Process, Step By Step

Step one: confirm the design vehicle with the local highway authority. Step two: prepare or obtain the site layout as a scaled DWG file. Step three: write a brief specifying the vehicles and manoeuvres required. Step four: send the brief and CAD file to a specialist bureau. Step five: review the returned drawings against the brief before submission.

Submit the swept path drawings with the planning application or in response to a highway authority query. The highway authority reviews against their design vehicle specification and clearance requirements. If they have comments, revise the layout or the analysis and resubmit. Most approvals are achieved within one or two submission cycles.

Open the site layout in AutoCAD with AutoTURN loaded. Select the vehicle from the UK library. Position the vehicle at the start of the manoeuvre. Use AutoDRIVE to steer the vehicle through the turn. Capture the swept path. Add clearance annotations and complete the title block. Export as PDF and DWG.

Start with the design refuse vehicle dimensions. Set the road width to the local highway authority's minimum. Design the turning head dimensions using swept path analysis — not standard tables. Check the fire engine swept path through the same layout. Confirm both pass with adequate clearances. Adjust geometry until both vehicles pass comfortably.

Obtain the planning portal drawings for the existing site, including the site layout at a known scale. Commission an indicative swept path check using those drawings and the design vehicles relevant to the intended development use. The result will indicate whether the access is feasible or constrained. A failed indicative check before purchase is valuable information that protects the investment.

First, read the objection carefully to identify the specific concern — which vehicle, which manoeuvre, which clearance. Second, discuss with the highway authority officer to confirm exactly what they need to see. Third, revise the layout or the analysis accordingly. Fourth, resubmit with a cover note explaining what has been changed and why.

Identify all construction vehicle types for the project. Confirm the CLOCS design vehicle requirements for the site. Obtain or survey the approach route and site access geometry. Check swept paths at all constrained locations on the approved route. Prepare a CLP document including the swept path drawings as supporting evidence. Submit for approval as a pre-commencement condition.

Prepare detailed swept path analysis corresponding to the final approved layout. Ensure the drawing revision matches the current approved layout. Submit via the local planning authority's planning portal with a covering letter referencing the condition number. The LPA consults the highway authority. Upon approval, the condition is discharged and development can start.

Go to the local planning authority's planning portal — the council website will have a planning search tool. Enter the application reference number or address. Find the submitted drawings. Look for drawings titled swept path analysis, vehicle tracking, or similar. Download and review the drawings to confirm which vehicles were checked and whether the analysis is current.

Contact the highway authority's development management team or pre-application team. State the type of development and the location. Ask them to confirm the required design vehicle for refuse collection, fire access, and any other relevant vehicle. Get the confirmation in writing if possible. Use this specification for the swept path analysis. This single step eliminates the most common source of rework.

Check vehicle type matches the brief. Check all required manoeuvres are shown. Check clearances are positive at all critical points. Check clearance dimensions are annotated on the drawing. Check the scale bar is present and correct. Check the drawing reference and revision match the latest version. Check the title block is complete. If all six checks pass, the drawing is ready.

Obtain the updated vehicle specification. Check whether the new vehicle has different dimensions from the one used in the existing analysis. If the dimensions differ, rerun the analysis using the new vehicle. If the layout still passes with adequate clearances, reissue the drawing with a note confirming the vehicle update. If the layout fails with the new vehicle, design changes are needed.

Identify all access points and the vehicles using each. Prioritise the most constrained access for analysis first. Check the most demanding vehicle at each access point. For the service yard, check each dock individually and then check simultaneous vehicle movements. Check emergency vehicle access separately. Produce a drawing set with one drawing per access or per vehicle type.

Verify the vehicle model matches the specification. Check the layout shown in the swept path matches the current site layout drawing. Measure the clearances shown against the highway authority's minimum requirements. Confirm all required manoeuvres are included. Check the drawing is legible at the submission scale. If all checks pass, the drawing can be countersigned and submitted.

