For construction projects, space is a premium. Associated HGV movements for site deliveries cause significant disruption in terms of congestion, air quality and road safety.
Without appropriate logistics planning, vehicles delivering to construction sites can end up either having to queue at the site access point or circling the roads in the local area. This can result in delays, congestion, increased fuel usage, running costs, air pollution, road risk, driver fatigue and costs due to Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs).
Much of this will also impact on local communities.
As well as the guidance below, you may want to read the report Delivery Management and Truck Holding Areas, commissioned by TfL in 2016.
Lorry holding areas – how can they help?
Lorry holding areas alleviate many of these pressures, by enabling vehicles to wait and/or queue at an approved location near a construction site. The vehicles can then be called to site at short notice. Lorry holding areas differ in size and function, but their main purpose is to regulate the flow of traffic to and from a site.
Major construction projects sometimes use areas within neighbouring boroughs or authorities as holding areas. These are generally negotiated and specified as part of the project’s CLP and approved by the local authority.
Despite the fact that lorry holding areas are a CLP Planned Measure, the local area around the lorry holding area may experience its negative impacts if not managed well. Additionally, in many urban areas it is becoming increasingly difficult to find lorry holding areas due to a physical lack of space. Frequently these issues will mean that some boroughs or authorities will simply refuse a request for a lorry holding area.
This brings the problem full circle and with vehicles having to:
- stop illegally, picking up PCNs
- wait with engines idling unnecessarily
- travel more miles
All of which creates more congestion, road risk and emissions.
The use of Lorry Holding Areas as a Planned Measure is part of the CLOCS Standard. This guidance provides supplementary support when developing Construction Logistics Plans (CLPs) and is complementary to the CLP Guidance document.
It includes the various steps you should consider in advance of developing a CLP in relation to vehicles delivering or collecting from a construction site in order to minimise disruption. It also offers a range of options for consideration and includes an alternative to the current method of attempting to locate scant physical space and gaining local authority approval.
Lorry holding areas – good practice checklist
- Appoint a dedicated Construction Logistics Manager who is CLP Practitioner trained. They will be responsible for the early planning of lorry holding area requirements and exploring opportunities. 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.
- Explain the need for lorry holding areas. Consider the different needs for the different construction phases, designated routes and the lorry capacity required. Note that an excess need for lorry holding area capacity can reflect poor logistics planning.
- Appreciate local authority priorities and know the local area. Acknowledge that lorry holding areas should be identified and proposed at least six months before they are needed to allow for timely negotiation, approval and implementation.
- Identify the owners of any under-utilised land capacity on designated routes that could be used for lorry holding areas. Be aware that commercial land owners may be risk averse when co-operation is sought.
- Identify and establish a relationship with neighbouring sites to determine whether lorry holding areas are used and could be shared or whether site areas could be utilised at different project phases and explore opportunities for collaboration.
- Demonstrate initiative – finding an area often comes down to innovative thinking. Audit local roads to identify times at restricted kerb space where roadside dispensations could be implemented.
- Propose emerging technology such as an intelligent kerbside management system to create and control virtual lorry holding areas. Speak to neighbouring local authorities, who may already be using intelligent kerbside management for roadside deliveries.
- Propose emerging technology such as an intelligent kerbside management system to create and control virtual lorry holding areas. Speak to neighbouring local authorities, who may already be using intelligent kerbside management for roadside deliveries.
- Lorry holding areas should be half a mile from site, but close to the major road network. In opportunity area planning frameworks, an organised network of lorry holding areas serving the area should be controlled and co-ordinated by the local authority.
- Monitor the impact of congestion at the site access point to determine the effectiveness of logistics planning and the use of lorry holding areas.
The next steps
Whilst in theory the use of lorry holding areas provide an ideal solution to the problem of vehicles waiting, circling or parking illegally near construction sites; the issue of space to create them will forever be a problem in densely populated urban centres. This is compounded by the need for local authority approval and multiple departments within the authority need to play a part in the process. The requirement for suitable lorry holding areas, or a viable solution is becoming increasingly acute. In order to find a resolution to this problem, the key is to identify spare capacity. Local authorities, land owners and the construction industry need to be flexible and work together. There are a number of potential options to adopt lorry holding areas as part of a CLP – forward (and sometimes creative) thinking is essential:
Finding viable space
Utilising pockets of land or re-allocating road space is key and being observant in the vicinity of the site may offer up opportunities of viable space which could be utilised. For example, lorry holding areas can be created near to a development by relocating a taxi rank and parking spaces. Although it can involve a lengthy process in terms of the investigations and approvals process, it can result in no circling vehicles, more vehicles kept off the road network, site efficiency maintained, and costs reduced
Collaboration with neighbouring sites
By establishing relationships with other local sites, there may be opportunities for working together to share space, existing lorry holding areas or to work collaboratively on a joint solution.
Exploring innovative technology solutions
Technology is providing innovative solutions to help with a range of construction issues. A technology-based option for establishing and operating lorry holding areas explores restricted space at the roadside and negotiates a regulatory dispensation with the local authorities. The council dispensation requires the use of an intelligent kerbside management system and creates a virtual lorry holding areas. This provides win-win benefits for:
Developers and contractors
- A speedier solution than applying to boroughs for creation of specific holding areas
- Solution can be built in as part of a CLP without approvals required so long as local borough is also using the solution
- Reduces negative impacts on road network like emissions, congestion and road risk
Lorry operators
- Provides efficiency, saving time and money
- Reduces fuel usage, running costs and driver stress
- Reduces PCNs and the associated administration time and cost
Local authorities
- Reduces time and cost in investigating and approving specific holding areas
- Reduces cost and time of administering challenged PCNs
- Minimises impact on local communities and supports Local Plan objectives
- Can create a viable revenue stream enabling positive traffic management outcomes
