LAND AT KINGSTON FARM BRADFORD ON AVON TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT

Transcription

1 LAND AT KINGSTON FARM BRADFORD ON AVON TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT FEBRUARY 2013

2 PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF LAND AT KINGSTON FARM, BRADFORD ON AVON TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT PREPARED FOR BOA PROPERTY LTD. FMW CONSULTANCY LIMITED TRYM LODGE 1 HENBURY ROAD WESTBURY-ON-TRYM BRISTOL BS9 3HQ FEBRUARY 2013

3 CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION RECORD OF DISCUSSIONS WITH WILTSHIRE COUNCIL HIGHWAYS EXISTING HIGHWAY CONDITIONS ACCESSIBILITY BY SUSTAINABLE MODES OF TRANSPORT DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS PROPOSED B3107 FOOTWAY IMPROVEMENTS TRIP GENERATION AND DISTRIBUTION ASSESSMENT OF TRAFFIC IMPACT SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS...55

4 FIGURES AND APPENDICES FIGURES Figure 3.1: Figure 3.2: Figure 3.3: Figure 4.1: Figure 4.2: Figure 4.3: Figure 5.1: Figure 7.1: Figure 7.2: Figure 7.3: Figure 8.1: Figure 8.2: Figure 8.3: Site Location Local Highway Network 2012 Base SATURN Traffic Flows Local Facilities Plan Cycling Routes Local Bus Routes Site Access Strategy Residential Trip Assignment Employment Trip Assignment Combined Trip Assignment 2012 Base SATURN + Development Traffic Flows 2022 Base SATURN Traffic Flows 2022 Base SATURN + Development Traffic Flows APPENDICES Appendix A: Bradford on Avon SATURN Model Validation Report Appendix B: Personal Injury Accident Locations Appendix C: Indicative Development Masterplan Appendix D: Proposed Site Access Arrangements and Holt Road Improvements Appendix E: Swept Path Analysis Appendix F: TRICS Outputs Appendix G: Census Method of Travel to work Data Appendix H: Modelling Results for Bath Rd / Masons Ln / Mt Pleasant Mini-R bt Appendix I: Modelling Results for Frome Rd / Junction Rd Mini-Roundabout Appendix J: Modelling Results for St Margaret s St / Frome Road / Station Access Appendix K: Modelling Results for Market St / Silver Street Mini-Roundabout Appendix L: Modelling Results for Springfield / Holt Rd / Western Site Access Appendix M: Modelling Results for Holt Road / Eastern Site Access Appendix N: Framework Travel Plans

5 1 INTRODUCTION Brief 1.1 FMW Consultancy has been instructed by BoA Property Ltd to prepare a Transport Assessment (TA) in support of a planning application for a mixed use development at Kingston Farm in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire. The site is the preferred strategic employment and residential site in Bradford on Avon within the emerging Wiltshire Council Core Strategy. 1.2 This TA will address the key highway and transport issues in relation to the development proposals and consider the accessibility of the site by sustainable modes of transport. Supporting Residential and Employment Travel Plans have also been prepared by FMW which form an Appendix to this report. 1.3 The report follows the hierarchy of transport modes as promoted by National, Regional and Local transport policy, namely; Pedestrians; Cyclists; Public Transport; and Private Transport. 1.4 The report provides an audit of the existing transport conditions in the vicinity of the site including a description of the local highway network and its operation. It also determines the anticipated level of trip generation, the distribution of these trips, and the impact of this development traffic on the local highway network and its junctions. 1.5 The report also gives full regard to the potential for trips to be made to and from the site by sustainable modes of transport. 1.6 The scope and scale of the TA has been discussed and agreed with Highway Officers from Wiltshire Council. 1.7 The structure of this report is summarised below: Section 2: Details the discussions held and agreements reached with Wiltshire Council highways department between January 2009 and the present date; FMW February 2013

6 Section 3: Section 4: Section 5: Section 6: Section 7: Section 8: Section 9: Section 10: Describes the site location and the existing highway network in the vicinity of the site. It also provides an analysis of local Personal Injury Accident (PIA) data and the findings of recently completed traffic surveys within the study area; Outlines the existing accessibility of the site by sustainable modes of transport such as walking, cycling and public transport; Outlines the relevant characteristics of the proposed development including access and parking arrangements; Details the proposed footway improvements to the B3107 Holt Road that will be provided as part of the development; Considers the trip generation likely to be associated with the proposed development together with its likely distribution on the road network within the agreed study area; Considers the impact on the surrounding road network of the additional trips generated by the proposed development. Trips associated with other committed developments in the area are also included as appropriate; Details the facilities proposed to enable travel to and from the site by sustainable modes of transport; and Presents a summary of the report and identifies the main conclusions that can be drawn from the. FMW February 2013

