Lot 1 – National Vegetation & Environmental Services Contract
Part A
Service Information
Contract Specifications
Table of Contents
1.Canal & River Trust’s Overarching Strategy
2.Contract Terms
3.Contract Objectives
4.Scope of Works & Services
5.Contract Start & Mobilisation
6.Geographical Scope of Contract
7.Legislation, Standards & Other Requirements
7.1Statuary notifications & Consents
7.2Management & Organisation
8.Health & Safety Management
8.1Environmental Management
9.Performance Monitoring
9.1Performance Reporting
10.Key Performance Indicators
11.Planning, Programming & Reporting
11.1Planning & Programming
11.2Daily Reporting
11.3Weekly Reporting
11.4Local Contract Delivery Area Monthly Meeting
11.5Bi-Annual Meeting
11.6Working Hours
12.Additional Works
13.Task Order Works & Services
14.Corporate Image & Identification
14.1Corporate Image
14.2Identification
15.Training & Competence
16.Sub-Contracting
17.Safe Systems of Work
17.1Emergency Plans & Procedures
17.2First Aid & Emergency Kit
17.3Towpath Assessments
17.4Public Access
17.5Protecting the Worksite
17.6Biohazards
17.7Weils Disease (Leptospirosis)
17.8Lyme disease
17.9Blue Green Algae
17.10Giant Hogweed & Native Hogweed
17.11Biosecurity
17.12Mechanised Structures
17.13Overhead and Underground Cables and services
17.14Working at Height
17.15Needles / Sharps
17.16Working on or near movable structures
17.17Restrictions to site Access for Plant, Vehicles and work equipment
17.18Plant, Machinery and Work Equipment
17.19Ride-on Plant and Seat Belts
17.20Reversing on the Towpath
17.21Floating Plant
17.22PPE
17.23Signage
18.Welfare Provision
19.Access
19.1General Access
19.2Authorisation for Site Access
19.3Plant and Vehicle Access
19.4Site Security
19.5Site Damage / Nuisance / Tidiness
19.6Trespass
20.Relationships with the general public and other third parties
20.1Management of Conflict with Public
21.Pesticides and other chemical use
21.1General use
22.Environment Agency Notification
23.Waste Management
24.Fly Tipping
25.Dead Dying & Dangerous Trees
26.Specific Environmental Issues
26.1Pollution
26.2Designated sites – SSSIs / SACs / SPAs
26.3Protected Species and their Habitats
26.4Environmental Appraisal
PART A SERVICE INFORMATION AND GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
1.Canal & River Trust’s Overarching Strategy
- To deliver a secure safe environment for our people, contractors, volunteers and visitors
- To establish the Canal & River Trust as a respected and valued guardian of its waterways
- To grow the Trust’s net income from all sources and seek efficiencies throughout the organisation whenever and wherever we can
- To grow the number of people who use and enjoy the waterways and who support the Trust through donations and volunteering
- To meet all our obligations under the funding agreement with Defra and demonstrate the value of the Trust to government so that we can secure another funding contract after 2027
To optimise the public benefit we create wherever it is compatible with our aims and priorities.
2.Contract Terms
The Contract is to be administered under the Terms of the NEC3 Term Service Contract June 2005 (with 2006 amendments) under Option A. See Contract Data Part 1 for full terms including all options and the schedule of amendments to those standard terms.
The Canal & River Trust shall be referred to within this Contract as The Employer or ‘The Trust’.
The Employer shall nominate a Service Manager in accordance with the Contract. The Service Manager will delegate their authority to the Delegated Service Manager’s and notify the Contractor of such delegations.
The Contractor shall conduct a full handover during the final 3 months of the Contract Period. This will be concurrent with the successful tenderers mobilisation period.
3.Contract Objectives
The objectives set for the Contractor in the delivery of this contract in support ofThe Trust’s Strategy are to:
- Efficiently plan and manage vegetation and facility work, ensuring it is delivered to therequired quality and standard as outlined in the Part B of the Specification.
