The government has published full details of its plan to introduce flexible working hours on construction sites.
New legislation is being introduced swiftly to allow contractors to comply with social distancing requirements by allowing staggered starts and finishes.
When the Business and Planning Bill is passed on 29 June, 2020, local authorities will have just 14 days to rule on extended working hours applications.
If they fail to meet the deadline, then the application will be deemed to have been passed.
Councils are being told they should not refuse applications to extend working hours until 9pm, Monday to Saturday without very compelling reasons.
Meanwhile, for construction sites without residential neighbours, 24-hour working could be allowed, if justified.
In all cases, site managers are asked to be sympathetic and try to lessen local impacts.
Any extended working hours can remain in place until April 2021.
The government said the Business and Planning Bill would complete all legislative stages in the House of Commons on June 29.
Information to be provided will include:
- The planning permission to which the application relates
- Existing agreed construction working hours
- Details to identify the condition or approved document such as a construction management plan which details the working hours
- Proposed revised construction working hours
- The date the revised construction working hours should take effect
- A date on which the application is sent
- A date on which the revised construction working hours should cease to have effect.
To aid swift decision making, applicants should also provide the following:
- A short justification on why extended hours are necessary to enable safe working practices on-site
- Details of their mitigation plans.
The applications can only be made online. For more information on the full proposals, click here.
