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Design Guidance - Part 3
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Part 3 Design guidance
3.1 The guidance contained in this part is intended to help you design development
layouts that provide for the safe and free movement of all road users, including cars, lorries, pedestrians,
cyclists and public transport. You should select and assemble appropriate design elements to:
We
believe that such an approach, coupled with the flexibility that our guidance allows, already reflects
many key themes of the Manual for Streets (MfS). Also, we have revised certain aspects
of Htd to reflect specific MfS guidance, particularly with regard to visibility splays. We recognise,
however, that further work is required to bring Htd even more closely in to line with the MfS, in particular
with regard to our road design descriptions and guidance. Meanwhile, this will not stop us seeking residential
development layouts that recognise that roads have a wider role to play in creating a sense of place
and community as opposed to simply having a functional transport role.
3.2 Where this cannot be achieved by development layouts that are explicitly covered
by this guidance, we are prepared to be flexible. Subject to Part 1 paragraph 1.16
onwards we will consider layouts that are not covered by the guidance.
3.3 We will resist developments (for example by recommending refusal of planning
permission) where they do not meet the policies and objectives set out in this document.
Also, planning authorities are unlikely to favour developments that lack quality layout and design.
(Note: For Leicestershire, please see our 'Highways Status Search' page for details
of which exiting roads are adopted. For Nottinghamshire please see 'Adopted road
search page' Please contact the relevant highway authority for other areas see Appendix
A for details
3.4 This section
sets out our design guidance for adoptable roads. You can find guidance on Home
Zones, public transport, providing for pedestrians and cyclists, and providing for horse riders in sections
DG3, DG6, DG7 and DG8,
respectively.
(Note: Please see our 'Highways
Status Search' page for details of which existing roads are adopted)
3.5 We will continue to encourage developers to create layouts that are to an adoptable
standard and that will be offered for adoption. We will not normally adopt developments of five or less
dwellings.
3.6 For employment and commercial developments, we will normally expect road layouts
serving developments of more than one building and with more than one occupier to meet our adoptable
design guidance and be offered for adoption. However, you are encouraged to contact the relevant
highway with to discuss their adoption requirements for specific proposals. (See Section
DG19 for employment and commercial developments served by private drives and areas.)
3.7 You can find advice on how to get your roads adopted under Section 38 of the
Highways Act in Part 5 of this document.
Note:Please see appendix D for additional information on safety
audits.
3.8 External roads and other off-site highway works: These are roads that provide
a new link in the road network and serve a more general purpose than simply giving access to a development.
Unless they fall within the definition of a road (street) as set out in appendix L,
you should normally design these in line with the appropriate parts of the Design Manual
for Roads and Bridges and our Specification and standard drawings.
They should contain measures to control vehicle speeds and to limit the impact on the environment. We
will require safety audits in all cases. We may be prepared to consider permitting direct frontage access
from properties to such roads providing that they are subject to a 30mph speed limit and carry no more
than 10000 vehicles per day.
3.9 Site access to external roads: Unless the external road
falls within the definition of a road (street) as set out in appendix L,
you should normally design these in line with the appropriate parts of the Design
Manual for Roads and Bridges and our Specification and standard
drawings. We will not normally accept mini-roundabouts unless they form part of a more comprehensive
traffic-calming scheme that is either required to minimise the development’s impacts or that has previously
been identified. A mini-roundabout will not be acceptable where it is proposed simply because the necessary
visibility for a priority junction cannot be achieved. We
may be prepared to consider permitting direct frontage access from properties to the external road providing
that they are subject to a 30mph speed limit and carry no more than 10000 vehicles per day.
3.10 Site-specific requirements will depend on a number of factors including:
You should establish and
agree our requirements with us in the early stages of preparing your development proposals. We will
require safety audits in all cases.
3.11 Internal development roads: These are roads that serve
only the development. You should normally design them in line with the sections below, which cover residential
developments up to 400 dwellings and employment and commercial developments, and our Specification
and standard drawings. We will consider the design of development roads for sites
of over 400 dwellings, or which are otherwise not covered by the following guidance, on a site-by-site
basis.
3.12 We will not normally require safety audits of internal development roads unless:
Figure
DG1 Examples of shared surfaces
3.13 Table DG1 gives general geometry for internal residential roads. In general
terms, a residential access road is a conventional cross-section road with separate provision for vehicles
and pedestrians. On a residential access way users share a common surface.
(a)
We will consider developments in excess of the single-access limits on a site-by-site basis. See also
paragraph 3.15.
(b) Care must be taken in the design of roads serving schools.
Parking in the vicinity of schools, as children are dropped-off or collected, is a serious safety hazard
and can cause traffic congestion.
For new residential developments, any need for a new school on the site must be
established early on (see Part 2 para 2.10 onward). The school should be located
to maximise opportunities:
All
of this will need to be considered as part of the transport assessment for the development and a school
travel plan will be required.
Where a proposed development requires the expansion of an existing school, that
is the construction of one or more new classrooms, the traffic impacts of the expansion must be considered
early on and as part of any transport assessment required for the development. Measures will normally
be required to provide ‘safe routes to school’ and minimise the risk of causing or making worse on-street
parking problems.
(c) The Manual for Streets suggests that
shared surfaces work well in short lengths or where they form cul-de-sacs, where traffic is less than
100 vehicles per hour, and where parking is controlled. Care must be taken in the design of shared-surface
layouts to ensure that the development’s whole design, including building type and layout, use of street
furniture and so on, conveys to users the nature of the area. Motor vehicles should not dominate and
the layout should not simply appear to be a road without footways.
It is also important that any shared surface is designed for blind or partially
sighted people and that they include an alternative means for visually impaired people to navigate by.
As the Manual for Streets emphasises, we will expect you to consult with relevant
representative groups and access officers in designing your proposals.
The type of surfacing materials will normally be a secondary feature in defining
the nature of the area. It will not normally be acceptable simply to use a different material to convey
the nature of an area to users. We will consider the surfacing material you propose for any shared-surface
area with regard to the development’s overall design, including proposed housing layouts.
(d) The carriageway width does not include any footways, verges
and so on. We may be prepared to accept a narrower, single carriageway width of
3.7m between kerbs over short lengths as a speed-control feature. The minimum lane
width of 3.2m applies only where there are limited restrictions, for example where a pedestrian refuge
is provided in the middle of the road.
(e) The corridor width is the minimum space required to accommodate
all likely road users and utility equipment (for example, gas, water, cable TV). It does not include
any additional space for outward-opening windows, drainage downpipes and so on where dwellings
front direct onto the highway. You should define vehicle paths within the corridor by a tracking assessment.
See paragraph 3.18.
(f) Where a proposed building fronts directly on to the highway,
that is, it has no front garden, it should be set back at least 0.5m behind the proposed highway boundary
to allow for opening of windows, drainage downpipes, overhanging eaves and so on .
(g) See paragraph 3.18.
(h) Taking into account the needs of people with impaired mobility,
we may be prepared to consider a relaxation to 1:12 on sites with particularly difficult topography.
3.14 Table DG2 gives the general geometry for internal employment and commercial
roads. In general terms, both major industrial access roads and the minor industrial roads are conventional
cross-section roads with separated provision for vehicles and pedestrians, but their designs vary depending
on likely levels of heavy-goods vehicles (HGVs).
Table DG2: General geometry of
employment and commercial roads (a)
(a)
Other use classes, for example shopping and leisure, will be considered on a site-by-site
basis and depending on the likely numbers of HGVs.
(b) We will recommend planning conditions to restrict change
of use from B1 to B2 - B8 developments unless the roads provided are to major industrial road standard
– including construction specification – or the development layout provides for their future improvement
at a developer’s expense.
(c) Where a B1 development is large enough to generate significant
numbers of HGVs, we may require a major industrial road. However, where a B2 - B8 development is small
enough to generate only a small number of HGVs, for example business starter units, we may be prepared
to accept a minor industrial access road instead.
(d) We will consider developments in excess of the single access
limits on a site-by-site basis. See also paragraph 3.15.
(e) See paragraph 3.18.
(f) Taking into account the needs of people with impaired mobility,
we may be prepared to consider a relaxation to 1:12 on sites with particularly difficult topography.
3.15 We will not normally accept emergency accesses because of:
3.16
Usually where developments need two access points to the highway network they should both be to adoptable
standards and available for general public use. However, where there are valid reasons why this cannot
be achieved, and where the development proposal is otherwise acceptable to us, we may be prepared to
consider an emergency access as long as:
3.17
Where suitable access arrangements cannot be achieved, we may refuse to adopt the development roads.