- Achieve 100% legislative compliance for all aspects of the work
- Ensure 100% Compliance taking into account the guidance within the Environmental Appraisal Action Report issued by the Employer. Improve performance year on year and strive with the Trust to develop innovative ways of working
- Have Zero RIDDORs and lost time injuries
4.Scope of Works & Services
Schedule 1. Vegetation Management
1.01Grass Surfaces
1.02Weed Management on Hard Surfaces
1.03Control of Terrestrial Invasive Plants`
1.04Vegetation Clearance from Structures
1.05Arboricultural Works
1.06Hedgerows & Overhanging Vegetation
1.07Arboricultural Surveys
1.08Offside Vegetation
1.09Installation of Fencing and Access
1.10Aquatic Weed Management
1.11Maintenance of Shrubs
1.12 Ecological Survey
Schedule 2. Maintenance (Cleansing, Removal and Recycling)
2.01Graffiti Removal
2.02Carcass Removal
2.03Pest Control
2.04Lock Painting
2.05Litter, Dog Fouling and Fly Tipping Collection
2.06Cleansing of Customer Facilities
2.07Floating Litter
2.08Cleaning of Offices & Buildings
2.09Maintaining roads & paths etc.
Specifications have been provided for all these works activities and can be found in Part B – Service Information of the Service Specifications’. Part C - Service information is provided as a spreadsheet detailing each Waterways core requirements accompanied by GIS layers. Part C Service information is geographically specific. The Part B specifications must be read in conjunction with these Part A Service Information requirements which are generic and applicable to all work activities undertaken by the Contractor. Together these three documents form the Service Information.
The Contractoris deemed to be competent to interrogate and extract the Service Information supplied as GIS layers. This GIS Service information shall be made available to all work delivery teams by the Contractor in an appropriate format i.e. printed maps indicating relevant layers.
5.Contract Start & Mobilisation
There shall be a minimum of a three month mobilisation period from award of contract to the start date on 1st October 2013.
The Contractor shall allow for the full mobilisation of the contract within the period such that as at the start date the Contractor is ready to take over delivery of the service from the outgoing contractor without any disruption to the provision of the service and so the service is provided in accordance with the Contract from the start date. This shall include but not be limited to the following activities:
- Appointment of key Contractors staff, this is to include the Contractors contract and commercial manager as well as key operational staff.
- To participate in team workshops with the Trust’s key staff, to ensure familiarisation of operating structure and the Trust’s requirements.
- Prepare the Contractors plan for acceptance in accordance with the requirements of section 11.
- Make all necessary arrangements for the procurement of plant, equipment & resources, including the preparation of sub-contract lists for the approval of the Service Manager
- Make all necessary arrangements for dual branding in accordance with section 14.
- Agree with the Service Manager the templates for applications for payment, contract management forms and basis of assessment for KPI’s.
- Undertake all necessary operational arrangements to ensure the contract is able to deliver Service from 1 October 2013.
- Participate and deliver all necessary inductions as identified by the contract and Service Manager.
It is anticipated a mobilisation programme will be submitted by the Contractor for acceptance to the Service Manager to ensure effective and efficient mobilisation of the Contract.
6.Geographical Scope of Contract
The geographic scope of the works is identified as the Trust’s boundary as indicated on the GIS Layers set out in Part C of the Service Information and in the Affected Property.
The contract is to be administered as a national contract (England & Wales) with works and services delivered regionally to the following contract delivery units. Each contract delivery unit will have a delegated Service Manager and Task Manager.
Contract delivery area / Waterway / WaterwayArea 1 / North West Waterway (Wigan) / North East Waterway (Leeds)
Area 2 / North Wales & Border Counties (Northwich) / Manchester & Pennine Waterway (Red Bull)
Area 3 / Central Shires Waterway (Fazeley) / East Midlands Waterway (Newark)
Area 4 / West Midlands Waterway (Fazeley) / South Wales & Severn (Gloucester)
Area 5 / South East Waterway (Milton Keynes)
Area 6 / Kennet & Avon Waterway (Devizes) / London Waterway (Little Venice)
Functional Locations
The Canal & River Trust assign a unique reference to all its assets (technical objects) called a functional location, it is used to record all fixed assets under The Trusts’ ownership and/or management for maintenance purposes. The different types of functional locations fall into different technical object types. Some examples of these are principal assets such as the different types of bridges (accommodation, public road), Locks, Major Embankments & Culverts. Technical object types also exist for our different areas of real estate, (eg. Property, Development Buildings, Investment Buildings, etc.,) Mooring Sites, & Locations, Customer Service Facilities and many others.
