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TOPOGRAPHICAL SURVEY
CCTV DRAINAGE SURVEY
UTILITY MAPPING
Overview
As part of a new housing development in Ilkley, Site Surveying Services was commissioned to deliver a full package of infrastructure surveys, combining topographical, utility mapping, and CCTV drainage investigations.
Our goal was to provide developers and design teams with complete, high-accuracy data to inform construction, utilities planning, and drainage design, creating a clear, reliable foundation for all subsequent stages of work.
Located along a busy main road and active bus route, the project required careful coordination to ensure safety, minimise disruption, and deliver all data correctly the first time.
Our Approach
The project began with a detailed pre-site planning phase to align traffic management logistics with the client’s programme and the local council’s requirements. To keep the project on schedule, our survey team worked collaboratively with traffic management specialists, implementing phased bus lane closures while maintaining access for local traffic:
Conducted during the day to eliminate the need for night closures, this survey captured all above-ground details including kerbs, carriageway lines, boundaries, surface materials, and site levels.
Using a combination of electromagnetic location and ground-penetrating radar (GPR), our surveyors mapped all existing buried services, from telecoms and power to gas and water, providing precise georeferenced data across the full survey zone.
Using a CCTV drainage inspection unit, our team accurately captured the information for assessing the condition of onsite drainage, providing a comprehensive report.
By coordinating all three survey types through the same in-house team, we ensured total consistency, efficiency, and confidence in the results.
Challenge
Site Surveying deployed a multi-disciplinary team – topographic surveyors and PAS 128 utility mapping specialists working concurrently – operating from a shared control network established at the start of the programme. The concurrent approach allowed both datasets to be captured and verified in a single planned programme without requiring separate site visits for each discipline.
Surveying in a live traffic environment presented several operational challenges:
- Maintaining safety while capturing detailed surface and subsurface data
- Managing multiple survey types across restricted working areas
- Avoiding rework or return visits due to limited access windows
Our project management team worked proactively with both the council and the client to:
- Secure timely permits and coordinate traffic management with minimal disruption
- Use phased survey methods to keep works progressing safely
- Leverage a single, consistent field team, ensuring the same high-quality data across topo, utility, and drainage deliverables
This integrated approach meant all required data was captured first time, saving time, reducing costs, and allowing design teams to move forward with complete confidence.
Results
Conclusion
This project reflects our commitment to delivering data-driven certainty for complex infrastructure and housing developments. By combining multiple survey disciplines – topographical, utility mapping and drainage – into one coordinated package, we helped our client move from planning to design with confidence, accuracy and minimal disruption to the community. Our consistent team, proactive communication and careful management of live-traffic conditions ensured the project was completed safely and efficiently and on schedule. From busy urban roads to rural developments, Site Surveying Services continues to provide the clarity beneath every decision – supporting better, safer and more sustainable outcomes for clients across the UK.