3.18 Tracking is providing the required width for vehicle movement within the overall
width of the road. It can also be used to establish appropriate bend radii. Instead of taking
the highway engineering requirements as the starting point for layout design, you can consider the arrangement
of the buildings and the boundaries of the development first. You can lay out buildings to suit a particular
form, with kerblines helping to define and emphasise spaces. The width between kerbs can vary. (You
can find further information on how to use tracking in ‘Manual for Streets’, published
by the Department for Transport (an example).
3.19 You will then need to check the layout, including widths and bend radii, to
make sure that the various types of vehicles you expect to visit and use the road layout can manoeuvre.
This is normally likely to include a refuse lorry, fire tender and pantechnicon (for example, a removal
lorry) and a bus if the development will be served by public transport. You should do this using a computer
software package to generate swept paths for particular types of vehicles and to superimpose them onto
layout drawings.
3.20 The tracking assessments will need to take account of any planned or likely
on-street parking (see Section DG14, in particular paragraph 3.185 onwards).
3.21 You should check the proposed layout and get our agreement before submitting
a planning application. The layout will also need to satisfy other relevant design guidance for the
road type to achieve the design speed and to create a safe environment for all road users, including
pedestrians and cyclists.
3.22 Where changes in gradient occur, vertical curves will be required at sags and
crests. Except where indicated in the notes to Table DG3, curve lengths should normally be either:
whichever
is higher.
Example calculation of length of vertical curve
 For 20mph design speed k = 3 (from Table DG3)
(minimum
length for appearance = 20m (from table DG3))
(a) You should hold early discussions with us for large, flat
sites to ensure that the vertical alignment is acceptable. In some cases, it may be necessary to provide
combined kerb and drainage units to ensure both an acceptable alignment and drainage of the highway.
(b) For crests, it may be necessary to increase the length of
vertical curve derived in order to achieve the visibility distance as set out in table DG4.
(c) We may accept shorter curve lengths where there are exceptional
difficulties in achieving the length normally required
(d) To avoid stretches of road where water gathers, do not apply
the minimum length where A is less than five on any sag curve that results in a low point on the road.
3.23 Table DG4 sets out visibility splays required for junctions, bends and at vertical
crests. For proposed internal development roads, you should normally base visibility splay on an assessment
of likely 85th% ile vehicle speeds. For existing roads, you should base it on measured vehicle speeds.
We will normally require you to carry out radar surveys to measure existing speeds and establish the
85th% ile.
3.24 While taking into account the design speeds in Tables DG1
and DG2, we will assess visibility requirements based on likely vehicle speeds within a proposed development.
Where we are satisfied that speeds are, in practice, likely to be lower than the design speeds, we will
normally be prepared to consider correspondingly shorter splays. The reverse is also true - if speeds
are likely to be higher, the splays will need to be correspondingly greater in length.
(b) Where speed is assessed to be over 20mph, splay provision
will normally be based on the appropriate ‘measured 85th %ile vehicle speed’ distance.
(c) Based on Manual for Streets, ‘adjusted
for bonnet length’ distances.
(d) Based on Design Manual for Roads and Bridges.
(For all horizontal visibility splays, where a footway, cycleway or similar is provided,
the rear of the footway and so on should coincide with (match) the rear edge of the visibility splay.)
Figure DG2a Junctions
*
Set back will depend on scale and nature of proposed development
Figure DG2b Bends Note: For all road types within a development, visibility (at
junctions, bends or crests) in the vertical plane should normally be measured from a drivers eye-height
of no less than 1.05m above the road surface to a point no less than 0.6m above the road surface. This
is as set out in Manual for Streets. On roads outside of the
development, for example at the site access, the visibility should normally be measured from an eye-height
of not less than 1.05m to a point not less than 0.26m, in line with the Design Manual
for Roads and Bridges. However, if they fall within the definition of a road (street) as defined
at appendix L, visibility can normally be measured as if the
road lies within a development
Figure DG2c Crests in road (brow of hill)  3.25 Basic junction forms should be determined at the concept layout
(masterplanning) stage with the more detailed proposals developed as the development proposal
evolves. Table DG5 and the accompanying illustrations highlight broad junction types and the corner
radii that should normally be provided within developments.
The
above diagram is based upon Figure 7.9 of the Manual for Streets. The Manual for Streets is copyright
of the Department for Transport and Department of Communities and Local Government.
(a)
See paragraph 3.9 for site access junctions.
(b) See Section DG9 for details on lining
and signing.
(d) For further details, please paragraph 3.11
onwards.
(e) Radii based on road widths set out in Table
DG1 and Table DG2, assuming that roads meet at an angle of 90 degrees. For
other circumstances (including any proposals for tighter radii), you will be required to provide computer
tracking assessments (see paragraph 3.18) of your proposed
layout.
(f) Other factors will also be taken into account in considering
your junction proposals. This includes the likelihood of on-street parking problems in the vicinity
of the junction and whether or not the roads are likely to form part of a bus route.
(g) Where a corner radius is less than 7.5m, footway strengthening
will be needed. Please see Part 4 paragraph 4.97.
3.26 You should normally avoid priority-controlled (‘Give way’) crossroads. When
a crossroads cannot be avoided, you should normally provide an appropriate form of control such as a
roundabout. Mini-roundabouts will not normally be acceptable to provide access to a development unless
they form part of a more comprehensive traffic-calming scheme that is either required to reduce the
development’s impacts or that has previously been identified.)
3.27 You should space road junctions on the same side of a road so that a vehicle
waiting to enter the main road at one does not interfere with visibility for a vehicle waiting at another.
Figure DG3 Junction spacing
3.28 There should normally be no accesses for vehicles:
3.29 Elsewhere, we will normally
accept accesses as long as they meet safety considerations and comply with the guidance on the design
of private accesses and areas set out in Section DG18 and Section
DG19.
3.30 On residential roads serving more than 25 dwellings, carriageways should normally
be widened at bends that curve through more than 10 degrees.
3.31
Bends should normally be widened in industrial and commercial developments.
3.32
For any proposals not conforming to the figures in the above table, you will need to produce computerised
vehicle-path assessments to show that the proposed layout can accommodate appropriate vehicles without
danger to other road users, including pedestrians and cyclists.
3.33 A turning head should normally be provided at the end of all cul-de-sacs or
wherever vehicles would otherwise have to reverse over long distances – normally anything over 25m,
in line with BS5906, 1980. You should also provide turning heads where turning
vehicles might damage adjacent verges or footways. Figure DG4 shows minimum turning dimensions and areas.
3.34 You should give careful consideration to the design of the development surrounding
the turning head to make sure that its use is not reduced by on–street parking. Where on-street parking
is likely to cause problems, we will normally expect you to provide measures to control it (see Section
DG14, in particular paragraphs 3.189 onwards).
3.35 We will consider larger areas, such as residential squares, which provide the
minimum turning dimensions as long as their use as a turning head would not be affected by on-street
parking. You would also be required to provide clear details of who is responsible for maintenance.
Where it is intended that we adopt any extra areas over the normal minimum, we may
require you to pay commuted sums for future maintenance (see Part
4 Section MC18).
Figure DG4a Example of a turning head within a 'square'
Figure DG4b Turning heads for use on residential access
roads and minor industrial access roads serving offices
W = 4.8m up to 50 dwellings
W = 5.5m from 50 - 400 dwellings W = 6m for B1 use class office developments Figure DG4c Turning heads for use on industrial/commercial
estate roads
3.36 Please refer to Part 4.
3.37 We will normally adopt a new road where:
3.38 Please see
Part 5 for details of adopting roads under a Section 38 agreement of the Highways
Act. In this Part, Section DG18 gives guidance on the layout of private roads and
areas in residential developments and Section DG19 gives guidance on the layout
of industrial and commercial developments.
3.39 In some cases, commuted sums may be payable. For example
this will normally be for:
Note:
Where you are proposing SUDS, you must hold discussions with all relevant parties
at an early stage (and certainly before any planning application) to agree ownership and responsibility
for the facility.
This is not an exhaustive list, and there are other occasions described throughout
this document where we require the payment of commuted sums, for example vertical traffic calming.
3.40 Please refer to Part 4 for further details of where commuted
sums will normally be payable and for details of how they are calculated.
3.41 ‘Home Zone’ is the term used for a street where people
and vehicles share the whole of the road space safely and equally.
