Chris has received the following note from Herts Highways:

For your information, we have this week dealt with a difficult skip, building compound and scaffold licence for the conversion of the Bell Pub in Chequer Street.

As I am sure you will appreciate this is an extremely difficult location in the heart of the city which needs major refurbishment works and there is no rear access.

In summary, what has been agreed with our Network team is as follows:

1) Scaffold to the highway facing elevation of the site will be erected so as to allow pedestrians to pass underneath.
2) Loading Bay outside HSBC will be partly closed to allow for a compound to be created for deliveries and skips as required. Traffic Regulation Order suspension to be arranged with SADC Parking Services. Contractors to use pelican crossing to get to compound.
3) Bulk of waste will be taken out to skip on Bell side under a wait and load facility between 6am and 7.30am.
4) Smaller deliveries will be made to compound in loading bay.
5) Larger deliveries will be made off-peak under stop/go traffic management and be taken straight into pub. During particularly large/bulky deliveries, footpath closures and signs will be put in place advising of a diversion route through Maltings.
6) At some stage during the programme, concrete will need to be pumped into the building from a lorry, which will take approx. 2 days. Dates tbc and will take place under stop/go traffic management. This will also require a footpath closure and the switching off of the pelican by the Maltings. Pedestrians will be diverted through the Maltings and will be able to use the crossing facilities at the Victoria Street and Peahen lights during this phase.

The work is planned to start on Monday and carry on until around September. We will continue to monitor the situation and have advised the contractor that they will need to be reactive should we encounter any problems. Network Management were very keen not to close the footway 24/7 until the end of the works.

If you require any further clarification please do not hesitate to contact me, thank you.