media – to provide instant responses, deal with unexpected situations and advise on outcomes.
- A 24/7 telephone line – useful for those who may not have access to the internet or use social media.
- A newsletter – displayed on hoarding and sent by email. Include contact details and working methods.
How to manage feedback
On receipt of feedback, the Community Liaison Manager and their team should collate all the comments and responses to demonstrate that the issue has been recognised and steps taken to address any concerns.
In addition, the reasons why certain solutions have been chosen and why others are not practical should be clearly articulated and communicated via the channels outlined above.
Openness is essential to demonstrate that the feedback is taken seriously and can influence how the contractor reacts to the issues. The more the processes can be explained, the better they are received, even if they do have an impact on the public.