3.42 Home Zones are based on a change in the way that people regard the street.
Motorists should feel that they have left the normal highway and have entered an area where they can
expect to find people who are using the whole of the street. Simply, Home Zones should make motorists
feel they are guests in a pedestrian environment, and they should drive accordingly.
3.43 Home Zones may consist of shared surfaces, indirect traffic routes, areas of
planting and features such as seating to encourage people to use the street. Entry gateways and signing
will be needed to mark the limits of the area.
3.44 Home Zones are a relatively new idea in the UK, and some of the legal regulations
to introduce them have only recently been put in place.
3.45 Section 268 of the Transport Act 2000 provides the legal
basis for establishing Home Zones in England and Wales. It permits local traffic authorities (us, in
this case) in England and Wales to designate any street or streets as a Home Zone. However, this in
itself does not change the legal use of the highway. This can only be done by local authorities making
use orders and speed orders for designated Home Zones.
3.46 The Secretary of State has recently made the necessary regulations under the
Transport Act setting out the procedures for designating Home Zones and making use orders and speed
orders. A use order will allow activities other than moving vehicles (such as children’s play), to take
place legally on streets. A speed order will allow the traffic authority to define an appropriate design
speed for the Home Zone.
3.47 We will consider proposals for Home Zones on a site by site basis.
3.48 If you want to progress proposals that include Home Zone concepts, you should
discuss your ideas with us and the planning authority at the earliest opportunity and before you submit
a planning application. You should also take account of the following general design considerations.
3.49 Location
We will consider Home Zones in principle off any class
of road, subject to our access policy in Part 1 of this document. Where accessed
off a classified (A, B or other classification) road or off a busy unclassified road, the junction must
be formed in line with the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges and there must be a length
of access road between the site access and the beginning of the Home Zones. The length of the
access road will depend on the speed and flow of traffic on the main road, the size of the Home Zone
and local topography. Each site will be considered on its merits. Home Zones on other classifications
of road may normally be served by a dropped-kerb arrangement.
3.50 The scale of development
Figure
DG5 Home Zones arranged to form a larger development
3.51 Layout
3.52 So we can
properly and efficiently consider any development proposals that either are, or include, a Home Zone,
you must submit a concept proposal and supporting information in line with Part 2
of this document.
3.53 We will continue to review our guidance on Home Zones in the light of any new
national guidance and practical experience gained.
3.54 We will normally adopt a new Home Zone, subject to the
requirements in paragraph 3.37 onwards.
3.55 Wherever possible, in the interests of road safety and to reduce environmental
impacts, commercial and employment developments that generate larger goods vehicles should be kept separate
from residential areas. You should design layouts so this type of commercial and employment traffic
does not need to use residential roads. Similarly, Home Zones cannot be used to access these developments.
3.56 To support sustainable development, we may accept mixed-use developments that
include small developments that generate very few goods vehicles, such as offices or a shop, particularly
in or close to town centres.
3.57 Where a mixture of residential and commercial traffic is likely to use a road,
the design elements, including materials and construction, should be based on the largest vehicles likely
to use any particular section of the road.
3.58 We will normally adopt road layouts in mixed developments
subject to the requirements in paragraph 3.37 onwards.
3.59 For developments outside the city, vehicle speeds within new developments should
normally be controlled through the design and layout of the roads and the locations of buildings and
not normally by using traffic-calming features (particularly vertical features such as road humps).
Within Leicester City, all new developments should be designed so that a 20mph zone can be introduced
and vertical traffic calming may be used to achieve this. You should avoid:
You
should break up stretches of straight road by either junctions or 90-degree bends as shown in Figure
DG6.
3.60 Where there are valid reasons why vehicle speeds cannot be controlled through
site layout, and traffic calming measures are required, in the county areas you should consider horizontal
measures first and you should use vertical measures only as a last resort. There is greater flexibility
to use vertical measures in Leicester City. We will normally require commuted sum payments to cover
future maintenance (see Part4 Section MC18). Some examples of measures are shown
in Figure DG6. Any traffic calming should normally be in accordance with advice
contained in Department for Transport Traffic Advisory Leaflets as listed in Part 9.
3.61 Take particular care over choosing any type of traffic-calming measure on a
proposed bus route (see Section DG6, in particular paragraphs 3.95 onwards).
3.62 You must take particular care on key routes that are used or are likely to
be used by the emergency services. While certain types of traffic calming (particularly vertical measures
such as road humps) can have potential road safety benefits, they can also adversely affect the response
times of emergency vehicles. Where traffic calming is proposed on a key route, you will need to consult
the emergency services at a very early stage (and certainly before you submit any planning application)
and you will need to work closely with them in the design of any measures.
Table DG8: Maximum lengths of straight for vehicle
speed control (a)
3.63 Where any form of vertical calming feature is proposed, you should not site
it within 25m of the edge of a structure, for example, a bridge or culvert. You should also site such
features clear of private accesses and driveways to avoid problems of vehicles ‘grounding’ as they turn
into or out of the accesses or drives.
3.64 We will be prepared to consider other methods of vehicle speed control in the
light of practical experience of their effectiveness and any further research. However, because of problems
with noise and vibration, we will not normally accept ‘rumble strips’.
Figure DG6a Speed control bend (please also see Part
4, paragraph 4.91)
Stagger length and car speeds and Minimum dimensions of stagger length
for larger vehicles
Figure DG6c Example of chicane including cycle 'bypass' Note: Length of cycle lane to be agreed
Figure DG6d Junction table (please also see Part 4, paragraph 4.86) Figure DG6e Cross section of speed tables with alterations
for steep roads shown in lower diagram (please also see Part
4, paragraph 4.86)
  Figure DG6f Example of vehicle speed control by development layout Note: Please see our standard drawings for junction tables,
speed cushions and road humps.
3.65 Where a development requires speed-control measures on the existing external
highway network, for example, to help minimise its impacts or to achieve safe site access, there will
have to be an additional public consultation separate from the planning process including advertising
of features and where appropriate a different speed limit. These separate consultations are required
even where the development has received planning permission. Because of problems with noise and vibration,
we will not normally accept ‘rumble strips’.
3.66 These consultations can often be an extensive and lengthy process, particularly
where statutory procedures are involved. You will normally be required to fund all costs associated
with these consultations.
3.67 We will normally seek to secure the speed-control measures and the funding
of any associated costs through an appropriate legal agreement.
3.68 You should get early advice on the likely timescale and procedures involved
for your specific proposals. Take this information into account when you draw up the programme for your
proposed development and in any negotiations that you may have with the landowner of the development
site.
In Leicester City, on residential distributor roads vertical features can only be
introduced after discussions with the appropriate Cabinet Lead. Speed cushions are normally preferred
for residential distributor roads. However, if road humps are the only solution these should be
a maximum of 65mm in height (possibly 75mm subject to agreement) and over 7m in length (only on bus
routes). All traffic calming installed on the existing road network as part of a s278 agreement
should include a speed reduction feature prior to any vertical feature where the 85th
percentile approach speed is greater that 30mph.
3.69 Please refer to Part 4.
3.70 In the interests of sustainability, new development should be located in areas
well served by alternative means of transport to the private car, including buses, taxis and cycle routes.
3.71 Particularly if your development requires any form of transport assessment
(see Part 2 Table PDP1), you should seek early advice from us and bus operators
on:
(A
system which provides waiting passengers with details of when the next bus is due and the route number.
This is known as ‘real-time information’, and the system currently used in Leicester, Leicestershire,
Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire is ‘star trak’.)
3.72 You
should discuss these issues and agree the general approach as soon as possible as the outcomes are likely
to have a bearing on:
3.73 Additionally, where a development
requires a concept proposal (see Part 2 paragraph 2.17), you should clearly identify
and detail any agreed public transport facilities and routes.
3.74 Where you are proposing public transport as a sustainable alternative to using
cars, the service must realistically be capable of delivering a shift away from the car. To achieve
any significant shift, it is likely that the service will have to be more frequent than once an hour
during the day, Monday to Saturday, with an evening and Sunday service for larger developments.
3.75 We will consider developments on a site-by-site basis. We will assess any estimates
for likely levels of public transport use included in any transport assessments or draft travel plans,
against existing or proposed bus routes, vehicle capacities and timetables. We will need to be satisfied
that a public transport service can be provided that is realistically capable of achieving the proposed
level of use by the development’s occupants.
