What will the working hours be?

Typical working hours will be Monday to Friday, between 8.00am and 6.00pm. If required, work may also be carried out between 8.00am and 1.00pm on a Saturday. We will notify you in advance when weekend working may be required.

Will my water supply be affected?

We do not plan to disrupt your water supply while work is carried out on this project. In the unlikely event that the team accidently disrupts the water supply, our clean water response team will be notified immediately and emergency repairs planned.

Will the work cause disruption?

The first stage of the work will be to gather information on ground conditions in the Sunny Blunts and Helford Road area. The equipment used to undertake this work will be relatively small and we do not expect that there will be any disruption to residents with this stage of the work.

Will access to my property be maintained?

Access to your property will be maintained at all times.

How will residents be kept updated?

We will keep your Community Portal updated with key information about our progress.

For notifications about project news, traffic information and progress updates please sign up to the Community Portal by clicking on the 'Follow this project' button above.

You can also contact us on 0345 717 1100 and arrange a call back from our project team. If you will be directly affected by our work our site team will get in touch in advance of the work starting. We will also keep you informed with project progress with regular newsletters.

Will the site be dangerous?

The site will be operated by our framework partner Mott Macdonald Bentley, an experienced contractor working to tight health and safety standards. Working areas will be securely fenced off from public access at all times.

We do ask that everyone respects the site fencing, signing, guarding and instructions of our team when required for your own safety.

What will it look like when the works are complete?

The new drainage will be buried underground. We will agree the level of road resurfacing with Durham County Council and in line with national highway standards.

Any grassed surfaces will be returned to a similar condition that they were in immediately before the work began.

Will there be dust, vibration and noise?

The construction work we carry out can involve using large machinery, digging up ground, pouring concrete and working with granular materials which will result in some dust, vibration and noise. The site team will do everything they can to minimise any inconvenience caused by this and will make sure that the work is carried out safely.

Will the roads be kept clean during the works?

The work will involve digging up and transporting large volumes of soil and other excavated materials to storage or for disposal which may cause dirt on the roads. The site team will employ a road cleaning specialist with mechanical road sweepers which will be used to maintain the roads affected.

What happens on bin collection days if the bin wagon can not get to my property?

We work closely with the local council on many matters including bin collections. Please put your bin in the normal place and we will make sure that it is moved to a place where it will be emptied. In the unlikely event that a bin collection is abandoned, we will let you know and we will arrange a revisit. 

Will I be able to access my drive or directly park outside my property?

It is likely that some residents in the areas where we are working will not be able to park outside their property or access their drives at some stage during the work. We will contact you in advance where this is the case. Footpaths will remain open at all times.

We recognise that it is a condition of some insurance policies that cars are parked off road during different periods of the day. It is our experience that insurance companies understand that during work of this type, this is not always possible. We always suggest that you contact your individual insurance company if you have any concerns with regard to insurance matters.

Please let us know if you, or any family, friends or neighbours will require additional assistance for access or anything else while this work is completed by calling 0345 717 1100.