7 2 RECORD OF DISCUSSIONS WITH WILTSHIRE COUNCIL HIGHWAYS 2.1 FMW Consultancy first became involved with the Kingston Farm project in January Since that date there have been numerous meetings, discussions, exchanges and agreements reached that have fed through to the preparation of this and the proposed site access arrangements and off-site footway improvements. Given the four year period between starting the project and the planning application it is considered appropriate to provide brief details of a number of the more salient agreements that have been reached through this preapplication process. 2.2 It should also be noted that discussions have been held with five different officers at Wiltshire Council highways over the four year period as some have changed responsibilities or left the Authority while others have joined. The following therefore represents an amalgamation of all the comments made and the agreements reached In March 2009 an initial briefing meeting was held with Ian Postlethwaite of Wiltshire Council highways. It was agreed that the scale of the development was such that it should be assessed through use of the Council s SATURN model of the town. Other issues were discussed in principle rather than in detail given the early nature of the proposals. One key issue was however identified, that being the standard of the walking route between the site and the town centre and the need to provide improvements thereto as part of the development. 2.4 An initial Transport Feasibility Report for the site was issued for comment to Mr Postlethwaite in July 2009 but no formal response was ever received. It was however discussed as part of a wider project meeting with the planning department in August 2009 which Mr Postlethwaite also attended. Again the pedestrian link to the town centre came through as being the main highway related issue. 2.5 In October 2009 initial proposals for widening the existing footway along the length of Holt Road between its junctions with Springfield and Woolley Street were issued for comment to Mr Postlethwaite. No formal response was ever received. FMW February 2013

8 A meeting was held with Allan Creedy in April 2010 with the aim of agreeing the scope of the required to support a planning application for the site. 2.7 Mr Creedy wasn t willing at this stage to discuss the scope as the highway authority had not accepted the principle of a strategic development site in Bradford on Avon at that time (this has subsequently been accepted through the development of the Core Strategy). Mr Creedy did however state that he was in no doubt that suitable access arrangements for the site could be provided but reiterated that the ability to provide an improved pedestrian route to the town centre would be key. The possible footway improvements issued to the Council in October 2009 were given a 6 out of 10 score by Mr Creedy at that time At the end of June 2011 a further meeting with Mr Creedy resulted in the scope of the being agreed and this has been followed throughout this report. It was agreed that the existing Bradford on Avon SATURN model would be used for the traffic assessments but that this would first need to be updated and revalidated for a 2011 base year. The existing SATURN files were subsequently made available in October At the end of February 2012 a meeting was arranged by Wiltshire Council to discuss all the various planning, conservation, ecology and transport related issues associated with the proposed strategic allocation of the Kingston Farm site. In advance of this meeting, details of the proposed site access arrangements, draft SATURN validation and forecasting reports and a Technical Note covering vehicle trip rates for the site were issued for comment to Mr Creedy together with his colleagues Rob Hannis and David McMahon. FMW February 2013

9 2.10 The access arrangements were subsequently discussed at the meeting with Mr Hannis expressing the desire for a formal roundabout at the western access (Springfield/Holt Road junction) rather than the mini-roundabout proposed at that time. The requirement for improved pedestrian links to the town centre was again stressed by Mr Hannis In early March 2012 guidance was requested from Mr McMahon regarding the Council s approach to parking provision for the proposed office element of the development at the eastern end of the site. Mr McMahon identified that the Council s standards are maximum values and that a provision below the 1 per 30sqm maximum standard would therefore be acceptable particularly given the mixed use nature of the development and its overall accessibility by non-car modes of travel Also in early March 2012 a site meeting was held with Mr McMahon during which the whole length of Holt Road between the Cemetery and the Woolley Street junction was walked and considered in relation to the site access arrangements and footway improvements proposed at that time. A broad consensus was reached on the appropriate way forward on the access and footway improvement arrangements with FMW tasked with refining and reissuing the proposals for formal approval In mid March 2012 Mr McMahon provided comments on the initial SATURN validation and forecasting reports issued at the end of February These comments have subsequently been taken into account within this report. Mr McMahon also approved the vehicle trip rates which have fed into the junction assessments and are discussed further in Section 7 of this report A telephone conversation with Mr Hannis at the start of May 2012 finalised the requirements for the site access arrangements and footway provisions. These included a simple priority junction for the eastern site access (rather than the ghost island right turn lane previously suggested), no change to the existing carriageway or footway between the two site access junctions, a formal roundabout for the western site access (rather than the mini-roundabout previously suggested) and a Zebra crossing of Holt Road (rather than the Pelican crossing previously suggested). These comments were all made following discussions between Mr Hannis and his internal road safety colleagues. FMW February 2013

