A busy time for our Transport Planners..

Whilst we have played a pivotal role in new stores opening at Newport, South Wales and Seaton, Devon, our transport planning teams have also been busy, with planning permission granted for three food store proposals.  A new store has been approved for Southend, whilst extensions to existing stores have been delivered for Tesco at Shirebrook and at the Mereway Shopping Centre in Northampton.

Located on the site of a former B&Q store, the 80,000sq.ft development at Southend involved the modification and amendment to local highway junctions and the use of VISSIM Micro-simulation modelling to demonstrate that the proposals would not compromise the operation of the local highway network. 

Comprising an extension to the existing store and development of new non-food retail floor space at Shirebrook, we engaged in extensive discussions with the local authority to demonstrate that the package of measures to be delivered through a planning obligation and appropriately worded conditions was suitable to mitigate the effect of the development. 

At Northampton, we helped to deliver an extension to the Tesco food store of almost 30,000sq.ft.  The traffic conditions at the site, located close to the A45 were of particular interest to the Highways Agency and new access options were prepared to redistribute local vehicle movements and mitigate the effect of the development.

New Stores open in South Wales and Devon

The doors of an improved Tesco store at Newport, South Wales opened its doors to the public for the first time at the end of October.  The replacement of the former store at Spytty Road has a sales floor area of 100,000sq.ft and comprises a store-on-stilts format with the car parking below linking to the shop floor through a glazed atrium that houses elevators and travellators, as well as a number of concessionary retail units.  Our Cardiff office advised Tesco on the transport infrastructure requirements of the development during the planning process and negotiated transport based planning obligations prior to planning permission being issued.  We subsequently designed all new highway works for implementation on site.  

Our highway designers have recently played a vital role in the completion and opening of a new Tesco store at Seaton, Devon.  The development of a new food store on the site of a former holiday park received planning permission towards the end of 2010 and Transport Planning Associates was subsequently appointed to resolve outstanding highways matters, including the detailed design, specification and supervision of the highway works.  In addition, as part of the flood mitigation strategy which involved raising the level of the 105,000sq.ft site by 2m, we developed and implemented a detailed construction traffic routing strategy.  The store opened in mid November.

Client Survey Underway

The Transport Planning Associates Client Survey is currently underway; it is the first time we have undertaken a full survey of our clients.

We would like to know your experience of Transport Planning Associates and your participation in this survey will help us to better understand the service we provide to clients.

The survey will only take a few moments of your time, and if completed by 9th December 2011 you will automatically be included in a prize draw for a crate of wine (1^st Prize) or a £25 Amazon gift voucher (2^nd Prize), if you include your Name and E-mail when requested.

The survey forms part of our Quality Management System, which received accreditation in November of 2010. To access the TPA Client Survey 2011 please click the link below;

https://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3V4Y9zXACoRiIAY

We thank you for taking the time to complete our survey.

Public Inquiry success in South Somerset

Transport Planning Associates is pleased to announce that following a recent Public Inquiry, planning permission has been granted for a mixed use scheme including a 45 bed care home, 12 assisted living units and 8 extra care apartments in Somerton, South Somerset.  Bristol based Director Craig Rawlinson provided expert highway engineering and transport planning evidence to the Inquiry to counter the Council’s allegations that the proposals would not be associated with sufficient on-site parking and that as a result there would be a potential impact on highway safety.  

The Inspector attached weight to the proposed Travel Plan, “...which would provide a mechanism to encourage car sharing and the use of a mini-bus to collect staff”.  The Inspector also agreed with our arguments about the sustainable location of the site close to existing parking facilities, noting it is “...ideally placed for pedestrians to access local services...” and that “...visitors to the care home would be aware that in a town centre location there would be an expectation that parking would be in public car parks...”.

Craig Rawlinson said “...the proposed mixed-uses in this location will promote sustainable travel and we are pleased that the Inspector agreed with our view that the provision of 17 parking spaces is appropriate”.

Please contact Craig Rawlinson for more details craig.rawlinson@tpa.uk.com

Peter Evans - Joins to Head the Cardiff Office

We are extremely pleased to announce our latest staff appointment. Peter Evans has joined us to head up our Cardiff Office.  Peter has 25 years experience of delivering infrastructure, development and regeneration projects across both the public and private sectors.  His career spans Local Authority and Consultancy work, most recently being involved in the delivery and promotion of residential, retail, office and commercial schemes in the West Midlands, South West and Wales.

Peter is a Transport Planner with a unique mix of public and private sector experience providing advice to both private and public sector clients associated with proposals for residential, sports and leisure, commercial, mixed use development and food and non-food retail. Taking schemes from initial site concept and appraisal stage through to master planning and feasibility studies, planning application determination and discharge of planning conditions/section 106 obligations to the presentation of expert evidence to public inquiries. He is skilled in unlocking sites and providing innovative transport solutions and travel plans.

Peter is an experienced public speaker and Manual for Streets expert, during 2010 working with the Royal Town Planning Institute, Design Commission for Wales and Welsh Assembly Government providing training to local authority planners and engineers on the benefits of creating quality places and streets.

On joining the company Peter said, “I look forward to bringing my unique mix of public and private sector experience to good effect on behalf of clients new and old and working with the TPA Cardiff team building our presence in Wales and the South West." 

Specialties

Transport Planning, Master planning, Traffic Engineering, Transport Policy, Transport Assessments, Transport Statements, Travel Planning, Expert Witness Site Access Option Evaluation, Accessibility Planning, Public Consultation, Planning Obligation Negotiation and Urban Design/Manual for Streets.

We are sure that those of you, who know Peter, will join us in welcoming him to the company and agree with us that his appointment represents a significant indication of our commitment to client service and quality in Wales.