Construction projects in the public sector are often affected by major challenges with regards to project ownership by stakeholders particularly with the co-operation of local communities. Local community participation is a requirement for various development initiatives in South Africa. Various government policies and regulations exist, to support the free and fair participation of small and medium scale enterprises within the built environment, particularly with public sector projects. This research study seeks to investigate the influence of local communities on public sector construction projects and will focus on the impact of the local community involved in the construction of the Hammanskraal Pedestrian Bridge over the R101 in Hammanskraal, Pretoria. The sample population will consist of the main contractor, the professional team involved in the project and the municipality officials overseeing the project. This research will also focus on the engagement of the professional engineer and project managers with the project steering community.