The functional location starts with a 2 letter reference to the canal, river, reservoir or dock on which the asset is situated, followed by a 3 number reference to the kilometre length of the canal, river, reservoir or dock on which the asset is located and finally a 3 number reference to assign the asset a unique number for that kilometre length. An example of a functional location would be LE-009-003, which is the functional location for Bridge 7 Plank Lane Bascule Lift Bridge. The LE refers to the Leigh Branch Canal (a branch of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal), the 009 refers that it is the 9th kilometre along the canal and the 003 is to give this asset a unique number for this kilometre length. When referring to any asset during the contract the functional location and asset name and number must be used.
Functional Location Hierarchy
GU = Channel
GU-001 = Km Length
GU-001-001 = Asset
GU-001-001-01 = Sub-structure of the Asset
GU-001-001-L = Linear Asset
Below the channel will be a record for every km length, although in some cases these may not be a strict km. (e.g. the last measure of the waterway as no waterway will measure to the last km, but rather to the last metre)
GU-001-001 = Asset
Below each length will be all the assets or structures that exist on that length e.g. any mooring sites, property (land), operational structures such as locks & bridges.GU-001-001-01 = Substructure
Below each asset will be any substructures for that asset. E.g. a mooring location on a mooring site, a building on a property, stop plank grooves at a lock.
GU-001-001-L = Liner Asset
Also below each asset you will find any linear assets such as embankments and these are identified with either an L or an R for left or right.
7.Legislation, Standards & Other Requirements
The Contractor shall ensure that it performs the service in accordance with all relevant current legislation and in compliance with the relevant British or European standards. Any reference to specific legislation and guidance below is without prejudice to this general obligation on the Contractor.
The Contractor shall have a system in place to ensure compliance with statutory requirements and best practice relating to the provision of the service.
The Employer has a number of the Trust’s mandatory standards and approved processes (provided with the Service Information) that the Contractor must make himself aware of to allow the safe delivery of the works. These may be subject to change; these updates will be communicated to the Contractor by the Service Manager. Or Via the Extranet site -The documents identified in the Mandatory Standards and Approved Processes, Alerts & Guidance.
7.1Statuary notifications & Consents
Without prejudice to the requirement in the first paragraph of section 7, the Contractor shall adhere strictly to the guidance provided in the relevant environmental appraisal report for the activity to be undertaken. All relevant (environment and heritage) consents, licences, permits and other statutory authorisations and notifications, will be identified within the Environmental and Heritage Appraisal (see Part B – Service Information, Section 5) carried out prior to the commencement of the service period. The Contractor must ensure that no work is carried out until all necessary consents are in place. Where these consents have been obtained by the Trust this will be confirmed in writing either through the environmental appraisal or through the Task Order issued.
The Contractor shall be liable for all penalties and costs relating to any claims arising from works being carried out without the necessary consents or otherwise than in accordance with the conditions of those consents.
The Contractor is required to comply with the conditions of any consents, licences, permits, exemptions and other statutory authorisations, notifications and agreements. Where these have been obtained by the Trust the Trust will provide the Contractor with copies of those consents, licences, etc. Where the Contractor has obtained the consent the Contractor must provide copies of consents to the Service Manager/delegated Service Manager.
The Employer will obtain some of the required consents during the planning stage of the works. The responsibility for applying for consents is defined in the table below which is not an exhaustive list overleaf :-
Consent / License / Permit / Who applies / CommentPLANNING PERMISSION
Planning permission / The Employer
ACCESS
Consent from the Local Highway Authority for diversion or closure of a public right of way. / The Contractor / At the written instruction of the Delegated Service Manager.
Consent from the Local Highway Authority for a temporary road closure or traffic management / The Contractor / At the written instruction of the Delegated Service Manager.
