The Planning Team For Your Property Development

Have you purchased a piece of land because it's an ideal location for your dream home? Maybe you've identified a bigger piece of land where you can build multiple properties. This article will provide you with some basic advice to help you with your project and avoid some pitfalls that often crop up in development schemes. It also aims to provide advice as to who to involve in your planning so as to provide the optimum chance of getting your planning application passed.

Site Research
Before liaising with any specialists such as architects and surveyors, it is crucial that you carry out some research. These days, by going on-line, you can check if anyone has previously put in a planning application. Your local planning authority will allow access to their “Planning Portal” which lists Planning Applications, copies of reports and drawings on the planning file and details of any decisions made. Don't worry if you discover that your site has had a refusal. It is always a good idea to closely examine the reasons for refusal as quite often they can be overcome with some technical expertise. A Consultant Town Planner, Highways Consultant (such as Modal Group) or Architect could advise you or point you in the right direction of someone who could help.
In addition to checking out the planning history of your site, also look at similar sized sites in the locality as this will give you an idea of what the Local Planning Authority are looking for in an application and what other issues there may be locally. Additionally, if planning was approved, you'd be informed of the planning conditions that are likely to be applied.

It is at this stage that, we'd advise that you engage an Architect, Town Planner and a Highways Consultant. I can understand that this may seem rather excessive, but there may be issues which all three Consultants would need to address; and the earlier that they do, the less likely that the scheme will be delayed at a later stage or during the Planning Application process itself.

Who Needs To Be On My Planning Team?

a)The Consultant Town Planner
They are often the natural choice to co-ordinate the team's effort in preparing a Planning Application. He will need to consider local planning policy, prepare an argument for the “need” of the proposals, and he will also carry out a more detailed investigation into the planning history as well as considering the planning decisions made for similar sites.
Ideally, the Consultant Town Planner should have an early meeting with the Council Planners, finding out what their requirements are and what the local issues may be. They can then pull together all the relevant planning reports, write and submit the Planning Application, as well as negotiate its passage through the Council in order to obtain a successful result.

b) The Architect
They often take on the duties of the Town Planner and the highways expert. The architect will not only design the dwellings inside and outside, but they will also need to take in to account how the buildings sit in the site, their visual amenity and how they affect neighboring properties. The architect will also advise on how the building design and specification can save energy costs, both in construction and building use thereafter. If there isn't a town planner involved, which is often the case on smaller schemes, then the Architect will quite often lead the development team and co-ordinate the production of any specialist reports that need to be submitted with the Planning Application as well as prepare and submit the Planning Application itself and take responsibility for negotiating with the Council Planners in order to get their recommendation for approval.

c) The Highways Consultant / Transport Planning Consultant
The consultant will quite often face the toughest task. This is to persuade the Local Highway Authority that the development proposals can be accessed safely, that the internal highway layout and design follow the appropriate design guides and Manual for Streets. In addition, that the impact of the proposals on the wider highway network is minimal, traffic surveys may be required, and that accessibility by car, on-foot, cycle and public transport is achievable.

Contact Modal Group
To find out more about our services visit Transport Planning Consultants. Alternatively, for an informal chat about your project call 015398 86015 or contact Modal Group via the website at Traffic Consultants.

Road Safety Audit Checklist at Preliminary Design Stage

It is important that any previous road safety audits carried out are reviewed in order to allow subsequent design changes. If it is a major project then it is also advisable to determine the amount land required to meet all the safety requirements.

It is essential to check any elements of horizontal and vertical alignments in order to minimize any hazards caused by reduced sight-lines.This is particularly important where the scheme departs from normal standards. In regards to sight-lines consider all other obstructions that may be caused by such things as parapets, bridge abutments, structures and street furniture.

Junctions are critical places, often a source of delay and where collisions tend to occur. Therefore it is essential to review all conflict points at junctions (especially private access points) in order to minimize hazards. Check the visibility of the actual junction upon approach including sight-lines from minor roads and private access points. All things considered it is important to control approach speed to the junction and review the layout of the approach roads. It is also good practice to consider nay provision for turning traffic as well as location and access of lay-bys.

What else needs to be reviewed within the preliminary design?

1. The impact of landscaping
2. Perceptions of road users towards road markings and signage
3. Provision of safety aids on steep hills
4. Provision of facilities for other highway users such as pedestrians, cyclists and horse-riders
5. Potential for flooding due to inadequate drainage
6. Any maintenance arrangements

Modal Group are transport planning consultants that also provide traffic surveys and road safety audits.
If you would like to find out more about Modal's Road Safety Audit services contact Petros Price via the website at Traffic Consultants.

