Devolved Services Scope Document
Author: Donna Boardman
Date: 26/09/2014
Version: 3.0
Executive Summary
E
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Services in Scope
As part of the offer Parishes will be expected to deliver the essential services in the table below:
Service
Urban Grass Cuts
(RM15003)
Description
Cutting of grass verges within
30 mph limit. This excludes
rural grass cuts which are those
outside 30mph limit. Parishes
with urban areas where a road
with a 40mph limit runs
through it will be dealt with on
a case by case basis.
Minimum Standard
Information on Hazard and
Speed limit signs is legible to
oncoming road users.
Treatment of cuttings:
Cuttings must be left to
mulch on the road side,
disposed of commercially or
composted in the
community. They must not
be taken to the local
household recycling site.
Weed control of
noxious and injurious
types on pavements
Control the spread of weeds
which can damage habits and
agricultural land. These are:
 Common ragwort
 Creeping thistle
 Field thistle
 Spear thistle
 Curled and broad-leaved
dock.
Signs on verge are not
obscured by vegetation. To
maintain green cover and
protect habitats.
Do not apply fertiliser within
two metres of the centre of
a hedgerow, watercourse or
field ditch
• within one metre of the
top of the bank of a
watercourse or field ditch.
Signs must be clearly visible.
It is advised that they are
cleaned with cold soapy
water and a brush.
(RM15007)
Cleaning of traffic
signs
Information on Hazard and
Speed limit signs must be
legible to oncoming motorists.
Minor repairs to
traffic sign
Minor repairs to traffic signs,
such as tightening of brackets
where a sign has slipped. Signs
that are badly damaged (e.g.
bent, buckled) must be
reported to TfB for repair.
Information on Hazard and
Speed limit signs must be
clearly visible and legible to
oncoming road users.
Trimming vegetation
obstructing
pavements (or
liaising with
landowner to carry
out where
appropriate)
Where vegetation is obscuring
pavements this should be
removed to ensure pedestrians
can navigate the route.
Pavements must be
removed of all obstructions.
Pavements are accessible to
pedestrians. Encroaching
grass must be cut out of
pavements. Where
landowners are involved
they must be made aware
of their obligations and
prompted to clear footpaths
and pavements.
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Health and Safety
Personal Protective
equipment (PPE) is
worn/used. Correct type
of grass cutting equipment
used for different
environments (steep
verges etc). A risk
assessment must be
carried out. Legislation
relating to safe working
on/near carriageways
must be observed. When
using specialist equipment
staff must be properly
trained.
Specific training in safe use
of chemicals. The
employer is responsible
for providing all PPE stated
on the herbicide’s label.
Legislation relating to safe
working on/near
carriageways must be
observed. When using
specialist equipment staff
must be properly trained.
Personal Protective
equipment (PPE) is worn/
used when working
on/near carriageways.
Legislation relating to safe
working on/near
carriageways must be
observed. When using
specialist equipment staff
must be properly trained.
Personal Protective
equipment (PPE) is worn/
used when working
on/near carriageways.
Legislation relating to safe
working on/near
carriageways must be
observed. When using
specialist equipment staff
must be properly trained.
Personal Protective
equipment (PPE) is worn/
used when working
on/near carriageways.
Legislation relating to safe
working on/near
carriageways must be
observed. When using
specialist equipment staff
must be properly trained.
Checking for
obstructions to
pavements
Hedge cutting
(RM15006)
Rights of Way
clearance
Serving of hedge
cutting notices
Siding out of
overgrown
pavements
Clearing of drainage
grips and kerb weirs
in order to keep the
highways free from
standing water
Check that pavements are clear
of obstructions, such as
scaffolding and debris, and
arrange for removal. A vehicle
blocking a vehicular access or
footpath should be reported to
the local police, as they have
sole enforcement powers.
Cutting hedges which are a
danger
to
road
users.
Landowners must be found in
the first instance and issued a
hedge cutting notice. If they
cannot be found or they have
not cut the hedge (and it is still
deemed a danger), Parishes/
Clusters will cut the hedge.
Pavements are accessible
for pedestrians.
N/A
Information on Hazard and
Speed limit signs is legible to
oncoming road users. Visual
splays are clear.
Rights of Way (RoW) includes
any path listed on BCCs annual
clearance schedule (bridleways,
footpaths,
byways
and
restricted byways). Clearance
means surface moving or public
rights of way network up to the
parish
boundary
where
landowners have not carried
this out. Parishes have the right
to issue a notice to landowners
to surface mow the network.
The landowner is responsible
for ensuring hedge trees are
safe and if they fall across the
public right of way they are
removed. They also have
responsibility for cutting hedge
growth across a right of way.
Send requests to frontages and
landowners to deal with
overhanging vegetation that is
causing an obstruction and/or
danger to the public highway. If
no
co-operation
of
the
landowner within 14 days a
reminder letter is sent, if no
response the matter is referred
to the LAT.
Preventing the encroachment
of verge soil and growth onto
the pavement. This is essential
if overgrown pavements are
obscuring visual splays.
Rights of way are accessible
for pedestrians.
Personal Protective
equipment (PPE) is worn/
used when working
on/near carriageways.
Legislation relating to safe
working on/near
carriageways must be
observed. When using
specialist equipment staff
must be properly trained.
Training must be given to
operate mowing
equipment. A risk
assessment must be
carried out.