3.76 We will also consider any phasing in of services, particularly for larger developments,
on a site-by-site basis. Issues that will need to be discussed and agreed include:
3.77
Through the planning process we will normally recommend to planning authorities that developers fund
public transport services through a Section 106 agreement which, among other things, specifies the level
of support which must be provided to the service and over what time period. While we will seek to work
with you to reach a suitable agreement, we will resist (for example by recommending refusal of any planning
application) development proposals that do not meet the policies and objectives set out in this document,
(see Part 1, paragraph 1.24 onwards)
3.78 Generally walking distances to bus stops in urban areas should be a maximum
of 400m and desirably no more than 250m. In rural areas the walking distance should not be more than
800m.
3.79 You should design pedestrian routes to bus stops to be as direct, convenient
and safe as possible to encourage use of public transport You should design the routes in line with
principles set out in paragraph 3.108. They should:
You
should place bus stops in employment or commercial areas near building entrances and avoid locations
where passing traffic speeds are high. In rural areas there should always be at least a footway from
any proposed development to the nearest bus stop.
3.80 Where there is a footway on the opposite side of the road, a pedestrian crossing
point should normally be provided next to a bus stop, and designed in line with the appropriate standard
drawing. The crossing point should be located as close as is possible to the stop, bearing in
mind safety considerations.
3.81 You should think carefully about the proposed layout of the development in
the immediate vicinity of a bus stop to:
3.82 You should not
site bus stops within 30m of vertical traffic-calming features (including domed mini roundabouts). This
is to minimise the risk of passengers waiting to get off the bus being thrown about the inside of the
bus, and to allow boarding passengers time to sit down.
3.83 To erect a new bus stop or relocate an existing bus stop on an existing public
highway you need to get agreement from:
3.84 The minimum footway width at a bus stop should normally
be 3m. Where a shelter is to be provided (see paragraph 3.86), there should be at
least 0.5m clearance between any part of the shelter and the edge of the carriageway. There should be
a clear footway of at least 1.3m (1.8m in the city) between the shelter and the rear edge of the footway
(both for cantilever-style shelters where the roof extends beyond the support and enclosed shelters).
Where you cannot achieve this, but there are no alternative locations to site the shelter, then we will
consider site-specific shelter designs.
Figure DG7 Bus shelter siting
3.85 Accessible raised kerbing to a height of 180mm will be
required at all stops. The length of raised kerbing should normally be 6m in the county and 4m in the
city (plus 1m transition kerbs at either end) with a minimum run of 3m (plus transition kerbs). The
stop should be located and laid out so a bus can stop parallel to and close to the raised kerbing.
Figure DG8 Raised kerbing at bus stops
3.86 Shelters will usually only be required at key access points
where there are likely to be higher passenger flows, for example, near:
3.87 Where we will not own a bus shelter, you will
need a licence from us to erect it. Where shelters will display advertising, you will also need planning
permission from the planning authority. We will also need to be satisfied that appropriate arrangements
are in place for the shelter’s future maintenance.
Note: in Leicester City new bus shelters may only be introduced through the contract
we have with JC Decaux. All installation and maintenance costs will be met by the developer.
3.88 We will consider how bus service information will be provided at bus stops
on a site-by-site basis. Depending on the nature and size of the development, the information provided
could consist of:
Figure DG9 Examples of bus service information
3.89 Lay-bys will normally only be required at places where a large number of people
will want to board a bus such as local shops, schools or other locations where buses may wait for a
time and could cause localised congestion or be a safety hazard.
3.90 Where lay-bys are to be provided, they should normally be designed to accommodate
15m long buses as indicated in Figure DG10 below.
Figure DG10 Bus lay by
3.91 When the development is being constructed, you should, where appropriate, make
provision for shelter lighting and real-time bus information facilities to be installed at a future
date. This should include, for example, installing suitable underground ducting.
3.92 We will normally require a commuted sum payment to cover
future maintenance of bus stop facilities that we are to maintain. Please see Part 4
for further details.
3.93 Where a development is likely to be accessed using public transport, any roads
which buses are likely to run along should normally be at least 6m wide (subject to tracking
assessment) and should be reasonably straight. A more generous swept path
is also likely to be required to take account of where vehicles might park on-street, for example. It
will not be acceptable to route bus services along either shared-surface roads (that is, access ways,
see Section 3 ) or through Home Zones. We may consider exceptions for services operated
by smaller vehicles (for example, minibuses) where there is no practical alternative to serving the
development by public transport.
3.94 Buses should be able to enter and exit from the development
as easily and directly as possible. Where appropriate, bus-priority measures such as bus lanes and traffic
signals should be used to help bus movement. You should discuss and agree provision for specific sites
with us and bus operators.
3.95 Any horizontal speed-control features, including 90-degree bends and horizontal
traffic calming measures (for example, chicanes) , should normally be designed to
accommodate the swept path of a 15m long rigid bus (the largest vehicle size now permissible). You should
discuss and agree design details jointly with us and the bus operators. You will need to give us computer
assessments of vehicle swept paths to demonstrate that your proposals will work in practice.
3.96 You should not use vertical traffic calming on bus routes
unless there is no other speed control solution. If there is no suitable alternative you should:
Note:
Please see our standard drawings for junction tables, speed cushions and road humps.
3.97 For certain developments, particularly larger sites, providing bus-only links
may be appropriate. You should provide these where:
3.98
You should discuss and agree requirements for specific sites jointly with us and the bus operators.
But generally you will need to provide (and pay for) traffic regulation orders (TROs) to restrict the
link’s lawful use. You also need to consider the following.
3.99
We will normally need a commuted sum payment to cover the future maintenance of
any control systems. Please see Part 4 for further details.
Figure DG11 Example of a bus only link
3.100 It may be appropriate for particularly large developments which generate high
passenger numbers, and which are located at key points on the road network, to provide a public-transport
interchange with comprehensive facilities. Examples of developments and locations might include:
3.101 Examples
of facilities might include:
3.102 We will consider development
proposals and maintenance responsibilities on a site-by-site basis.
3.103 Walking and cycling offer real alternatives to journeys by car particularly
over shorter distances. In the interests of sustainability new developments must make appropriate, high
quality provision for pedestrians and cyclists and where it is necessary to break a road link in order
to discourage through traffic, it is recommended that links for pedestrians and cyclists are maintained.
In respect of cycling, this includes provision of appropriate parking and supporting facilities (for
example showers and lockers) as detailed in Section DG16.
3.104 Table DG9 sets out general geometry for pedestrian-only routes, including
footways and footpaths. Routes for joint use by pedestrian and
cyclists, or by cyclists only, are covered in Table DG10. Surfaces used by pedestrians should be free
from hazards that could cause them to trip.
Table DG9: Pedestrian-only routes
(a)
Includes things such as bollards, sign posts, guard railing, lamp columns and utility equipment (for
example gas, water, cable TV). You should liaise with utility providers to achieve this for equipment
installed while the development is being built. The clearance should be increased to 2m where pedestrian
flows may be heavy, in the region of 500 an hour. Please see Section DG11 for more
guidance on locating utility equipment.
(b) Taking into account the needs of people with impaired mobility,
we may be prepared to consider a relaxation to 1:12 on sites with particularly difficult topography.
(c) Crossovers to private drives and parking should be carefully
designed so as not to create inconvenient cross-falls for pedestrians.
(d) Includes higher and further education facilities.
Table DG10: Joint use of cycle and pedestrian routes
and cycle-only use
(a)
Normally provide joint use, except where cyclist and pedestrian flows are likely to be high, for example,
outside a school or in a shopping area. Where cyclists and visually-impaired pedestrians could meet,
you should provide warning surfaces to standard drawings
(d) Crossovers to private drives and parking areas should be
carefully designed so as not to create inconvenient cross-falls for pedestrians.
(e) Where a route is bounded (for example by a wall, fence or
bridge parapet) you should normally add an additional 0.25m for each side bounded where the boundary
height does not exceed 1.2m, and an additional 0.5m for each side bounded where the boundary height
exceeds 1.2m.
3.105 Please see the relevant authorities cycle best practice documents,(Nottinghamshire's
cycle best practice document) or contact them for further layout details for where a cycleway
leaves or joins the carriageway and other details.
3.106 Porch roofs, awnings, garage doors, bay windows, balconies or other building
elements should not oversail (project over) footways at a height less than 2.6m; the headroom over routes
used by cyclists should normally be 2.7m. If any part of a building projects over the adoptable
highway, you will need to apply to us for a licence under Section 177/178 of the Highways
Act before we adopt your roads. If you do not apply for a licence, we may not adopt your roads.
