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Development proposals will normally
be required to meet the Department's standards for access, car
parking, servicing and the design and layout of roads.
New development will often affect the
road network surrounding it, and it is part of the function of
development control to ensure that any adverse effects are avoided
or minimised. Planning permission can be considered for development
where:
- the proposal would not result in a
significant increase in traffic congestion or be a hazard to road
safety;
- the design and layout of roads,
footpaths and accesses are to a satisfactory standard; and
- sufficient off-street parking and
servicing is made available in a manner which is visually
satisfactory.
The extra traffic which will be
generated by a new development may occasionally necessitate road
improvements in the area of the scheme. To the extent that any
traffic problems can be expected to arise directly from the proposed
development, a condition may be imposed requiring appropriate
improvements to be made before implementation and a Planning
Agreement may be made.
Access
New development will generally require an access to a public road,
whether by the opening of a new entrance, or by utilising an
existing access. Direct access on to main traffic routes must be
avoided as far as practicable - see policy PSU 5. Where feasible,
access should be to a secondary road. The standards for access onto
classified roads, including sight lines, radii and gradients, will
vary according to the road classification. Unclassified roads
account for the remainder of the road network and new accesses to
these roads will normally be permitted provided the appropriate
standards are complied with and there is no unacceptable traffic
hazard as a result.
The number of accesses onto a given stretch of road and proximity to
junctions will be relevant in the assessment of traffic hazards. The
combining of individual access points along a road will be
encouraged as this tends to increase road safety.
The Department's publication "Layout of Housing Roads, Design Guide"
sets standards for the dimensions and layout of residential roads.
This will assist developers with the preparation of layout
proposals. It sets out standards consistent with a safe layout,
whilst giving freedom to designers to experiment with alternative
designs in both traditional and shared surface layouts. The primary
objective is to encourage safe and attractive residential
areas. Designers will be expected to pay particular attention to the
formation of accesses, the capacity of roads and the type of traffic
appropriate to them. Due regard should also be paid to the access
requirements of cyclists and pedestrians, including those with a
mobility handicap.
The safety of pedestrians and other road users is of paramount
importance when designing the layout of residential developments.
The Design Guide has therefore:
- established a road hierarchy
which will restrict the generation of large volumes of traffic
in housing areas, by limiting the numbers of houses served by
each category of road; and
- introduced speed control
measures to restrain vehicle speeds.
In town centre locations, developers will normally be expected to
include proposals for the provision of rear servicing facilities
where practicable. The need for rear servicing will be assessed on
the merits of each individual case. It is recognised that historic
settlement patterns may be a constraint upon the provision of rear
servicing.
Car Parking
The objective of car parking
standards is to ensure that sufficient space is provided for the
accommodation of parked vehicles, having regard to the location,
layout, size, shape, access needs and design quality of the space.
The provision of parking spaces to appropriate standards will ensure
that parked vehicles do not become either a safety hazard, an
obstruction to vehicle or pedestrian movement, or a visual nuisance.
The standards incorporate the concept of operational and
non-operational parking. Operational parking space is required for
cars and other vehicles regularly and necessarily involved at the
operation of a business or a particular building. Non-operational
parking space is required for traffic which does not have to park at
the particular premises.
Full operational parking will normally be required with all
development. The provision of non operational parking by developers
will be decided after consideration of the following factors:
- access and traffic management;
- environmental impact;
- the level of parking provision
which can be provided within the site being developed;
- the availability of adjacent
public car parking; and
- the acceptable level of local
on-street car parking.
A condition on a planning
permission may require a maximum or a minimum number of spaces to be
provided.
In some instances developers who cannot provide adequate car parking
at their sites may be required to contribute to the cost of public
car parking in the vicinity.
The Department will publish its car
parking standards in due course. In the meantime, Divisional
Planning Offices will give guidance on parking provision. |
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