10 Items to Include in a Road Safety Audit Brief

As transport planning consultants that carry out road safety audits, we have noticed considerable differences in the way the road safety audit brief is written. I'm not saying that they are wrong, but it would be helpful if it was somewhat standardised in order to provide consistency and clarity within the instruction.

The audit brief is the responsibility of the Design Team Leader or Project Manager. The Design Team Leader can request a road safety audit (RSA) at any stage of a development scheme to the auditors. It is important that it is given to the audit team with enough time for the design team to incorporate any recommendations within the project and so keeping scheme on schedule.

The RSA brief may include:

1. A complete description of the section of highway to be audited
2. A detailed description of the scheme objectives
3. Comprehensive scheme drawings
4. Identified departures from the norm
5. Timetables of any traffic orders
6. All Exception Reports relating to the project
7. Details of existing traffic/pedestrian flows
8. Details of expected changes to traffic/pedestrian flow
9. Information of traffic signal designs for the scheme
10. Any other information relating to the scheme proposals

The audit team will prepare the report and record details of the actual scheme being audited. Included will be information on the documents and drawings that have been examined, names of the auditors and detailed notes of the actual site visit incorporating dates, times and traffic conditions. Of course the scale and complexity of any project changes from scheme to scheme, but it is vital that the audit brief covers all the safety issues especially as the audit has the potential of influencing future injury collisions. If the Design Team Leader decides that the road safety audit is not required then they should attach an explanotary note countersigned by the Chief Engineer outlining the reason why the audit was not needed.

Each identified safety problem should be recorded as follows:

1. The identified problem and its location
2. Identification of the type of road user at risk eg. pedestrian, cyclist, etc...
3. A comprehensive description of the actual problem(s)
4. A quantifiable level of concern of risk
5. Recommendations that will mitigate the problem
6. Each safety problem should be referenced separately

The completed audit report would normally be given to the project manager for consideration, who would then instruct the Design Team of any changes to the scheme as a result of the Safety Audit.

Modal Group Ltd are transport planning consultants based in Kendal, Cumbria and work with local authorities, property developers and architects throughout the UK. As well as the traffic planning work, Modal Group also carry out road safety audits and traffic surveys.

Understanding Access Feasibility For Development Sites

As transport planning consultants, Modal Group are increasingly being required to review the feasibility of accessing parcels of land that the landowner would like to develop for residential use. In the main, these sites often come forward following on from the review and identification of potential residential sites by Local Authorities. In this article, Modal Group Ltd looks at the overall considerations that the Highway Authorities and/or Property Developers need to be aware of at the feasibility stage with regards to being able to satisfactorily access the land.

Why Use Transport Planners at the Feasibility Stage?
Unfortunately, not all potential development sites have long road frontages or existing accesses that make accessing a site simple. In many cases, access frontage is limited or there are other issues that may have to be considered typically:-

• Bends in the road;
• Trees;
• Varying land gradients;
• Other housing or infrastructure; and
• Natural obstructions e.g. rivers and rocky outcrops

Transport planners or highway consultants will normally visit the site and consider all the above and other potential obstructions and advise the developer on suitable access locations. Planners like a challenge and have been known to successfully advise both developers and Highway Officers on how a site could be potentially accessed when on first inspection the Highway Officer has dismissed a site on grounds of inaccessibility.

How to Save Time and Money
By using a transport planner at the early feasibility stage, the developer can take professional advice on whether an access is possible, where it should be ideally located and if there are any constraints that may have a knock on effect in limiting the size of the development. This helps the developer make early decisions on site layout, and therefore minimise the time and cost associated in employing an architect to produce site layout plans that become void and need to be re-drawn following the planner’s advice.

What are the Basic Design Requirements?
The basic access requirements that transport planner will consider in order to satisfy the Highway Authority that an access is feasible are the following:-

• Visibility Splays, which are dependent on road speeds;
• 85th percentile speed Surveys, required for visibility splays and monitored over a 2 week period;
• Access Radii;
• Access road widths, varies depending on the number of residential units proposed; and
• Footway requirements

The planner will consider the above points to draw an access point (using CAD) and then pass these on to the architect who can then drop the access into their drawings. In the UK, it is good practice for the planner to consider the relevant requirements by also referring to the guidelines as set out in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB), Manual for Streets and (if available) the Local Highway Authorities Design Manual for residential roads.

What Next?
Once a developer has decided to develop their site and has an agreed point and form of access with which an architect has produced site layout plans, the transport planner can then look at the development proposals in more detail and consider the following:-

• Traffic surveys
• Assess and prepare Transport Statements or the more detailed Transportation Reports;
• Assess the impact of increased car usage on the local highway network and advise if existing highway infrastructure needs to be modified;
• Consider non-car accessibility, eg on-foot, by bicycle or bus;
• Prepare and write Travel Plans;
• Negotiate and liaise with the Local Highway Authority; and
• Help prepare S278 and S106 agreements.