Where a route runs alongside a road, its rear edge should normally coincide with the rear of visibility
splays at junctions and on bends so the splay is clear and pedestrians and cyclists do not impede visibility.
You should achieve this either by widening the footway or providing a verge. Grassed verges should be
at least 1m wide and minimum area of 10sqm, otherwise you should use hard landscaping.
3.107 Routes that run separately from a road are not normally
encouraged; for example, the Manual for Streets sets out that
cyclists should generally be accommodated on the carriageway in residential areas. But where a separate
route can be justified, for example, where it is necessary to break a road link to discourage through
traffic or to give a more direct link to shops, schools, community facilities or public transport, you
should take care to minimise crime opportunities. We will generally work with the relevant polics force's
Architectural Liaison Officer (ALO) to promote personal safety, and you should seek early advice from
the FALO on proposals for specific sites. (Please see paragraph 3.119 about adopting
routes.)
3.108 As general guidance however, justified separate routes
should normally meet the following criteria.
Figure DG12 Examples of a poor pedestrian link
(left) and a good pedestrian link (right)
3.109 Where a separate route joins another pedestrian or cycle route which runs
alongside a carriageway (vehicle route), you should design its junction with the road network:
Figure
DG13 Visibility splays at junctions for cyclists
3.110 The guidance on road crossings applies both to where pedestrians or cyclists
are travelling:
3.111 In either case, appropriate crossing facilities
will normally be required. You should agree requirements for specific sites with us in the early stages
of preparing your development proposals.
3.112 The normal basic requirement is to provide dropped kerbs with buff-coloured
tactile paving as in our standard drawings. Where a refuge in the middle of the
road is required, you should provide this to standard drawings with:
3.113
Please see the relevant council’s cycle best practice document for further layout details for cycle
crossings. Nottinghamshire's cycle best practice document.
3.114 In very large developments it may be necessary to consider some form of light-controlled
crossing such as a Zebra, PELICAN or TOUCAN, to provide safe and attractive routes for pedestrians and
cyclists.
3.115 Whatever the crossing type, if you need to provide guard railing to guide
pedestrians or cyclists, it should be high-visibility railing as in our standard drawings.
3.116 Where cyclists and visually-impaired pedestrians could potentially meet, you
should provide surfacing to guide the visually-impaired users along the correct pedestrian route, in
line with Department for Transport’s ’Guidance on the use of Tactile Paving Surfaces’.
Signing for routes3.117 Direction signing can help to highlight and promote the use of a route, although
you should take care to minimise clutter and visual disruption. You should identify any requirements
for specific sites and agree them with us in the early stages of preparing your development proposal.
Any signing and lining you provide should be designed in line with the guidance in Part
4 and our best practice document.
3.118 Please refer to Part 4.
3.119 Where new footways and cycleways are located alongside roads that we are adopting,
we will usually adopt them as publicly-maintained footways and cycleways as long as they have been constructed
to our satisfaction.
3.120 We may also consider adopting other routes where they serve a strategic purpose,
for example, where they form part of a wider network (existing or planned) or provide a more direct
link to:
providing that the routes
have been constructed and lit to our satisfaction.
3.121 Part 5 provides details on procedures for adopting new
routes under Section 38 agreements. Part 6 covers works on the existing public highway
under Section 278 agreements.
3.122 We will not normally adopt routes:
3.123
You should discuss adoption issues with us in the early stages of preparing your development proposals.
3.124 You cannot obstruct or divert an existing right of way without obtaining the
Rights of Way Authority’s consent (even if planning permission has been granted).
You should accommodate an existing footpath on its existing right of way wherever possible. If,
however, the Rights of Way Authority agrees in principle to a diversion, you will need a diversion order.
The planning authority usually processes applications to divert rights of way using
powers under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
3.125 In all cases, the route of existing rights of way should normally be designed
in line with the guidance set out in this document. You should take particular care to design bridleways
to prevent their misuse by motor vehicles.
3.126 Where a development requires highway rights to be extinguished (removed),
for example, to stop-up a length of road, this also should normally be done by the planning authority
under the Town and Country Planning Act. You should get our agreement to your proposals to extinguish
highway rights before you submit a planning application.
3.127 The procedures involved in making diversion orders or orders to extinguish
existing highway rights can be very lengthy. You should get advice on the likely timescale and take
this into account when you programme your proposals. Whether or not any order is successfully made,
you will normally be responsible for paying all costs associated with processing it.
3.128 We are working along with organisations such as Sustrans and other highway
authorities to provide a safe and convenient cycle network throughout our areas. Where a site stands
close to this network, you will normally be expected to provide links to it as part of your proposals.
You will also be expected to contribute towards its completion where it is reasonable to ask you to
do so.
3.129 Please see Section DG16.
3.130 Horse riders are entitled to use bridleways and all-purpose roads. You should
consider them in the design and safety audit of all developments which either:
3.131
The guidance in this section relates generally to lower-speed single carriageway roads. For facilities
for horse riders in other circumstances, please refer to TA57/87 Roadside Features,
section 11.
3.132 Bridleways carry horse riders, cyclists and pedestrians, and you should take
the needs of all these groups into account.
3.133 For horses, a blinded crushed stone surface is often best, being hard wearing
without being as hard on hooves as asphalt.
3.134 Where a new junction is formed between a bridleway and a road, there should
be sufficient standing space for a horse and adequate visibility for the rider. You should provide a
bridleway sign. Please see TA57/87 Fig 11 and Table 2 for further details.
3.135 New roads likely to carry significant horse traffic (more than 100 passages
a week) may need verges suitably surfaced for horses. For particularly well-used routes, for example,
near a riding school, you should consider providing a separate horse trackway beyond the verge, possibly
separated from vehicles by fencing or a hedge.
3.136 You will normally be required to provide all road markings and traffic signs
both on the internal development roads and on the surrounding road network where necessary. Occasionally,
this may involve signing at some distance from the development, for example, for routeing HGVs.
3.137 At your developments' site access, lining and signing should be provided in
accordance with Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 (TSRGD). For
priority junctions within developments, junction lining and signing:
Other types of development will be considered on a site-by-site
basis.
3.138 In addition to markings at junctions as indicated above, carriageway centre-line
markings will:
Other types of development will be considered on a site-by-site
basis.
3.139 Signing and lining, in accordance with TSRGD, should also
be provided at all road humps/tables, at any entry ramps to side roads and at any other traffic calming
features. Where parking bays are not clearly defined, markings will be required to segregate them from
the carriageway.
3.140 Wherever signing and road markings are required, you should normally provide
them in line with the requirements set out in Part 4, Section MC12, including the
need for illumination. You should establish at an early stage in the detailed design process which signs
will require illumination to make sure that appropriate electrical supplies are installed during construction
work.
3.141 Where a development requires changes to an existing traffic
regulation order (TRO) or a new order is required, you will normally be required to pay all costs associated
with this, including all consultation and legal costs. TROs are subject to statutory procedures
and consultations. This can be a very lengthy process and a successful outcome is not guaranteed.
You should get advice on the likely timescale and take this into account when you programme your proposals.
3.142 We normally require a suitable system of street lighting on all adoptable
roads, which we will normally design for you in areas to be adopted. This is important for both
road safety and to help promote personal safety and minimise crime opportunities. It is also important
that you plan the lighting at the same time as you design the street layout. Also, to encourage pedestrians
to use a route and to feel safe, it is important that lighting levels are maintained at the same standard
along a route, whether a route is adopted or not. There are also wider design issues. When you prepare
development proposals, you should consider the purpose of the lighting, its scale and the proposed width
of the street and height of the building.
3.143 For more details on lighting, please see Part 4.
Note: Our standard conditions applying to highway works for
new development provide more advice on dealing with utility equipment during construction of your works.
3.144 Early in your planning process you should consider the location and installation
of utility equipment both above and below ground, particularly where surface areas are shared. Normally,
private equipment should not be located in the highway* but utility company’s equipment should be. Where
a shared-surface layout is proposed without a separate service margin or where a development layout
is not explicitly covered by this guidance, you should hold early discussions with utility
providers and supply us with details of proposed locations for utility equipment. This will enable
us to consider the layout, for example, in terms of safety and accessibility.
*This can be difficult to achieve with layouts where houses are located very close
to the highway boundary. However, if you do not deal with this matter, it may lead to problems in future
with us adopting your road.