10 2.15 A preference for an off-road pedestrian route to the town centre through the grounds of The Hall was expressed by Mr Hannis but with an acceptance that landscape, land ownership and conservation issues may prevent its delivery. The inability to deliver a pedestrian route through the grounds of The Hall was subsequently agreed with the Strategic Planning team at Wiltshire Council with the requirement for such a link removed from the wording of the Development Brief for the site In September 2012 the current proposals for the site access arrangements and Holt Road footway improvements were issued to Mr Hannis for comment and approval. A Stage 1 Road Safety Audit (RSA) and Designer s Response were also issued at this time. These proposals addressed all of the issues requested by Mr Hannis in May 2012 and also took into account other refinements identified in the RSA A meeting was held with Mr Hannis in October 2012 at which the above access junction arrangements and footway improvements were discussed. Mr Hannis gave his approval of the proposals but with the caveat that appropriate capacity checks of the site access junctions be included within the. Section 8 of this report includes such assessments and identifies that both access junctions will operate well within their theoretical capacity Assessment years of 2012 and 2022 were agreed at this meeting based on the anticipated year of application and a date 10 years thereafter. Mr Hannis also stated that he would consider the potential for a 7.5t weight restriction on Holt Road between the two site access points and discuss the potential for changing local bus routes such that they operate through the site Phil Tilley of Wiltshire Council highways took over responsibility for the project in November 2012 with the proposed site access arrangements and footway improvements previously agreed with Mr Hannis in October 2012 reissued to Mr Tilley for information In early December 2012 Mr Tilley provided a response on the potential for a 7.5t weight restriction on Holt Road between the two site access junctions with this being discussed within Section 6 of this report. A response on the potential to reroute local bus services through the site is still awaited. FMW February 2013

11 3 EXISTING HIGHWAY CONDITIONS Site Location 3.1 The application site is located at Kingston Farm on the eastern fringe of Bradford on Avon as illustrated on Figure The site is bounded to the north by the B3107 Holt Road, by arable farmland to the east, the Bath Spa to Westbury railway line lies to the south and the western boundary is formed by the Anthony Best Dynamics factory and the grounds of The Hall. 3.3 The whole site area currently forms part of Kingston Farm which itself is part of the wider Hall Estate. It is currently pasture farmland with vehicular access via field gates in two locations on Holt Road. It should be noted that The Hall and its gardens are in separate ownership and do not form part of the application site. 3.4 Bradford on Avon is a market town with a population of 9,402 (2011 census) located where the A363 Bath to Trowbridge road crosses the River Avon. The town centre, as represented by the Silver Street / Market Street junction is approximately 500m from the western boundary of the application site. 3.5 Bath lies eight miles to the north west by car and Trowbridge four miles to the south east. The B3107 provides access to Melksham, six miles to the east, and the B3109 Corsham to Rode road runs north-south through the town. The B3108 connects Bradford on Avon to Winsley and Limpley Stoke to the west. The M4 Motorway can be readily accessed at either Junction 17 or 18 depending on the direction of travel. 3.6 FMW Consultancy undertook a study in July 2010 to compare the travel and accessibility characteristics of Bradford on Avon to those of similar settlements within Wiltshire. The study determined that the town scores well on issues such as personal injury accident data and census information on car ownership and travel habits in comparison to other settlements in the County. As such, Bradford on Avon has been shown to be a suitable settlement for a strategic development site. FMW February 2013

12 Local Highway Network 3.7 The local highway network is identified on Figure Vehicular access to the site will be taken from the B3107 Holt Road, which is a single carriageway road and is typically between 5m and 5.5m in width along the site frontage. It has a footway on its northern side and is subject to a 30mph speed limit. In the immediate vicinity of the site there is a high stone wall at the carriageway edge on the southern side of Holt Road and a small wall with a steep cutting slope behind the footway on the northern side. These features serve to create a canyon effect that reduces the perceived carriageway width. 3.9 Just to the northwest of the site, Holt Road intersects with Springfield via a priority controlled junction, with Holt Road having the priority through the junction. Vehicles travelling out of Bradford on Avon on Holt Road and turning left into Springfield have a dedicated left turn lane separated from the main junction by a large grassed area Holt Road extends west from the Springfield junction before becoming Woolley Street and then Silver Street before linking in to Bradford on Avon town centre. Silver Street then intersects with the A363 Market Street at a mini-roundabout known locally as Knee s Corner. To the east, Holt Road provides access towards Holt some two miles distant and then continues northeast towards the A350 at Melksham Springfield is classified as the B3109 and extends north from its junction with Holt Road before turning west and linking with the A363 Masons Lane at a miniroundabout some 800 metres northwest of the site This route forms what could be described as a local distributor road across the northern part of Bradford on Avon connecting to the A363 towards Bath, the B3109 towards Corsham and the B3108 towards Winsley and beyond to the A The A363 passes through the centre of Bradford on Avon on a north/south alignment. As it passes through the town centre, the route is very narrow in places with the Bradford on Avon Bridge being subject to a 18t weight limit. This limit is an environmental restriction that has been imposed to discourage large vehicles from using the narrow roads through the town rather than being a result of any inherent weakness in the bridge itself. FMW February 2013

