Katie Clarke Wins TPS Bursary

Katie Clarke, Graduate Transport Planner in our Bristol office, has been chosen by the Transport Planning Society (TPS) to write a paper for presentation to the TPS Board.  The bursary scheme enables people in an early stage of their career to produce a piece of structured thought on a topic of current relevance to transport planning and provides a great opportunity to develop as a transport planning professional.

This year, applications for abstracts were invited from TPS members on a topic of ‘A Harder Edge for Soft Measures: What Can We Do To Encourage And Accommodate All Transport Users?’.  Katie’s topic involves the perceived effectiveness and acceptance of measures to encourage smarter travel. 

Katie has been allocated a mentor who will assist with the technical content of the paper which is due to be submitted in December, with presentation to the TPS Board in February 2013.

Positive decision for Gloucestershire County Cricket Ground

Bristol City Council has resolved to grant planning permission subject to completion of the Section 106 Agreement, for the redevelopment of Gloucestershire County Cricket Ground in Bristol to include 7500 permanent seats (rising to 17,500 with temporary seating) and ancillary facilities and a 147 dwelling apartment building with 111 parking spaces.  TPA were instructed by Gloucestershire County Cricket Club and Linden Homes to prepare a comprehensive Transport Assessment and Residential Travel Plan which included the provision of car club cars and spaces and bus and cycle vouchers for residents.  Significant community engagement was carried out and there were concerns from residents that the amount of parking would not be sufficient and this could lead to parking congestion in the local area and conflict with the operation of the adjacent primary school and City of Bristol College.  TPA carried out detailed negotiations with the local highway authority and stakeholders and undertook parking surveys to confirm the availability of parking on the local streets and assessed local car ownership levels in order to agree with the Council that the proposals would not create parking or traffic problems.  

TPA were first appointed on the Cricket Club’s redevelopment proposals in 2006 and helped secure planning permission in February 2011 for a hybrid application comprising a new 20,000 all-seater stadium, including corporate hospitality, conference and restaurant facilities, the construction of a 350 bed student scheme, with no car parking and ancillary uses.  This included the preparation of a Transport Assessment, Travel Plan and an Event Day Traffic Management Plan.  Based on surveys carried out for spectator travel, public consultation events and in conjunction with highway officers, we developed expanded match day measures for temporary parking restrictions and road closures, new signage and increased stewarding to make it difficult for spectator cars to enter the area.  These measures were also carried forward to the latest application and were agreed to be appropriate to prevent unacceptable highway safety problems in the vicinity of the Ground.  

For further information please contact Craig Rawlinson at craig.rawlinson@tpa.uk.com

Images provided by Arturus Architects  

Public Inquiry success in Reading

We are pleased to announce that planning permission has been granted by an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State following a recent Public Inquiry, for the removal of existing PFS canopy and change of use of car sales forecourt and car servicing/MOT building to Class A1 Tesco Express and Class B1 offices with associated works including parking and loading area.  Cambridge Office Director Julian Clarke provided expert evidence to the Inquiry to counter the Council’s allegations that an increase in slowing and turning vehicles would lead to to further conflict and interference with the free flow of traffic on the highway, to the detriment of road safety. 

The Inspector agreed that the predicted trip and turning movements associated with the proposal were robust and concluded that “on balance I do not consider that this would materially impact on the free-flow of traffic as a result of increased trips.”  Further in his consideration of the implications of movements into and from the development the Inspector accepted that “right turning movements across the carriageway would take place in an area of slow traffic speeds with interruptions to flow.”  Referring to analysis of delay submitted in evidence, the Inspector acknowledged that “there may be some delays, but this would be typical of the nature of flows at this and other urban sites.” 

The Inspector further considered the road safety implications of the proposals, concluding that “the Council have not made out a case that accident levels are notably higher here (at the appeal site) than elsewhere along Oxford Road…”

In his overall conclusions on whether the increase in trips and turning movements would be materially harmful, the Inspector concluded that based “on the evidence before me I conclude they would not.” 

For further information please contact Julian Clarke at julian.clarke@tpa.uk.com

Permission granted for Homelands 2 in Bishop’s Cleeve

Transport Planning Associates is pleased to announce that the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has granted planning permission for up to 450 dwellings, a local centre, a community hall, health, leisure and nursery accommodation, strategic parkland and public open space, landscaping, vehicular access and foul and service water infrastructure on land at Homelands Farm in Bishop’s Cleeve, Gloucestershire.

An appeal that had been lodged by Comparo against the non-determination by Tewkesbury Borough Council of its planning application was subsequently recovered by the Secretary of State and a public inquiry was held between September and December 2011.  Among the many issues considered at the inquiry was the extent to which the proposed development is consistent with the advice in PPG13 (subsequently revoked and replaced by the National Planning Policy Framework in March of this year).  In particular the need to locate new development in a way which helps to promote more sustainable transport choices and which promotes accessibility to jobs, shopping, leisure facilities and services by public transport, walking and cycling.

Building on work undertaken by Callidus Transport & Engineering, TPA developed a comprehensive package of transport infrastructure and services improvements that included the extension and enhancement of local bus services, new pedestrian links and cycle routes, a Travel Plan (including modal share targets at 3, 5 and 10 years from occupation), and off-site highway improvements to mitigate residual traffic impacts and to implement a local traffic calming scheme.  A topic specific Statement of Common Ground with the Highway Authority (Gloucestershire County Council) and with Peter Brett Associates (on behalf of the appellant of a conjoined appeal in respect of a similar development proposal in Bishop’s Cleeve also granted planning permission by the Secretary of State) was concluded.

Rupert Lyons of TPA appeared as an expert witness at the inquiry and gave evidence on the transport issues arising from the proposed development.  The Inspector, David Nicolson RIBA IHBC, concluded that measures “to promote sustainable transport choices … would not only assist future occupiers but existing residents as well so that the 10% modal shift [anticipated] would be such that there should be no overall increase in the use of private cars by residents of Bishop’s Cleeve.”  In balancing the various issues, the Inspector recommended that the appeal should be allowed and planning permission granted subject to conditions.

For further information please contact Rupert Lyons at rupert.lyons@tpa.uk.com

Cameron joins Transport Planning Associates

Ian Cameron has joined Transport Planning Associates as a non-executive director.   Ian retired as Chairman and Managing Director of JMP Consultants in 2009 and has since worked as an independent management consultant advising national and international consultancies on strategy, business development and acquisitions.

A founding director of TPA, Rupert Lyons, said “In recognising that TPA’s success has been built on the technical skill-sets, experience and professional expertise of its people, the directors of the Company have, for some time, been searching for an outside influence that can assist us to achieve our Vision.” 

Commenting on Ian’s role in the Company, Rupert said “He’s not here to help us become better transport planners, traffic engineers or infrastructure designers but to share his knowledge and wealth of experience, and to challenge our thinking, style and processes so that we deliver our key short, medium, and longer term objectives.”

Joining the Board of TPA, Ian said “I am delighted to have this opportunity to work with the TPA board, to build on the excellent profile they have achieved as transport consultant of choice to some of the UK’s most successful developers. I have already been impressed by the dynamism of the TPA directors and their determination not to sit on their laurels but to continue to develop the quality and value of their services to new and existing clients.”

Ian’s role will be to assist the Company to achieve the four elements of its Vision:

‘To become and remain a best in class consultancy;

to gain the respect of the communities and project teams within which we work;

to create a working environment that attracts the most talented professionals;

and to be our clients’ consultant of choice.