3.145 Any separate service margin should be at least 2m wide, in line with National
Joint Utilities Group (NJUG) 7. And any utility equipment that is above ground, for example,
cabinets, boxes, pillars and pedestals should be sited so that it:
3.146
All apparatus above the ground should:
3.147
Where equipment is to be located in a proposed adoptable highway, you should locate
cabinets and so on in the verge where possible. You should leave at least 1m between the cabinet and
the edge of the carriageway in rural areas and 1.5m in urban areas. Access doors should always open
to the footway. If there is no verge, you must position cabinets and so on at the back of footway and
keep:
3.148
We may consider adopting any additional small areas so above-ground apparatus can meet locational requirements.
If, however, you cannot meet the requirements within adoptable areas, you should locate cabinets and
so on off the proposed adoptable highway. You may need an easement to allow utility equipment providers
access in future for maintenance purposes.
3.149 You should locate equipment below ground in line with NGU7. You should
locate any access chambers that are on the surface to:
Figure
DG14 Arrangement of below ground service equipment
3.150 Where developments include central recycling points, you should site these
also in line with the above guidance.
3.151 We have a duty to make sure that developments include satisfactory arrangements
for draining the adoptable highway. This should normally be
achieved by one of the following methods.
All
highway drains should be located within land that we are adopting. Only in exceptional circumstances
will we permit them in land that is to remain private. You must cover any adoptable highway drain outside
the limits of the adoptable highway by an easement agreement. This should be in place before, or be
a condition of, the Section 38 or 278 agreement.
3.152 We will consider alternative highway-drainage systems, including SUDS, flow
attenuation (reduction) or retention systems (including oversized pipes) and so on, on a site-by-site
basis. Where there are valid reasons for providing systems like these, and where they would present
us with extra maintenance liability over a piped system, we will require you to pay commuted
sums. Please see Part 4, Section
MC18 for further details on our commuted sums policy.
3.153 We will not adopt a road unless its associated drainage is to be adopted either
by a water company or by us.
3.154 We will not normally accept drainage of other non-adopted areas into any highway
system. In general, the drainage of most other areas of a development are matters for water companies.
You should normally design these drainage systems in line with the water companies’ specifications and
requirements (which you may treat as complementary to this document) and they should be adopted by them.
3.155 Please refer to Part 4 Section MC8 for more details on
highway drainage design and to Part 4 Section MC18 for more details on commuted
sums.
3.156 Soft or hard landscaping within highway areas can be as important in determining
the character of the development and integrating it into its surroundings as landscaping elsewhere within
the site. You should not underestimate how important it is to create an attractive environment. Planning
authorities are unlikely to favour developments that lack quality design and layout.
3.157 Areas we are prepared to adopt as highway should be concentrated
into larger areas, to provide economies of scale and to avoid small or remote areas which are difficult
to maintain. Small and remote areas can actually result in the very opposite of what is intended of
creating an attractive and well-cared-for environment.
3.158 You should prepare landscaping proposals at the pre-planning application stage
so we can consider their suitability in good time and so the utility providers (for example, gas, water,
cable TV) can be consulted over the proposals. We must approve the landscaping proposals within the
development whether or not they form part of a landscaping scheme that you have submitted to the planning
authority for approval. (Please see Part 4 for further information).
3.159 While planting and trees can enhance the street scene, you must take care
when you are selecting and positioning trees, shrubs and so on to make sure that building frontages
and parking areas can still enjoy good natural observation from areas of potential activity such as
roads and footways.
3.160 We will require the payment of a commuted sum for any
proposed planting, trees, shrubs and so on that we are prepared to adopt. Please
see Part 4, Section MC18 for further details on our commuted sums policy.
3.161 Public open spaces, including amenity open spaces and children’s play areas,
will normally be adopted by the district, town or parish council. We will normally only consider adopting
an area of open space that:
You
will need to pay us a commuted sum for any open space we adopt.
3.162 This section
sets out off-street parking standards and gives guidance on the design of parking in residential and
employment and commercial developments. It covers vehicle parking, provision for service vehicles, motorcycle
parking and cycle parking.
3.163 We will be considering parking standards further with
District Councils as they prepare their development plans. In particular:
We
will review the standards in the light of any further national guidance or research. In the meantime,
the normal starting point for determining off-street parking provision is set out in the following paragraphs
and tables. Where you are in doubt about which type of area a development falls into, you should discuss
this with us and the planning authority at the earliest opportunity.
3.164 Parking provision should be considered in relation to any transport assessment
and travel plan associated with a development proposal. Please refer to Section DG17.
3.165 Where you do not provide suitable parking arrangements within a development,
we may refuse to adopt the development roads.
Off-street parking standards (excluding residential see 3.168)3.166 The normal maximum vehicular parking standards shown in Table DG11 below are
taken from RPG8. For developments below the threshold, we will continue to apply
the standards contained in the our previous guidance document Highway Requirements for
Development (HRfD) for the time being as the normal maximum standards. In certain circumstances,
for example, where there are road safety or amenity issues that cannot be satisfactorily resolved, we
may require a higher level of parking provision.
Note: These standards will normally be applied in areas for
which Leicestershire County Council is the highway authority. Other authorities have their own
separate standards which will normally be allied for developments.
Leicester City Parking standards can be found at www.leicester.gov.uk/endev/spg/parkingsph.pdf
Nottinghamshire County Council parking standards can be found at www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/home/traffic_and_travel/strategy-policy/parkingpolicy.htm
(a)
You should provide parking for people with disabilities as in paragraph 3.174 onwards.
(b) Please refer to paragraph 3.178 onwards
for details on sizes of parking spaces and the design of car-park layouts.
(c) Please see paragraph 3.168 onwards for
standards for residential parking.
(d) Please see paragraph 3.167 for developments
below the thresholds shown or otherwise not listed.
(e) RPG8 defines Leicestershire urban towns
as Oadby, Wigston, Hinckley, Earl Shilton, Barwell, Burbage, Loughborough and Shepshed. We will
work with district councils to establish where within and around these towns the various levels of parking
standards will specifically apply. It will also work with the district councils to agree standards for
rural towns, which are not defined in RPG8.
(f) We will recommend that restrictions are imposed to prevent
changes to B1 office use where no allowance has been made for the higher parking levels associated with
offices.
(g) The figure for students relates to the total number of students
rather than full-time equivalent figures.
(h) You should provide parking spaces for coaches in addition
to the above, to be agreed for each specific site. Coach parking should be designed and managed so that
it will not be used for car parking.
3.167 In Leicestershire, where no parking standard is given
for a particular development (either in Table DG11 or in our previous
document HRfD or in paragraph 3.171 for residential developments), we will
consider the provision required taking certain factors into account including:
Note: Leicester City Council and Nottinghamshire
County Council have their own separate standards which it will normally apply to
developments in their areas where Leicestershire County Council is the highway authority.
3.168 The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG)
has recently published a research paper on residential car parking. It sets out
a method for calculating total demand for parking for a proposed housing development based on a number
of factors including:
Depending
on the scale of your proposed development, we will normally expect you to apply this method.
3.169 Developments of 1 to 5 houses: You have the choice of
either applying the following standards or using the DCLG paper method referred to in paragraph 3.168.
(Please see paragraph 3.171 if you intend to use the DCLG
method.)
3.170 Developments
over 5 dwellings: We will normally expect you to apply the DCLG paper method.
3.171 Where you are using the DCLG paper method, we will normally
expect you to provide your initial estimate of parking demand before you submit a planning application.
We will also expect you to supply details of how that demand will be met, that is the mix of on-plot
parking*, on-street parking and parking courts**. When you calculate parking demand, you should remember
that the County of Leicestershire is both geographically and economically diverse, which can influence
levels of car-ownership. It ranges from mainly rural areas such as Melton and Harborough, through former
coal-mining areas in North West Leicestershire and Hinckley and Bosworth, to the more densely-developed
suburbs of Leicester (Leicester itself being a separate unitary authority). Please see
our website for 2001 Census data which provides information on car ownership
across the County.
Notes:
*We will normally only consider counting garages as parking spaces where they meet
the dimension requirements set out in paragraph 3.221.
**Experience with recent developments is that many residents make little or no use
of parking courts. This results in wasteful use of land as well as on-street parking which the road
layout has not been designed to accommodate. Where you are proposing a development that includes communal
parking courts*, we would only consider a lower level of parking provision
on the site where:
(*Note:
A communal court is a parking area available for general use by residents and visitors in, for example,
a development of flats. This guidance does not apply to a parking court allocated to an individual property
or allocated parking spaces grouped together to serve several properties, such
as rear parking courts that are becoming increasingly common in new developments.)