13 3.14 Site observations suggest that this weight limit is regularly breached by large vehicles that have been known to become stuck due to the narrow roads and tight turns in the town. A local Lorry Watch group record the registration details of vehicles that exceed the weight limit over the bridge and this has resulted in a number of successful prosecutions of repeat offenders The alternative route for through traffic heavy goods vehicles to avoid the weight restriction on the bridge is via Staverton and Trowbridge using the B3105 to the east of Bradford on Avon. This diversion route is suitably signed for south bound vehicles approaching on the A363 from Bath but relies on a considerable diversion that many drivers have historically ignored As previously identified, Holt Road becomes Silver Street and forms the main highway link into the town centre from the site. Silver Street varies in width from 6 metres to 4.1 metres, is illuminated along its length and is subject to a 30mph speed limit. The road is bounded by a continuous footway on the northern side of the carriageway although this varies considerably in width along its length. There are currently no formal pedestrian crossing points on Holt Road or Woolley Street, although a zebra crossing has recently been introduced on Silver Street in the vicinity of its junction with Kingston Road as part of the adjacent Kingston Mills development. Existing Traffic Flows 3.17 Traffic flows for junction modelling have been extracted from the Wiltshire Council SATURN model of Bradford on Avon. The model has been revalidated to a 2011 base by Parsons Brinckerhoff on behalf of FMW. A SATURN Model Validation and Forecasting Report explaining the process followed and the associated results are attached as Appendix A of this report The existing 2012 peak hour traffic flows across the network in the vicinity of the site are shown on Figure 3.3. The model indicates that the 2012 two-way flows on Holt Road during the AM peak hour are 702 and 812 during the PM peak hour There are known to be capacity issues at the Knee s Corner mini-roundabout (Silver Street / Market Street) at peak times, leading to queues back over the town bridge and along Market Street and beyond to Masons Lane. Queuing also occurs on Silver Street in the peak hours but to a much lesser extent. FMW February 2013

14 Link Capacity 3.20 Urban roads have a flow capacity that is linked to their width and the number of side roads, degree of frontage access etc The tables contained in the Department for Transport guidance TA79/99: Traffic Capacity of Urban Roads, provide the relevant capacity values and are quoted in Table 3.1 below in relation to the surveyed flows on the various links within Bradford on Avon It should be noted that where the actual carriageway widths are different from those quoted in TA79/99 the link capacity values have been extrapolated between or beyond the TA79/99 width values. Location Width Category Link Capacity (two-way) Bath Road 7.5m UPA4 1,952 Mount Pleasant 5.5m UPA4 1,222 New Road 7.0m UPA4 1,822 Springfield 7.5m UPA4 1,952 Holt Road East 6.5m UPA4 1,444 Holt Road West 7.0m UPA4 1,822 Silver Street 4.5m UPA4 922 St. Margaret s Street 6.5m UPA4 1,444 Surveyed Flow (two-way) AM = 1,622 PM = 1,600 AM = 949 PM = 894 AM = 706 PM = 683 AM = 706 PM = 683 AM = 672 PM = 746 AM = 666 PM = 677 AM = 643 PM = 687 AM = 1,874 PM = 1,914 Spare Capacity AM = 16.9% PM = 18.0% AM = 22.3% PM = 26.8% AM = 61.2% PM = 62.5% AM = 63.8% PM = 65.0% AM = 53.5% PM = 48.3% AM = 63.4% PM = 62.8% AM = 30.3% PM = 25.5% AM = -29.8% PM = -32.5% Table 3.1: Link Capacity Assessment within Bradford on Avon 3.23 The above table identifies that all the highway links within the study area operate with a high degree of spare capacity apart from St Margaret s Street. The operational difficulties, queuing and delays that occur within the town can therefore be attributed primarily to the operation of the junctions and inappropriate parking or loading. FMW February 2013

15 3.24 For St Margaret s Street, the actual traffic flows are higher than the theoretical link capacity but it should be noted that the link capacity values assume that traffic will be able to flow freely at the speed limit. A link can carry more traffic than its theoretical link capacity value but the flow of traffic on the link will be travelling at a slower speed. Site observations have identified that this is indeed the case. Accident Analysis 3.25 Details of the number of accidents recorded on the highway network in Bradford on Avon have been obtained from Wiltshire Council for the period 1 st October 2006 to 30 th September The information is based on STATS19 Police Accident Reports and refers to three categories of accidents: A fatal accident is one in which at least one person is fatally injured; A serious accident is one in which at least one person is seriously injured, but no-one suffers a fatal injury, and which is in one (or more) of the following categories: (a) an injury for which a person is detained in hospital as an in-patient; or (b) any of the following injuries (whether or not the person is detained in hospital): fractures, concussion, internal injuries, crushing, severe cuts and lacerations, severe general shock requiring treatment. A slight accident is one in which at least one person suffers "slight" injuries (i.e. a sprain, bruise or cut which is not judged to be severe, or slight shock requiring roadside attention), but no-one is seriously or fatally injured A plan showing the location of the recorded accidents in Bradford on Avon is attached as Appendix B and the full report can be provided on request A separate plan showing the location of accidents along Holt Road, Woolley Street and Silver Street across the site frontage and on the walking route to the town centre is also attached as part of Appendix B. Along this length there were 10 recorded personal injury accidents over the five year period resulting in 15 casualties, 14 of which were categorised as slight and one serious. There were no fatalities Of the 10 accidents, two involved pedestrians (both slight) and two involved cyclists (both slight). Children were involved in one of the vehicular accidents (two slight casualties) and one of the pedestrian accidents (again slight). FMW February 2013