At what stage should a Road Safety Audit be carried out?
In many instances, architects or other highway consultants may have already produced an access. In such a case, it may be necessary to get suitably trained professionals to carry out an independent road safety audit, looking at the safety of a junction through the eyes of all road users (drivers, pedestrians, cyclists etc). Though a junction can be designed to all relevant design standards, there are often design issues that may result in the increased potential for accidents to occur. Therefore many Highway Authorities now require an independent road safety audit to identify any safety issues. Learn more about our road safety audits.

To discuss any access feasibility issues regarding a scheme, please phone 015398 86015 or you can contact us via the website at Traffic Consultants.

10 Common Road Safety Problems

Modal Group's road safety auditors work takes them across the UK working on various schemes for our clients ranging from a new commercial developments through to checking the safety of road junctions on a new housing estate. In our travels across the country, we have noticed that it is often the same issues that come to the fore repeatedly. Therefore, I thought it relevant to focus on some of these common road safety issues in order to create greater awareness of these reoccurring safety problems.

Modal's Road Safety Audits have identified 10 Common Road Safety Problems:

• Poorly sited pedestrian crossings
• Poorly designed or non-existent tactile paving at pedestrian crossings
• Obscured signage
• Poorly sited street furniture
• Lack of guard railing
• Inadequate road signage
• Lack of road markings
• Lack of anti-skid
• Poorly sighted traffic signal heads
• Lack of dropped kerbs for pedestrians and wheelchair users

If you found this of interest you may also want to read our Guide to Road Safety Audits.

Find out more about our Road Safety Audits Services.

If you'd like to talk to one of our road safety experts at Modal Group about a particular commercial or residential project for which you require a road safety audit then please phone 015398 86015 for a no obligation chat. Otherwise, you may contact us via the website at Traffic Consultants and we’ll call you back as soon as possible.

Introductory Guide to Road Safety Audits

Since the 1990's, the requirement for carrying out a road safety audit has grown. This was largely due to when the Design Standard HD 19/90 was incorporated in to the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB).  It is now commonplace for Local Authorities to request an independent Road Safety Audit as an core part of the planning application. Petros Price, Director and transport planning consultant at Modal Group provides a brief guide to road safety audits.

What is a Road Safety Audit?
A Road Safety Audit (RSA) is a formal and systematic process by which the potential for accidents to occur and the safety of new highway schemes are checked. The approach used to carry out the Road Safety Audit, have been developed over many years and are now based on established safety principles. The auditor’s role is to assess the proposed scheme as an independent body, which has no knowledge of the proposal and so no preconceived ideas. This is vital, as the aim of the auditor is to ensure that the road will operate as safely as possible, thereby minimizing the potential for future accidents to occur and if they do, to reduce their severity.

As Road Safety Auditors we are guided by two safety principles. These being:

• Prevention is better than cure; and
• The safety audit considers all road users and especially vulnerable road users.

Naturally, we also refer regularly to more detailed guidance on carrying out road safety audits. Such guidance is included in DMRB within HD 19/94 “Road Safety Audit Standard” and Advice Note HA 42/94, which were written with the Trunk Road network in mind. In addition, the Institution of Highways and Transportation (IHT) have prepared “Guidelines for the Safety Audit of Highways”, dated 1996, which complements the advice in DMRB but does not supersede it.

The Safety Audit Stages
DMRB and IHT Guidelines recommend the following Stages:-
• Feasibility (no requirement to carry out);
• Stage 1 – Preliminary/draft plans;
• Stage 2 – Detailed design;
• Stage 3 – On Opening (recommended just prior to opening); and
• Monitoring - Recommended at 1 and 3 years after opening.

What is RSA Good Practice?
A good practitioner will follow a code of good practice. It is good practice for the road safety audit to be carried out totally independently of the road scheme designer.

In terms of good practice, the following principles apply:-
• The audit team should be independent of the design team;
• For Stage 1 audits, 2 auditors would suffice. However, a Stage 2 audit may require specialists while Stage 3 audits should include the Police, an engineer responsible for the road maintenance and a Road Safety Officer.
• The audit team should visit the site;
• The audit team should have specialist up-to-date knowledge of safety engineering;
• The findings should be documented as should the audit advice;
• The designer should document reasons for not implementing advice

You can learn more about Modal Group Ltd's Road Safety Audits or contact us direct via the Modal Group website at Traffic Consultants.