Figure DG15a May be prepared to consider a lower level
parking provision
 Figure DG15b Reduced parking provision would not normally
be considered
 3.172 For details of garage design and layout please refer to Section
DG18, paragraph 3.219 onwards. Garages will not normally be counted as a parking space for the
purpose of calculating parking provision, unless:
If
a dwelling has no separate parking for cycles, it may affect whether we consider
that the garage should be counted towards parking provision.
3.173 Where satisfactory levels of off-street parking are not provided, measures
may be required in line with paragraph 3.189 onwards to minimise the risk of problems
caused by on-street parking, including providing wider roads.
3.174 Many disabled people rely on the car for getting about. Whether they drive
themselves or travel as a passenger, reaching their destination with ease is almost always determined
by where the car can be parked. So it is very important that proper parking provision is made in new
developments.
3.175 For all non-residential developments, you should provide disabled parking
to the minimum standards shown in Table DG12. This provision should be in addition to general parking
provision. Parking for disabled people should be located as close as possible to the main entrance of
a building.
Table DG12: Minimum provision
for disabled parking spaces (a)
(a)
Please refer to paragraph 3.178 onwards for details on sizes of parking spaces and
design of car park layouts.
3.176 You should monitor how reserved bays are used to make sure:
3.177 Servicing provision for various types of development are given in Table
DG13.
Table DG13: Minimum servicing
provision (a)
(a) Please refer to paragraph 3.178 onwards
for details on sizes of parking spaces and design of car-park layouts.
3.178 Residential: Off-street parking areas should be close
to the dwellings that they serve to make sure that they are fully used. This will minimise the possibility
of on-street parking problems. Separate parking areas which are remote from some or all of the properties
that they serve, and which cannot be easily observed, can result in on-street parking problems and also
crime, anti-social behaviour and maintenance problems which discourage their use and affects the overall
quality and appearance of a development.
3.179 You should involve us, the planning authority and the
relevant police force Architechtural Liaison Officer (ALO) in finding parking solutions. But, as general
guidance to avoid potential problems, remote parking areas should normally:
The location and overall design should encourage maximum
use of the parking areas in order to minimise the risk of on-street parking problems.
3.180 You should consider the needs of people with mobility and visual impairments
both in the layout of the parking area and any routes between it and the associated dwellings.
3.181 Industrial and commercial and other large-use car parks (for
example for leisure and retail): We will not normally adopt off-street parking
areas in these developments. However, your design should do the following.
3.182 You should also design such off-street
parking areas to:
3.183 For more information about designing and locating disabled parking spaces,
please consult Traffic Advisory Leaflet 5/95 Parking for Disabled and Building
Regulations Part M (2004 Edition), particularly with regard to the design of any payment or ticket
machines or car park access-control systems.
3.184 Minimum parking space sizes and aisle widths are shown in Figure DG16.
Figure DG16 Size and layout of parking spaces. Minimum
parking space 2.4m x 5.5m
Lorry parking and loading bays - head-on and Lorry parking and loading
bays - 45° for largest vehicles
3.185 Research we have carried out has shown that a main concern of Leicestershire
residents is on-street parking. National research, including that by the New Homes Marketing Board and
Halifax PLC, also highlights on-street parking as a real problem. Where on-street parking provision
is poorly designed, it can:
Figure
DG17 Examples of on-street parking problems
Parking causing vehicles to cross on to wrong side of the road
3.186 So, in the interests of the safety of all road users, including pedestrians
and cyclists, and of maintaining efficient flow of traffic, we will look for developments that include
well-designed parking layouts (on-street and off-street) that minimise the likelihood of on-street parking
problems. For parallel parking to a road, each vehicle will normally need an area of about 2m wide x
6m long. For echelon (wedge shaped) parking and perpendicular (end on to the road) parking, individual
bays should normally be indicated or marked. Bays should normally be about 2.4m wide and a minimum 4.8m
long and they should be arranged so that drivers are encouraged to reverse into them. Figure DG18a shows
some suggested on-street parking arrangements, and also sets- out how to calculate the necessary width
needed to access echelon parking.
3.187 Where it appears that on-street parking could cause problems, we will ask
you for computerised tracking assessments of appropriate vehicle paths (these are likely to include
refuse lorries, pantechnicons, fire tenders and buses if the development is to be served by public transport).
Where the assessment demonstrates that it is necessary to provide extra width to accommodate on-street
parking, you should normally achieve this either by:
Figure
DG18 Good examples of on-street parking bays
Figure DG18a Suggested on-street parking bays, parallel and perpendicular
parking (top) and widening of carriageway to create on-street spaces (bottom). This
Figure is based upon Figures 8.18 and 8.19 and paragraph 8.3.5.1 of the Manual for Streets. The Manual
for Streets is copyright of the Department for Transport and Department of Communities and Local Government
.
 3.188 Where we adopt additional areas to accommodate on-street
parking, you will have to pay commuted sums to cover future maintenance. Please
see Part 4, Section MC18 for further details on our commuted sums policy.
3.189 You may also be required to provide measures to prevent
parking in unsuitable areas and to make sure parking bays are used correctly. This might include providing
bollards, fencing and landscaping. These should be integrated with the design of the overall development
proposal and may also require the payment of commuted sums to cover their future
maintenance. You may also need to adjust proposed building and plot layouts to avoid locating pedestrian
accesses at points where they may cause problems if someone left their vehicle parked on-street while
in the building.
3.190 In certain circumstances, traffic regulation orders may be needed to control
on-street parking, including waiting restrictions and residents’ parking schemes either within the development
or on the surrounding highway network. Where this is so, you will normally be required to pay all costs
associated with making the orders. (Please also see Section DG9.)
3.191 Motorcycles and mopeds can provide an alternative to the private car for certain
trips. There is a growth in the popularity of motorcycles and mopeds both for leisure and as a means
of transport where public transport is limited and walking or cycling is unrealistic. If people switched
from walking, cycling and public transport to riding motorcycles and mopeds, the environmental benefits
would be less clear.
3.192 The parking standard for motorcycles and mopeds is:
3.193
Parking spaces should normally be:
3.194
The design of the parking area should allow motor cycles and mopeds to be secured to the ground while
parked.
3.195 Parking provision should be considered in relation to any travel plan associated
with a development proposal. Please refer to Section DG17.
3.196 As the Manual for Streets emphasizes, providing well-located,
safe and secure cycle parking is a major factor in encouraging people to cycle as an alternative to
using the private car. So, the parking standards in Table DG14 below are the normal minimum requirements.
Note: Leicester City’s parking standards can be found at www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council--services/ep/planning/plansandpolicy/localplan/writtenstatement/appendicescllp
3.197 Where it is not possible to provide cycle parking spaces on site, you will
normally be expected to make a financial contribution towards providing public facilities where this
provision is possible.
Table DG14: Minimum provision for cycle parking (a)
(a)
Developments or circumstances not covered in the table will be assessed on a site-by-site basis.
(b) If cycle parking is not provided for residential developments,
it may affect the way we consider the use of garages, i.e. whether they should count towards parking
provision.
(c) If cycle parking is provided on upper floors, such as in
flats, lifts that can take bikes should be provided.
3.198 All cycle parking must:
3.199
Normally you should provide Sheffield stands as illustrated in Figure DG19 below. Stands that
grip only the front wheel do not provide adequate support or security. When placed 1m apart and 0.5m
from the wall, Sheffield stands can accommodate two bicycles. Where more than two stands are required,
you may need to provide a ‘toast rack’ facility.
Figure DG19 Sheffield stand -
inset 'toast rack' type. Sheffield stands can accommodate two cycles provided that stands are
placed 1m apart and at least 500mm from any wall.
 3.200 Parking provision should be considered in relation to any travel plan associated
with a development proposal. Please refer to Section DG17.
3.201 Please refer to Traffic Advisory Leaflet 5/02
for further information on cycle parking.
3.202 You should not consider vehicle, motor cycle or cycle parking provision in
isolation from travel plans. The level and design of on-site parking and any proposed travel plan measures
should reflect and complement each other. The County Council is currently developing its own guidance
on preparing travel plans. In the meantime, you can find some interim guidance in the Transport
Assessment Guidelines in Part 7, appendix C.
3.203 For employment developments and other developments where travel plans are
required, we will normally expect the development to include complementary facilities for motorcyclist
and cyclists, for example, secure lockers (for storing clothes, and so on), showers and changing rooms.
3.204 This
section provides design guidance on private drives and areas. For guidance on the Advance
Payments Code (APC), please see Part 5, Section ANR2.
