News: Highway Authority objects to 75-home development

Hampshire County Council’s Highway Authority has submitted an objection to James Painter’s outline planning application for 75 homes, in its current form.

Mr Alistair McMurray, responding on behalf of the Authority, concludes:

The Transport Assessment does not provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the proposed development would not result in unacceptable impacts on highway safety or severe residual cumulative impacts on the local highway network

The response points out that because the development exceeds the 65 homes proposed in Test Valley Borough Council’s emerging Local Plan that there are “implications for the scale of trip generation and access design that must be robustly assessed at this stage”.

Echoing what many residents have been saying, the report identifies “the rural nature of the surrounding road network, the limited footway provision, and the reliance on private car travel for most trips”.

A number of observations on the Transport Assessment within the planning application are highlighted:

  • Although the centre of Chilbolton is within reasonable walking distance of the site, with few pavements, narrow roads and vehicle speeds, vulnerable road users might be discouraged
  • While a connection to Cart Lane is proposed, insufficient detail is provided
  • Without a full Walking, Cycling and Horse Riding Assessment and Review, the Highway Authority “is unable to be satisfied that the proposal has adequately considered or mitigated its impact on active travel users”
  • Noted from the planning application is a lack of evidence of site visits to “observe actual walking, cycling or equestrian activity”, nor was there evidence of “liaison with local stakeholders or user groups, such as local walking, cycling or equestrian interests”
  • The limited bus service “reinforces a high reliance on private car travel for the proposed development” and that this should be taken into account in any transport analysis
  • The CrashMap analysis is inadequate. Instead the Authority requires “up to date and full accident statistics data from Hampshire Constabulary”
  • More detail of the design of the main access is required to prove that it “can operate safely and efficiently under peak traffic conditions associated with up to 75 dwellings and the proposed community uses”
  • The secondary access via Eastman’s Field is “not clearly defined”, and there is no assessment of the impact on its residents. They describe this as “a material omission in the submitted information”
  • The trip generation analysis has not assessed “worst case conditions”, and its conclusion that there would not be a severe impact on local roads “is not supported by junction capacity or operational assessments”

A pointed summary observes:

The Transport Assessment does not provide sufficient clarity on the operational performance of the proposed access, fails to robustly assess the traffic impact of up to 75 dwellings and associated community uses, provides insufficient justification and definition of the secondary access arrangement, and does not include junction capacity assessments to demonstrate that the residual cumulative impacts of the development would not be severe.