Nick Dawson – Connectivity Strategy Manager
Minutes:
Nick Dawson, Connectivity Transport Manager
Each borough/district council area has a (local) District Integrated Transport Strategy (DITS), which is published on our website. These strategies form part of Staffordshire County Council’s Local Transport Plan 3. They are ‘refreshed’ regularly.
The DITS help the Council prioritise expenditure in the districts, and secure contributions and funding e.g. from developers, and influence strategic investment from the rail industry and HE. In this latter regard reference is made to strategies produced by the road and rail industry. DITS also provide advice to local planning authorities on the impact of local development proposals on transport. Countywide the Council’s available funding for integrated transport schemes (via Integrated Transport Block) has fallen to @ £3m per year (half of what it was), as the Government has diverted monies into Local Growth Deals . The DITS are informed by quantitative data gathered nationally and locally and include signage, speed safety issues and strategic maintenance issues, but mainly focus on land use planning and development.
In regard to HCVs and traffic SCC generally encourages maximum use of rail freight.
The strategies for Lichfield District and East Staffordshire Borough support the development of bypasses e.g. Lichfield Southern bypass and in neighbouring local authority areas Walton –upon Trent bypass in Derbyshire. SCC also supports a number of targeted road improvements along the A38 and A5. The strategies also include mitigation improvements flowing from development proposals e.g. weight restrictions, signing, speeding and safety reviews. In Lichfield District we support the provision of a lorry park at Fradley
Members were shown a slide on Fradley. The junctions at Fradley South and Hilliards Cross are considered inadequate in terms of slip lengths and general arrangements. The slide showed an improvement to Wood End Lane. SCC is lobbying HE for investment to improve both the Fradley junctions in Wood End Lane improvements may result from HS2 investment monies.
Engagement of the public is achieved through the Divisional Highways Teams who submit requests for improvements. Members raised concerns regarding public feedback to the Community Infrastructure team when problems occurs that impact on them, post development.
In regard to the impact of the Fradley development, planning permission was granted in 1995 for a different development. This has developed beyond expectations. No traffic management plan for the area. Newer businesses on the development have developed routing agreements with SCC and use the A38 for access to the North and North West rather than the A515, albeit the A515 is a primary route on the local highway network.
Development Control process
Dale Arthur, Development and Improvements Manager
SCC is a statutory consultee on new planning developments. 4,000-4,500 application consultations are received each year, a quarter of which are for the Lichfield/East Staffordshire area.
The role of the highways authority in its capacity as a statutory consultee is to ensure that the developments do not have a severe impact on the Staffordshire road network. Pre-application advice is provided to developers to encourage a better quality formal application. Every application is checked to ensure highways and transportation matters comply with the National Planning Policy Framework, Local Plans and District Transport Strategies. For large scale applications developers are required to make financial contributions to mitigate the impact of their developments by (Section 278 of the Highways Act) and Section 106 agreements.
When a new application is received developers are required to provide a transport assessment and/or a transport statement depending on the type and scale of the development. A range of factors are considered including trip generations from the development, traffic flows, accidents, road safety, connectivity, accessibility, and sustainability before recommendations are made to the Local Planning Authority. Construction traffic routing is important and developers are encouraged to direct access away from residential areas where possible. Some developments will require an off-site traffic management plan detailing the permitted routing for HCV traffic accessing and leaving the site. Travel plans are secured as part of the planning process and travel plan monitoring occurs following occupation of the development.
Following planning approval of the application, a technical submission is made by the developer’s consultant to consider new access arrangements.
The developer then enters into a major works agreement with the County.
When a construction contract is let the highways works are supervised and administered by the Highways team. Following satisfactory completion of the works the works are then formally adopted.
Members asked what happened when recommendations made by the Highways Team are not enforced.
The Highways Team continually monitor the situation and undertake a road safety assessment within 12 months of substantial completion. If conditions are not met then the local borough/district council could enforce such condition under the Town and Country Planning Act. It would be up to the local planning authority to ensure that a planning condition such as a travel plan is enforced.
Members asked what would happen if a company’s suppliers breached a HCV routing agreement planning condition.
If this occurred, the local authority would again have the powers to enforce this.