3.205 For developments of more than five dwellings, we will encourage developers
to create, whenever possible, ‘road’ layouts that are to an adoptable standard and
that will be offered for adoption. We will not normally adopt developments of five or less dwellings.
3.206 For developments of six or more dwellings, you should
remember the implications both for yourself and house purchasers if we do not adopt the roads, for example:
Poorly-maintained
private areas can also detract from the quality and appearance of a development.
3.207 Private developments should normally be in the form of a cul-de-sac. You should
try to avoid private ‘through’ routes as they are more likely to be used by the general public, possibly
adding to the liabilities and future problems for residents.
3.208 For private developments of six dwellings or more, we
will normally serve a notice on you with an assessment of the cost of the proposed roadworks under the
Advance Payment Code (APC), to protect frontagers’ interests. The cost of this will reflect the cost
of the proposed street works and you should construct the works to an appropriate standard. However,
because APCs have been served and money has been paid or retained, we are not indicating any future
intention to adopt and maintain the street works at public expense. Please see Part
5, Section ANR2 for more information.
*Note: The indemnity
should normally be a legal covenant placed on the properties to prevent petitioning. We must approve
the wording of the covenant.
3.210 Note: in all cases, the proposed development and its location
must be acceptable to us in principle and highway safety must not be reduced.
On roads with a speed limit of 40mph or higher, or where vehicle speeds are more
than 40mph:
For
all roads where the speed limit or recorded vehicle speeds is less than 40mph, even where you can demonstrate
that you cannot achieve any form of adoptable layout or you do not want your development roads to be
adopted (despite the implications in paragraph 3.206 above), you must still design
the site access point to make sure that it does not affect the safety and efficient functioning of the
highway or otherwise affect road users. (It will normally need to be designed in accordance with the
Design Manual for Roads and Bridges or other standard acceptable to us.) Please see appendix
E (for additional information on private areas).
For private developments of six dwellings or more, we will normally serve a notice
on you with an assessment of the cost of the proposed roadworks under the Advance Payments Code (APC),
to protect frontagers' interests. Please see Part 5, section ANR2 for more information.
3.211 You should provide the site access point in line with either Figure DG20 or
Figure DG21, depending on the scale of the development. Also depending on the scale of the development,
you will need to obtain our specific approval for the construction details of the access. The access
will only be acceptable if you have a maintenance agreement planned or in place.
Figure DG20 Unadopted shared drive serving up to 25
dwellings
(a)
If the driveway length is more than 25m, its minimum width should be 5m (plus any widening where bounded
by walls) to enable access by refuse vehicles
Figure DG21 Unadopted shared drive serving more than 25 dwellings
3.212 On busy roads (generally with peak-hour traffic flows of more than 300 vehicles
an hour), any gates should be set back at least 5m from the highway boundary and should open inwards
only.
3.213 If you cannot achieve layouts to Figure DG20 and Figure DG21 we may recommend
refusal of your proposals on grounds of safety or dangers to the public, as appropriate.
3.214 Even if a road is not to be adopted you should still seek
to make sure that:
Turning
facilities will be required:
Elsewhere, turning facilities will not normally be required
unless road safety would be compromised.
Figure DG22 Private drive turning facilities - typical
layout
 3.215 For long drives and accesses, you should consult BS5906,
2005, which sets out maximum carry distances of 25m for refuse collection. Where this distance
is exceeded, the British Standard recommends:
The
layout of the development should include measures to make sure that parked vehicles do not stop
the use of any turning heads. Where ‘wheelie bin’ collection methods are used, you should consider providing
a communal collection point within the site, close to the highway.
3.216 Where a development is situated more than 45m from the
highway, you must cater for emergency vehicles by constructing the drive and any turning areas so they
can cater for a commercial or service vehicle. The minimum width for access should be at least 3.7m
(between kerbs) and fire vehicles should not have to reverse more than 20m. Your development must be
in line with British Standard BS5906, 2005 and Building Regulations
Approved Document B, Fire Safety 2006. You should also take into account the comments about parking
in paragraph 3.215.
3.217 You should also follow the general guidance contained in this part of the
document on personal safety and designing-out crime, and you should ask the relevant police force 'Architectural
Liaison Officer', the planning authority and us for guidance on proposals for specific sites. You should
also make sure that you take into account the needs of people with impaired mobility.
3.218 The construction standards for drives serving up to and including 5 dwellings
should normally be in accordance with that for footway vehicular and field accesses as shown in standard
drawing SD/11/5A. Standard Drawings. In other cases, they should normally be in line with Table
DG15. (Contact us for permeable pavement design.)
Key
CGM = Close graded macadam DBM = Dense bitumen macadam 3.219 On plot garages to individual properties should be located so:
without
the cars obstructing the highway, including any footway or turning facilities.
3.220 In the interests of urban design, garages should not dominate the street scene.
Where an integral garage is proposed (that is, it is part of the house), you should hold early discussions
with the planning authority on the design of the garage, the house and elevation of the property. The
Manual for Streets suggests that keeping garages and parking areas level with the
main building line can be beneficial to the townscape, but, a planning authority may require garages
to be located behind houses and may not encourage integral garages.
Table DG16: Garage set-back distances
Where
an access is to be gated, the gates should be set back 5m where they open inward and 6m where they open
outwards. This is to ensure that the public highway (particularly areas used by pedestrians) is not
obstructed if a vehicle is parked on the access in front of the gates.
3.221 Garages should preferably have the following minimum internal dimensions.
If a
dwelling has no separate parking for cycles, it may affect whether we consider that
the garage should be counted towards parking provision.
3.222
This section provides design guidance on private drives and areas. Separate guidance is currently being
prepared to cover procedures for serving and paying monies under the Advance Payment Code.
3.223 For multiple-building, multiple-occupation developments (developments occupied
by more than one company) we will encourage you to provide road layouts that are to an adoptable
standard and offer them for adoption whenever possible. We will not normally adopt single-occupancy
developments.
3.224 Except for exempted developments, we will serve notice
under the Advance Payment Code (APC) for all industrial and commercial developments to protect frontagers’
interests. The cost of this will reflect the cost of the proposed street works and you should construct
the works to an appropriate standard. However, because APCs have been served and money has been paid
or retained, we are not indicating any future intention to adopt and maintain the street works at public
expense. The requirements of paragraph 3.209 may also apply.
3.225 Even where you can demonstrate that you cannot achieve a form of adoptable
layout or you do not want your development roads to be adopted, you should still design the site access
point to make sure that it does not affect the safety and efficient functioning of the highway or otherwise
affect road users.
3.226 You should normally design site access in line with the appropriate parts
of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges and our Specification
and standard drawings, unless the road to which your development connects falls
within the definition of a road (street) as set out in appendix L.
3.227 Office developments (use class B1) up to 3000m2
gross floor area (GFA) may be served by a dropped-kerb access arrangement as shown in Figure DG23. However,
if you choose this option, you should note that we will recommend imposing planning conditions that
restrict any change of use to general employment (use class B2 to B8). Depending on the scale of the
development, you will need to obtain our specific approval for the construction details of the access.
Figure DG23 Unadopted access serving up to 3000m2
(GFA) of offices
3.228 Regardless of the access type, you should provide separate footways or pedestrian
routes within the site to minimise the safety risks of pedestrians coming into contact with HGVs. This
could be in the form of footways or routes marked on the ground and segregated by bollards or railings.
3.229 Where any gates are to be provided, they should open inwards and be set back
a distance appropriate to the type of vehicle likely to require access to the development.
3.230 Even if a road is not to be adopted you should still seek
to make sure that:
3.231
You must also take into account the requirements of BS5906 2005 and Building
Regulations Approved Document B, Fire Safety 2006, with regard to access for refuse collection
and emergency vehicles (see paragraphs 3.215 and 3.216). You
should design and construct any turning areas within 50m of the access junction to the adoptable
design guidance to minimise the risk of vehicles having to reverse out of the development on to
the public highway. The layout of the development should include measures to make sure that parked vehicles
do not reduce the use of any turning heads or areas.
3.232 You should also follow the various general guidance contained in this part
of the document on personal safety and designing-out crime, and you should seek guidance from the relevant
police force 'Architectural Liaison Officer' on proposals for specific sites. You should also make sure
that you take into account the needs of people with impaired mobility. For car parking areas, you should
follow the guidance in Section DG14.
3.233 Wherever the extent of the adoptable highway is not clear
– for example there is no wall, fence, or footway edge – you must install an agreed
form of boundary marking.
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