Produce the swept path analysis as a CAD drawing in the project's coordinate system. Share the DWG file with the BIM manager for incorporation into the project model. Ensure the swept path drawing is on a controlled layer that can be switched on and off. Update the swept path drawing in the BIM model whenever the layout changes. The swept path becomes a live design constraint in the model.

Phase one analysis: check swept path for the layout at the end of phase one. Phase two analysis: check swept path for the completed development layout. Also check the construction access for each phase. Ensure the swept path drawings clearly identify which phase they correspond to. The highway authority needs to understand that the access works at each phase, not just at completion.

Contact the authority's transport planning team. Explain the vehicle type and its characteristics. Propose the vehicle model to be used and the methodology for the analysis. Request their confirmation before starting. For unusual vehicles without an existing model in the software library, build a custom model from manufacturer data and document the source clearly.

Ensure the swept path analysis corresponds exactly to the layout proposed at the time of refusal. Obtain a statement from the highway authority confirming the specific access concern. Produce swept path drawings that directly address that concern. Include a technical note explaining the vehicle selection, methodology, and results. Have the drawings checked by a qualified transport planning professional.

Identify the design coach and car dimensions. Check the coach route from the public road to the set-down area. Show the coach entering, manoeuvring to the set-down position, and exiting. Check cars simultaneously to confirm no conflict between coaches and private cars at the set-down. Check visibility for coaches leaving the site and entering the public road.

Contact the vehicle manufacturer and request the technical dimensional data — overall length, width, wheelbase, front overhang, rear overhang, and minimum turning radius. Use AutoTURN's vehicle builder to create a custom model from these dimensions. Document the data source and the vehicle model details in the drawing annotation. Have the custom model reviewed by a second analyst before use.

Create a master template DWG with standard layers for the swept path boundary, vehicle outline, tyre tracks, annotations, site layout, and title block. Include a standard title block with fields for project, client, analyst, checker, date, and revision. Set up standard annotation styles for clearance dimensions. Save the template and use it for every new project.

Compare the swept path drawing against the site layout plan — confirm the geometry matches. Compare against the design and access statement — confirm the vehicles described match those checked. Compare against the transport statement — confirm the access arrangements described match those analysed. Any inconsistency will be identified by the highway authority and must be resolved before approval.

Identify the design car and any service vehicles. Check the entry and exit swept path for the car. Check all aisle widths for perpendicular and angled bays using the car swept path. Check disabled bay dimensions using BS 8300. Check service vehicle access separately. Check barrier or height restriction swept path if applicable. Compile drawings for each check.

Identify the largest construction vehicles for each phase. Obtain or survey the site access and approach route geometry. Check swept paths at the site access junction, any constrained sections of the approach route, and within the site at key delivery points. Produce drawings clearly labelled with the construction phase they apply to. Include in the CLP as supporting technical evidence.

Submit the swept path drawings via the planning portal or by email to the highway authority's development management team. Reference the planning application or planning condition being addressed. The highway authority reviews and responds with approval, queries, or objections. Respond to any queries with revised drawings. Obtain written approval before committing to construction.

Import the DWG into AutoCAD or AutoTURN. Verify the vehicle model matches the specification. Overlay the swept path onto the current site layout to confirm they correspond. Measure the clearances at critical points. Check the drawing annotation against the brief. If all checks pass, the drawing can be accepted. If any fail, request corrections.

Establish a version control process with the design team — notify the SPA bureau whenever the layout is revised, even slightly. The bureau assesses whether the revision affects the swept path. If it does, a revised drawing is produced and issued. The layout revision and swept path revision should be issued simultaneously so the planning submission is always consistent.

Pre-establish the design vehicle with the authority. Have a clean, current DWG ready before commissioning. Brief clearly and completely — no back and forth. Use a bureau with confirmed 24-hour turnaround capability. Build one revision cycle into the programme even on tight deadlines. Submit a complete application with swept path on day one rather than providing it in response to a query.