Temporary towpath closure or diversion (not a public right of way) / The Contractor / At the written instruction of the Delegated Service Manager, if not a public right of way.
HERITAGE
Conservation Area consent / Canal & River Trust Heritage Advisor
Listed Building Consent / exemption from the need for consent / Canal & River Trust Heritage Advisor
Scheduled Ancient Monument consent or exemption from the need for consent / Canal & River Trust Heritage Advisor
NATURE CONSERVATION
Notification of hedgerow removal / Canal & River Trust Ecologist.
Consent to cut down, top, lop or uproot a tree protected by a Tree Preservation Order / Canal & River Trust Ecologist.
Felling licence / Contractor on behalf of the Trust. / Felling licence will be issued to the Trust.
Consent for works to trees in Conservation Area / Canal & River Trust Ecologist.
NATURE CONSERVATION / (cont.)
Notification / assent for works involving operations likely to damage a SSSI under Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 / Canal & River Trust Ecologist. / .
Licence in respect of works affecting protected species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 / Canal & River Trust Ecologist.
Licence in respect of works affecting protected species on Schedules 2 or 4 of The Conservation (Natural Habitats &c) Regulations 1994 (as amended) / Canal & River Trust Ecologist.
Approval for application of herbicides on or near water under Control of Pesticides Regulations / Canal & River Trust. / The Trust has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Environment Agency for the use of herbicide on the waterway network. The Contractor must follow the Trust’s Mandatory Process: Use of Pesticides.
Contractors must provide copies of PA6AW certificates and application records to The delegated Service Manager.
WATER RESOURCES LAND DRAINAGE
Land drainage consent under Land Drainage Act 1991 or Water Resources Act 1991 / The Contractor / The Trust has exemptions from some land drainage consent requirements. These will be noted in the environmental appraisal.
WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental permit or registered exemption under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010) / Contractor on its own behalf when not already in place / registered by the Trust. / Waste exemptions under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010 have been registered in bulk for the Trusts’ activities in England and Wales. Copies of registration documentswill be issued to the Contractor
Registration of site producing hazardous waste under the Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005 / The Contractor / Several of the Trusts’ depots/yards are registered annually as hazardous waste producing sites by the Trust’s Environment Team. Details can be provided to Contractor as and when required.
7.2Management & Organisation
The Contractor must qualify under Achilles UVDB Verify accreditation and meet at least the minimum standards set within the terms of the contract and for the duration of the service period.
The Contractor shall appoint a named Contract Manager, empowered to act on their behalf for all purposes connected with each of The Trust’s Waterway units.
Any notice, information, instruction or other communication given to or from the nominated Contract Manager shall be deemed to have been given or made to or from the Contractor under the Terms of the NEC3 TSC provided the forms of such communications comply with the terms of the Contract.
The Contractor shall be responsible for disseminating the communications to all their appropriate employees and subcontractors.
The Contract Manager shall make themselves available as and when reasonably requested by The Service Manager and/or delegated Service Manager and shall attend all relevant meetings in relation to the contract.
The Contract Manager shall produce programming and progress reports as detailed in section 11 ‘Planning, Programming and Reporting’.
The Employer will provide Service Information as GIS Layers, in ESRI compatible format. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to access, manipulate and interrogate this information. This information shall be made available, by the Contractor, to all work delivery teams to enable them to undertake the service in accordance with this Contract. This information should be presented in an appropriate format, for example graphically on a mobile tablet or printed maps indicating relevant information.
8.Health & Safety Management
The Contractor shall have access to a trained and experienced health and safety officer to advise their employees on the hazards likely to be encountered on the work to be undertaken and on methods of preventing accidents on such work. The Contractor’s health and safety officer shall also advise on other matters relating to the safe conduct of the work.
The Contractor is expected to have a robust health and safety management system that meets the minimum standards set within the terms of the contract and for the duration of the service period.
Any certifications shall be maintained for the duration of the service period. Evidence of registration to any standards shall be provided to The Trust on request.
8.1Environmental Management
The Contractor is expected to have a robust environmental management systemthat is consistent with The Trust’s Environmental Policy and Environmental Management System.