16 3.29 The only cluster of accidents close to the site occurs at the B3107 Holt Road/ Cemetery Lane junction. Of the four accidents occurring at this location, two of the accidents were rear end shunts, one was attributable to the narrow width of the road and a schoolgirl pedestrian was hit by an oncoming vehicle in the other. Four accidents taking place over a five year period are not suggestive of a significant highway safety issue. Notwithstanding it is proposed to reduce the speed limit through the junction to 30mph as part of the development proposals (as discussed later in this report) which should lead to road safety benefits in this location Two vehicles were involved in collisions at the Holt Road/Springfield junction: one involving a vehicle turning right into Springfield Road and one involving a vehicle turning right out of Springfield Road Two accidents occurred on Silver Street. One involved a cyclist swerving to avoid a queue of traffic and hitting an oncoming vehicle, the second involved a stationary car reversing into a pedestrian who was crossing the carriageway behind it. A pedal cyclist contravening the one way Traffic Regulation Order on Woolley Street also suffered a serious injury when they collided with an oncoming vehicle In the vast majority of cases however the accidents within the study area are attributable to driver, pedestrian or cyclist error rather than any particular deficiency in the highway network. FMW February 2013

17 4 ACCESSIBILITY BY SUSTAINABLE MODES OF TRANSPORT Introduction 4.1 The accessibility of the site by sustainable modes of transport is important as it is likely to impact on the number of private car trips made to the site and the localised impacts of the additional traffic associated with the development. This section outlines the existing accessibility of the site by sustainable modes of transport (walking, cycling and public transport) and suggests a number of possible improvements. Location of Day to Day Services and Facilities 4.2 Government guidance is such that new residential developments must be located where they are not solely dependent on the use of the private car. The location of day to day services and facilities in relation to a proposed site is therefore of key consideration. The nearer services and facilities are to the site the more likely it is that future residents will choose to travel sustainably by walking, cycling or the use of public transport. 4.3 The locations of a number of key local destinations are shown on Figure 4.1. The walking distance to these destinations is summarised in Table 4.1 below measured to and from the boundary of the application site via the most direct route. Service or Facility Location Walking Distance Primary School Christchurch Primary, Sladesbrook 780m Secondary School St Laurence, Ashley Road 1,540m Convenience Store Costcutter, New Road 280m Post Office The Shambles 580m Town Centre Market Street / Silver Street 590m Health Centre Station Approach 920m Railway Station Station Approach 920m Swimming Pool Station Approach 920m Table 4.1: Walking Distance to Local Facilities FMW February 2013

18 4.4 Guidance on appropriate walking distances is given in the Institution of Highways and Transportation document: Providing for Journeys on Foot. In general terms, this document identifies the preferred maximum walking distance to a town centre as being 800m, for commuting or walking to school as being 2,000m and for other more general destinations as being 1,200m. Comparing these values with the walking distances identified in the above table indicates that all the above destinations are well within the preferred maximum distances. The close proximity of the town centre also means that all the wider services and facilities available therein are very accessible by walking from the proposed site. 4.5 Many of the employment opportunities within Bradford on Avon are located within the town centre and so are also within a convenient walking distance of the proposed development. Businesses located on the Treenwood Industrial Estate on the southern edge of Bradford on Avon are slightly further afield but are readily accessible by bicycle or public transport. Pedestrian Routes 4.6 Footways on Holt Road, Woolley Street, Silver Street and Springfield provide convenient links between the site and the town centre. There is however currently no footway on the southern side of Holt Road / Silver Street and on the northern side the footway is restricted in width, particularly between the side road junctions with Springfield and Woolley Street. 4.7 For pedestrian trips to the local primary school, it is likely that the majority of new residents would use the Springfield / New Road route, which benefits from 2m wide footways on either side, before linking to Sladesbrook and the School entrance. 4.8 Whilst school children walking to the secondary school can also use the above route and beyond via Winsley Road, it is slightly shorter to walk through the town centre and up the hill to the public footpath connecting to Budbury Place. 4.9 In general terms, the existing pedestrian infrastructure within Bradford on Avon is of a reasonable standard however in the vicinity of the proposed development itself and on the Holt Road walking route towards the town centre, the existing footway is poor due primarily to its narrow width. FMW February 2013

19 4.10 Footway improvements including a new zebra crossing facility are proposed along Holt Road in the vicinity of the site with these being discussed in detail later in this report. Cycling Facilities 4.11 There are a number of existing on and off road cycle routes that run through Bradford on Avon and these are illustrated within Figure 4.2 of this report. Not least is the National Cycle Network route 4 which follows the tow path of the Kennet and Avon canal. This route provides longer distance traffic-free cycle journeys towards Bath to the west and Trowbridge and Melksham to the east. The whole of Bradford on Avon is within a 5km cycling distance of the site which is a distance that can be cycled in approximately 15 minutes by a reasonably fit person A 5km cycling distance also extends to parts of the neighbouring town of Trowbridge particularly the employment opportunities available on the Canal Road Industrial Estate which can be easily accessed from the canal tow path (NCN 4). The site is therefore considered to offer good access by bicycle Wiltshire Council has agreed and adopted a range of measures to introduce a wider cycle network within Bradford on Avon. In the immediate vicinity of the Kingston Farm site this involves the introduction of traffic calming measures on Springfield / New Road and changes to the section of Woolley Street between Holt Road and Springfield such that it is either closed to all traffic or a contra-flow cycle lane introduced. Funding for the works and the timing of their implementation has yet to be determined. Bus Services 4.14 The nearest bus stops to the site are located on Holt Road approximately 150m from the centre of the site and on Springfield some 300 metres from the centre of the site as shown in Figure There are 3 main bus services operating through Bradford on Avon via Holt Road or the bus stops on Springfield. Of these, service number 98 provides a cross town service for Bradford on Avon operating generally to a 30 minute timetable throughout the day. FMW February 2013

