Appendix E: Additional information on requirements for private areas

Why we ask for:
Accesses to have shallow gradients	This makes sure that vehicles can enter and leave the highway in a slow and controlled manner. On steep gradients, drivers may have less control of their vehicle’s speed which can result in joining the road in an inappropriate way. This applies to slopes up to the road as well as down.
Drainage to be provided in an access	This reduces the risk of surface water from a site running into the highway causing dangers for road users. Water draining onto roads can in itself be a safety hazard - in the winter months it can be even more serious if it freezes.
Drives not to be surfaced with gravel or other loose material	This reduces the possibility of bits of loose stone being deposited in the highway by repeated movement of traffic over the drives. Small stones are a hazard on footways as they can cause pedestrians to slip. The stones can be propelled at relatively high speed (even by slow-moving traffic passing over them) and be a source of danger for road users.
Garage doors to be set back	This enables a vehicle to stand clear of the highway while garage doors are opened or closed so as not to block footways and endanger pedestrians.
Gates to be set back	This is for a similar reason as above. The gate setback distance enables a vehicle to stand clear of the highway so users will not be endangered or inconvenienced by the vehicle blocking the road, verge or footway. The setback will normally reflect the sort of vehicles that will use the access. So the setback distance of gates for residential use will normally be the shortest. As tractors are generally longer than cars, gates at an agricultural access need to be set back further than for a house. Heavy lorries are generally longer than tractors so gates at an industrial access need to be set back even further.
Turning facilities to be provided within a site	This will ensure as far as possible that vehicles can use an access without having to reverse onto or off the road. In any location, vehicles reversing can present dangers for others, including pedestrians, but on busy roads the potential for causing danger is increased.