Cleansing of silt, debris and
water from drainage grips for
removal of surface water from
the carriageway.
Legal minimum width is
1.5meters for a public
footpath and 3meters for a
public bridleway.
Right to demand that an
obstruction is removed and
to recover costs of removal.
Clearance does not include
hedge cutting, clearing of
side growths or cutting
down trees.
Information on Hazard and
Speed limit signs is legible to
oncoming road users. Visual
displays are clear.
Pavements and RoW are
accessible to pedestrians;
and bridleways to
pedestrians and horses.
N/A
Signs on verge are not
obscured by vegetation.
Cyclical maintenance
approx. once every 2/3
years.
Also carried out before
routine maintenance work,
such as surface dressing.
Drainage
grips
cleared
annually.
Dump ditch material into
fields rather than leave on
the side.
N/A
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Use of vehicle for drainage
clearing?
Open grips and ditches can
be dug by hand.
Removal of fly
posters and other
illegal signs
Approval of charity
event advertising
signage
Maintenance of BCC
street furniture
including repair,
replacement or
repainting
Fly posters and signs which are
illegally erected must be
removed to ensure the general
tidiness and maintenance of the
network. This becomes
essential if they obscure signs.
Charity
event
advertising
signage may be put up,
however,
this
must
be
approved by the Parish and is
deemed illegal if put up without
approval.
Maintaining street furniture,
such as seating, cycle racks,
bollards and decorative lighting.
Limited to those erected
within the public highway or
attached to street furniture.
Procedure
outlined
in
footnote.1
Personal Protective
equipment (PPE) is worn/
used when working
on/near carriageways.
Limited to the locations
listed and administered in
accordance with procedure
outlined in footnote.2
N/A
Inspect street furniture and
undertake minor repairs or
repainting.
Report major damage or
vandalism?
N/A
Services out of Scope
The services which are out of scope are as follows:
 Passenger Transport: This is delivered by Amey. Parishes may wish to be involved in the various community
transport projects around the county.
 Street Lighting: Although towns and Parishes are encouraged to report defects with street lights.
 Winter maintenance: Although Parishes are involved in minor winter maintenance involving salting of
footpaths and some roads, TfB will continue to respond to emergency road clearance and maintain the
network during winter.
 Parking services: Town Councils and Parishes may report parking infringements to the police or BCC but
they do not have the powers to issue Penalty Charge Notices.
 Road Space Management: This requires coordination at a strategic level across the county and would not
be appropriate for Parishes to manage.
 Capital Works: These are large scale programmes which require BCC expertise to manage.
 Asset management: Requires BCC expert knowledge to manage.
 Traffic Management: Requires BCC expert knowledge to deliver.
 Casualty Reduction: Parishes may be involved in this, however, it requires countywide coordination.
 Routine maintenance: As mentioned in 4.2.4 there are a number of areas where Parishes will be able to
conduct maintenance, however the following areas are not appropriate for Parishes to deliver because they
involve work on or by the highway:
o Filling of category 1 & 2 potholes;
o Resurfacing of roads;
o Replacements of road signs;
o Rural Grass cuts (outside the 30mph boundary);
o Major siding out;
o Drainage schemes;
o Lining works;
o Minor patching;
o Any works involving positive traffic management.
 Safety Inspections: Parishes do not have the expertise to carry this out.
 Transportation systems: Parishes do not have the expertise or the strategic view of the network to manage
transport;
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1: Letter to be sent to the individual, business or organisation responsible for placing the sign requesting their cooperation by
removing with 14 days, 2: Should the sign not be removed pursuant to 1, a follow up letter must be sent upon the expiry of the 14 days
giving a further 7 days’ notice for removal after which the sign will be removed and returned to store and held for 28days. 3: A charge of
£25 per sign will be levied for the signs to be reclaimed. 4: If the signs are not collected within 28 days then they will be disposed of. 5:
Should offenders persist on replacing illegal signs BCC retains the right to take whatever legal action it considers appropriate.
2 Charity event signage will only be permitted if a request for permission is made and approved and subject to the sign permit general
conditions. All requests must be sent to the Parish Clerk and each request considered on its merits and in light of the general conditions.
If a request is approved, the approval letter should be sent to the applicant on Parish Council headed paper.
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 Structures: Parishes do not have the expertise to manage carriageway structures.
Existing Range of Powers
Parishes & Town Councils have a wide range of existing powers to deliver services and in the majority of cases,
there is no legal bar to them taking on services or managing assets. They and principal authorities frequently
have concurrent powers where both can provide a service, so delegation from one to the other is possible.
These include:3
o Power to maintain footpaths and bridle-ways;
o Power to light roads and public places;
o Power to enter into agreement as to dedication and widening;
o Power to provide roadside seats and shelters;
o Power to complain to highway authority as to unlawful stopping up or obstruction of highway or unlawful
encroachment on roadside wastes;
o Power to provide traffic signs and other objects or devices warning of danger;
o Power to plant trees and lay out grass verges etc. and to maintain them;
o Powers to contribute financially to traffic calming schemes;
o Power to deal with ponds and ditches;
o Power to take enforcement action against those that fly-post or graffiti.
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http://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/GetAsset.aspx?id=fAA0ADIAMgA3AHwAfABUAHIAdQBlAHwAfAAwAHwA0
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