20 4.16 It operates a figure of eight route starting at the Railway Station, travelling around the southern residential areas of the town and the Sainsbury s supermarket before returning to the Railway Station. It then calls at the St Margaret s Street bus stops before crossing the town bridge, travelling around the northern residential areas of the town and returning via the town bridge, the St Margaret s Street bus stops and the Railway Station This service provides a frequent public transport link between the northern side of the town and the Sainsbury s supermarket and employment opportunities located on the southern side of the town The 264 / 265 service operates between Bath and Warminster via Bradford on Avon, Trowbridge and Westbury. The service provides a half hourly service during the day Monday to Saturday, with an hourly service in the evening and allows direct connections to the major local towns and cities. The service operates every 2 hours during the day on Sundays The Zig Zag service also operates along Holt Road providing up to 6 services per day linking Trowbridge, Bradford on Avon, Holt, Melksham, Corsham and Chippenham A summary of the above services in Table 4.2 below: Service Route Typical Frequency Days of operation / 265 Zig Zag Bradford on Avon Town Service Warminster - Westbury - Trowbridge - Bath Corsham - Melksham - Bradford on Avon Trowbridge Table 4.2: Local Bus Services 30 minutes Mon - Sat 30 minutes Mon - Sat Six services daily Mon - Sat 4.21 The above information indicates that there is a wide range of frequent public transport services available in the vicinity of the proposed development site which will provide potential residents with an alternative to the use of the private car. Residents can use nearby stops to reach most destinations within Bradford on Avon itself and frequencies are such that commuting is possible to Bath and Trowbridge. FMW February 2013

21 Rail Provision 4.22 Bradford on Avon Railway Station is centrally located within approximately one kilometre walking distance from the centre of the site The Station provides ticketing and waiting facilities and is located on the Bristol / Bath to Westbury / Southampton rail line. It also provides direct services to Weymouth, Salisbury, Portsmouth, London Waterloo, Newport, Cardiff and Gloucester. Sheffield hoop type cycle parking facilities are available on the platform Footways are provided along the full length of the walking route between the site and the Station with a signalised pedestrian crossing providing a safe location to cross St Margaret s Street. With the Bradford on Avon town bus service (No 98) also linking the site to the station, it is clear that the Station is readily accessible from the site by a range of non-car modes of transport A summary of the rail services available from Bradford on Avon is given in Table 4.3. DESTINATION JOURNEY TIME FREQUENCY Bath Spa 12 mins 30 mins Bristol Temple Meads 26 mins 30 mins Cardiff 1 hr 21 mins 60 mins Trowbridge 7 mins 30 mins Westbury 14 mins 30 mins Salisbury 45 mins 60 mins Southampton 1 hr 17 mins 60 mins Portsmouth 2 hr 7 mins 60 mins Weymouth 1 hr 46 mins 7 per day Gloucester 1 hr 43 mins 3 per day London Waterloo 2 hr 29 mins 3 per day Table 4.3: Direct Rail Services from Bradford on Avon 4.26 These services operate between approximately and midnight and provide regular services to the key local destinations in the region and beyond through a single change at Bath Spa (for London Paddington), Bristol Temple Meads (for Midlands and South West) and Westbury (for London Paddington and South West). FMW February 2013

22 4.27 There are three direct services to and from London Waterloo daily but an hourly service to and from London Waterloo is also available through a single change of train at Salisbury. Summary 4.28 In summary, it is considered that the proposed development site is well located in relation to the opportunity to use sustainable, non-car modes of travel for journeys to and from local services and facilities. Opportunities also exist to use non-car modes of transport when travelling to other nearby towns and cities. FMW February 2013

23 5 DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS Masterplan 5.1 The indicative development Masterplan is attached as Appendix C of this report. The development proposes the following development mix: 138 residential units of which 20% will be affordable ; 3,195sqm B1 employment use Serviced Offices known as the Hub ; and 2,543sqm B2 employment use Anthony Best Dynamics (ABD). 5.2 It should be noted that the above employment floor areas are the gross internal values that are used in the assessment of vehicle trip rates and as such are different from the gross external floor areas quoted on the application forms. Site Access Strategy 5.3 The proposed access strategy to serve the development is shown in Figure 5.1. The transport infrastructure includes facilities for the private car, public transport and walking and cycling in order that an integrated transport network is provided to serve the site. 5.4 In summary, the site access strategy involves conversion of the existing Holt Road / Springfield three arm priority junction at the western end of the site into a four arm roundabout with the new arm serving primarily the residential element of the development. At the eastern end of the site, a new three arm priority junction will be created on Holt Road which will primarily serve the employment element of the development. These two new access points will be connected within the site to create a through route. 5.5 Appropriate pedestrian footways and crossing facilities will be incorporated into the site access arrangements with a pedestrian route running parallel to Holt Road being provided through the site. A pedestrian and cycle route will also extend east beyond the residential and employment development providing a car free route back to Holt Road in the vicinity of the Cemetery. FMW February 2013

