Government relaxes restrictions on construction site working hours

The Government is lifting restrictions on construction site working hours to help boost output and productivity.

Following a concerted effort by trade associations to help contractors increase their output whilst complying with the Site Operating Procedures, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government has said that  for the next 12 months local authorities in England should not refuse requests to extend construction site working hours.

Construction sites will be allowed to carry on work up to 9:00pm, Monday to Saturday, unless there is very compelling reasons to refuse permission. In some cases, such as in areas without residential properties, 24-hour working may be justified.

Local planning authorities are aiming to issue a decision within 10 working days following applications. Short term or modest increases to working hours may be agreed informally, whereas longer term or more significant changes will require a formal application in the usual way and the Government has published FAQs with further information.