Utility Assessments & Connections

We have a proven track record preparing Utility Appraisal reports tailoring our approach to our client’s circumstances and individual site characteristics.  Sometimes this results in providing a full Utility Appraisal and other times offering advice as to how best to proceed with utility connections and diversions.

The location of existing underground utility infrastructure can have a significant impact on the viability of development. Without appreciating the existing location of utilities or their residual capacity, informed decisions as to how much to budget for diversionary, connection or reinforcement works cannot accurately be undertaken.

Similarly, large lead in times utility companies operate within to upgrade and divert their assets can often compromise development phasing and timing if not fully appreciated. For these reasons, it is vitally important utility implications are known early to prevent later surprises and so realistic development costs and timescales can be ascertained.

Utility Assessment

In preparing a full Utility Assessment, we would typically undertake the following steps;

• Obtain underground asset record plans from all statutory undertakers within the vicinity of the site and collate all existing utility information within a combined utility plan.
• Identify whether any utility diversions need to be made to make way for development proposals.
• Calculate proposed development demands for each utility in turn.
• Identify potential connection points into the existing utility network
• Correspond with utility providers as necessary to agree utility connection locations and any potential reinforcement works to existing networks should it be required as well as the limits of contestable and non-contestable works.