24 Proposed Site Access Arrangements 5.6 As identified above, there will be two vehicular points of access to the proposed development, both taken from Holt Road. As part of the site access proposals, the existing 30mph speed limit on Holt Road will be extended to the east of the adjacent Cemetery as shown in drawing FMW0276-F1 included as part of Appendix D. 5.7 The exact location of this speed limit extension will be agreed through discussions with Wiltshire Council as part of the detailed highway design process. 5.8 The eastern access will take the form of a simple priority T-junction and has been designed to accord with the principles and guidance set out in Manual for Streets and Manual for Streets 2. The layout is shown on drawing FMW0276-F2 included as part of Appendix D with the salient points of the junction arrangement being summarised below: Design Speed 30mph Major Carriageway width 6.7m Minor Carriageway width 8.5m at the bellmouth tapering to 7.3m Junction Radii 15m to east, 10m to west Visibility Splays 2.4 x43m minimum. 5.9 A Swept Path Analysis (SPA) of this junction arrangement demonstrates that any Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) that can be expected to visit the employment element of the development can use the junction and internal roads in a safe and appropriate manner. The SPA is included in Appendix E. It should be noted that the radii of the western kerb line at the junction has deliberately been tightened in order to encourage HGVs to use the B3105 lorry route rather than travelling through the town centre The western access will take the form of a standard four arm roundabout and has been designed to accord with the guidance set out in TD16/07: Geometric Design of Roundabouts. The layout is shown on drawing FMW0276-F4 included as part of Appendix D with the main details of the junction arrangement being summarised below: Design Speed 30mph Inscribed Circle Diameter 28m; Centre Island Diameter 4m; FMW February 2013

25 Over-run Area Diameter 12m Holt Road (east) width 5.5m; Site Access 7.3m Holt Road (west) 6.0m Springfield 7.3m The roundabout will be introduced on what is a bus route therefore a SPA has also been undertaken for this access and is included as part of Appendix E. The use of a run-over strip around the centre island clearly provides for the turning needs of a large vehicle while the presence of this run-over strip also creates appropriate levels of deflection for smaller vehicles As part of the proposed roundabout arrangement, a zebra crossing will be provided on Holt Road (west). This will provide a safe crossing facility for future residents to cross Holt Road and use the existing footway that runs along the northern side of Holt Road Directly to the north west of the proposed roundabout is an existing Wessex Water Pumping Station to which there is a requirement to maintain emergency access for a tanker at all times. It is therefore proposed that lockable drop bollards and drop kerbs be provided over a short length on Holt Road to the west of the proposed zebra crossing and on Springfield to the north of the roundabout as shown on drawing FMW0276-F4. The footway between the two sets of bollards will be provided at a 4m width to enable its use by the tanker lorry with an alternative footway route also being provided beside the roundabout itself for pedestrian use when the tanker is blocking the main pedestrian route The above arrangements will enable a tanker to park next to the pumping station but clear of traffic and will also mean that there will be no requirement for a turning head as the tanker can drive straight through between Holt Road and Springfield. It should be noted that tanker access is an emergency only requirement and will be a rare occurrence The proposed roundabout and the need to secure the pumping station access are such that the existing slip road between Holt Road eastbound and Springfield will need to be removed. This will result in the loss of a marked length of on-street parking which can accommodate approximately 10 cars. FMW February 2013

26 5.16 Subject to further discussions with Wiltshire Council it may also be considered appropriate to introduce no parking restrictions in the vicinity of the proposed roundabout and on the Springfield approach thereto. This in turn could remove informal on-street parking for a further four to five vehicles Site observations have identified that the on-street parking demand in this area is high throughout the day and is primarily associated with people who work in the town centre. Drivers choose to park on Springfield and to walk into the town centre presumably to avoid the town centre car park charges. It is considered that some of this displaced parking will merely relocate slightly further along Springfield away from the roundabout with the drivers not therefore being significantly inconvenienced by the proposed changes. Springfield is of an appropriate width such that on-street parking does not block the free flow of traffic The main site access road from the proposed roundabout is such that there is little or no frontage access for a long distance back from the roundabout. On-street parking will be possible over this length and will therefore help to compensate for the loss of on-street parking associated with the introduction of the roundabout and the pumping station access. Again the width of the site access road will ensure that the presence of on-street parking will not adversely affect the free flow of traffic. The lightly trafficked nature of the access will also provide a safer location for on-street parking than that currently available beside Springfield. Proposed Employment Parking Provision 5.19 The parking associated with the proposed employment element of the development is summarised below: The Hub = 89 spaces including three blue badge spaces; and ABD = 60 spaces including two blue badge spaces Wiltshire Council s parking standards identify a maximum parking provision of one space per 30sqm for a B1 land use. The Hub will have an internal floor area of 3,195sqm therefore could be provided with a maximum of 106 parking spaces As previously discussed, there are good opportunities to use non-car modes of travel to and from the site therefore a parking provision below the maximum is considered appropriate. FMW February 2013

