Information about Devon Highways policy of using grass verges in the countryside for tipping waste material from other projects/works, including environmental and planning assessments/permissions. To take a specific example, in early 2017 and early 2018 material has been dumped on the verge between Meshaw Crossroads and Gidley Arms Crossroads, which included road chipping as well as tonnes of earth. After reporting this as fly tipping, I assume there must be a policy connected to this plan and I want information about this policy and associated matters.
All tipping of waysoil on verges and hedgebanks are a consequence of highway maintenance works such as siding, watertabling and ditch cleaning operations. These works are undertaken by Skanska, who are contractually obligated to comply with the Siding and Watertabling Policy and the Term Maintenance Contract Specification Series 7400 Highway Cleaning.
The Devon Highways Sampling Plan’s aim is to ensure both Skanska and Devon County Council comply with legal requirements over waste management and waste classification associated with highways maintenance works.
Devon County Council will formally identify locations where waysoil can be deposited to assist Skanska. One of those locations is identified in this information request. The Highways Neighbourhood Officer will determine the need for any necessary structural repairs to a verge that may have been damaged by vehicle over run, for example. Skanska will then deposit waysoil in strict compliance with the policy and specification. It is unlikely that the material deposited at the location identified above came from gully or ditch clearance as that is not permitted material and is easily identified as unsuitable.
The Neighbourhood Officer is investigating the location referred to in the request and where non-compliance is evident the verge will be reworked to ensure its condition complies with the requirements of the policy and specification.
In terms of the Siding and Watertabling Policy, we refer to:
• Section 3.0 How Objectives are Achieved part (iv) and
• Section 4.0 Procedures part (i) – (vii)
In terms of contractual specification, we refer specifically to:
• Clause 7403DAR Siding to Carriageways and Footways
o sub-clauses 7403.2 ‘ 7403.17 inclusive regarding carriageway and footway siding and the deposition of waysoil to verges and hedgebanks.
• Clause 7407DAR Open channel Drain Cleaning (to include ‘Deep Gutters’)
o Sub-clauses 7407.2 – 7403.5 inclusive
• Clause 7408DAR Ditch and Grip cleaning (to include ‘Ditched Easements’)
o Sub-clauses 7408.2 and 7408.3, 7408.5, 7408.6, 7408.8, 7408.9, 7408.11 ‘ 7408.13 inclusive and Figures 41/1, 42/3 ‘ 42/6 inclusive.