27 5.22 The 89 spaces proposed represent a parking provision of one space for every 36sqm of B1 internal floor space. The courtyard and rear parking arrangements for the adjacent residential development means that there will be on-street parking available in close proximity to the Hub should the demand exceed the proposed supply It should also be noted that the floor area quoted for The Hub includes a café and meeting space which is intended for use solely by the office staff so will not in itself have a parking demand For B2 development, the Wiltshire Council standards identify a maximum of one parking space for every 50sqm of floor space. The ABD factory will have an internal floor area of 2,543sqm which would normally equate to a maximum provision of 51 spaces. It should be noted however that the factory building will also incorporate an element of office related activity which could push the parking requirements slightly higher than normal B2 parking standards would suggest The building will be occupied by an existing Bradford on Avon employer who is aware of the parking demands associated with the current workforce at the existing factory. This has enabled him to accurately identify the number of parking spaces required (60) to cater for the likely increase in employee numbers associated with the company s relocation to the proposed factory building It is proposed that covered cycle parking facilities will be provided for both the Hub and the ABD building. The number of cycle parking stands provided will be in excess of the minimum required by the Wiltshire Council standards. Residential Roads and Parking 5.27 The residential highway layout has two points of connection to the local highway network and a number of routes through the development which provides permeability as well as flexibility of access and movement for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. The internal road network has been designed to conform to the guidelines set out in Wiltshire Council s Residential Design Guide SPD 2005 and will be offered for adoption under a S38 Agreement. The two connections to the local highway network have been designed to conventional highway design guidance, as discussed above, and will be adopted under a S278 Agreement. FMW February 2013

28 5.28 In conformity with Wiltshire Council s Residential Design Guide, road widths are no greater than they need to be. Typically two-way sections vary from 4.5m to 5.5m with some localised narrowing to single vehicle width to control vehicle speeds and some localised widening at turning locations and where on street parking is provided. Footways are provided on both sides of the road where there is development on both sides otherwise on the development side only. On the longer loop sections of road, footpaths are provided across the loops through the development blocks Sight distances at minor junctions have been kept small to reduce vehicle speeds. At the larger junctions slightly larger sight lines are provided Swept path analysis has been undertaken using Autotrack software at certain locations to ensure that refuse, delivery and emergency vehicles can negotiate the road network. At the request of Wiltshire Council, a 10.8m length refuse vehicle has been assumed as a worst case. The analysis has been carried out at locations where there are significant changes in direction in the roads and at junctions. As the highway has been designed in accordance with Wiltshire Council s Residential Design Guide keeping road widths to the minimum necessary, occasional large vehicle may need to use the whole road width at junctions and bends The unified parking standards of Wiltshire Council are set-out in the Local Transport Plan 3 (LTP3) Car Parking Strategy. Whilst the parking standards at Appendix C of LTP3 establish maximum levels of provision for the majority of planning classes, in respect of class C3 dwelling houses, reference has to be made to the minimum standards set out at Table 7.1 of the strategy. In summary the minimum level of parking, across all accessibility bands, is as per the following table. No. of Bedrooms Minimum Parking No. 1 1 space 2 or 3 2 spaces 4 or more 3 spaces Visitor Parking 0.2 spaces per dwelling Table 5.1: LTP3 Minimum Residential Parking Standards FMW February 2013

29 5.32 In discussions with Wiltshire Council it has been agreed that the development scheme should adopt bespoke parking standards forming a hybrid of the LTP3 and DCLG Residential Car Parking Research (May 2007) methodology. This approach is in accordance with Policy PS6 of LTP3. In accordance with the DCLG approach the rate of allocated parking is proposed on the basis of tenure, number of bedrooms and dwelling type with the resulting average provision summarised in the table below. No. of Spaces Owner / Occupier Social / Rented 1 bed flat bed flat bed house bed house bed house 2.25 n/a Table 5.2: Kingston Farm Average Residential Parking Provision 5.33 In addition to the above stated allocated parking, formal on-street but un-allocated (visitor) parking of 20 spaces is proposed resulting in a standard of provision of 0.15 spaces per dwelling. Additionally, on-street informal parking will be possible for visitors throughout the site and without impeding safe and efficient traffic movement. Allotments 5.34 At the far eastern end of the site it is proposed to provide a number of allotments. A field gate will be provided on Holt Road close to the Cemetery (see FMW0276-F1 in Appendix D) which will allow for occasional vehicular access to the allotment site for maintenance and bulk delivery of fertiliser, compost or similar. Individual allotment holders will not have vehicular access to the site from this point The allotments will not be provided with a dedicated parking area within the allotment site. Any allotment holder driving to the site will be expected to park on-street within the residential development and then to walk the short distance through to the allotments. A vehicular access to the allotment area will be provided from Holt Road in the vicinity of the Cemetery although this access point is intended for occasional use only for the bulk delivery of compost or for wider maintenance purposes. FMW February 2013