Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
April 2004
Martin Low
Assistant Director of Transportation
CONTENTS
Page
INTRODUCTION
PRE-APPLICATION
SUBMISSION OF AN APPLICATION
3.1 Drawings
3.2 Supporting statement
3.3 Traffic information
3.4 Safety Audits
3.5 Crime reduction measures
2
2
3
3
4
5
5
5
6
6
6
8
8
8
9
9
9
10
10
10
HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS
6.1 Footways
6.2 Cyclists
6.3 Street furniture and street clutter
6.4 Street lighting
6.5 Traffic calming
6.6 Planning conditions and obligations
10
10
11
11
12
12
12
APPENDICES
7.1 Transport assessment
7.2 On-site parking requirements
7.3 Garage dimensions
7.4 Parking bay dimensions and typical vehicle sizes
7.5 Plan of Strategic Routes
7.6 Access and visibility
7.7 Tables and chairs
7.8 Footways and cycleways
7.9 Vertical clearances
13
13
15
17
18
19
20
21
22
24
CONTACTS
8.1 Feedback form
25
27
REFERENCES
28
INTRODUCTION
This Guide is intended to provide assistance and information on highway matters relating to
planning applications in the City of Westminster.
Most residential or commercial developments will have some effect upon the types and volumes of
vehicles, pedestrians and other road users. They may create accesses, alter parking or have other
effects upon the existing highway network.
The objective of this Guide is:
To set out what should be provided with a Planning Application, so that the
Highways Planning Team at the City of Westminster may assess the application
promptly and without need to refer back to an applicant unnecessarily
To set out the highway and traffic planning standards that are expected to be used
when making a planning submission
PRE-APPLICATION
First contact should be with Development Planning Services (DPS) of the Planning and City
Development Department. DPS has three Area Teams covering the northern, central and southern
sections of the city and initial contact is normally by telephone or emailC1 or via the One Stop
Services Planning DeskC2. Thereafter, large or complex proposals will be required to submit
information in writing1. The Planning Case Officer will give initial comments and may recommend
discussions with other Council officers, including the Highways Planning TeamC3.
The Highways Planning Team of the Environment and Leisure Department provides advice on
highway related issues affecting a proposal. Early contact and discussion with the team is
recommended, so that their extensive knowledge of the highway network and their professional
experience can be used to resolve highway issues, so as to maximise the benefits of the development
and minimise any abortive work.
Contact by telephone or email may be all that is required for small or residential proposals. Large or
complex proposals may require someone to visit City Hall for a meeting, or series of meetings, with
preliminary scale drawings and photographs.
Although some information will have been submitted to DPS, please assist the Highways Planning
Team by having the following information ready-to-hand:
SUBMISSION OF AN APPLICATION
A Planning Application Form is obtained and submitted to Development Planning Services directly,
or via the Councils One Stop Services. The Form has requirements for certain information to be
submitted. However, additional information is often required for highway issues either at preapplication or upon submission of an application.
The following information is provided to assist applicants with providing highways related
information. The extent of the documentation and the need to supply all parts will increase with the
complexity of the proposals.
3.1 Drawings
3.1.1
A Site Location Plan as submitted to DPS should also be provided to the Highways Planning Team.
The plan should normally:
3.1.2
Be to a scale of 1:1250
Be on an Ordnance Survey Map background
Show the boundary of the site or show a property clearly marked by a bold symbol
Have north at the top with a North Point marker
Site Layout Plan
A Site Layout Plan at street level and additional plans for basements and other floors with highway
implications are required and should:
Be to a scale of 1:50, 1:100, 1:200 or 1:250 (1:250 is the smallest to provide sufficient detail)
Show the street names along street frontages
The plans should show details of the existing and proposed works, including:
Kerb lines
Footways
Projections onto and over the highway
Access points and crossovers
Vaults and the position of pavement lights or vents
Car parking and cycle parking on-site
Critical dimensions
Depending upon the nature of the development, they may also need to show:
All plans must reflect the full extent of the proposals and be accurate. For complex developments,
it may be necessary to assist the reader by splitting information onto separate drawings. Ordnance
Survey mapping can be unsuitable for detailed plans and will require all critical dimensions to be
verified on site and clearly dimensioned on all plans prior to submission.
3.1.3
Longitudinal and Cross Sections are required at all pedestrian and vehicular thresholds between the
road and the site. Additional sections are required for the full length of all accesses to underground
or on-site parking and for the full extent of any part of the building over or under the highway.
They should:
General Traffic Information is required for all developments on any changes to:
3.3.2
A detailed Transport Assessment, involving traffic surveys and covering a range of transport
conditions and predictions is required for developments exceeding the sizes specified in Appendix
7.1). A less detailed Transport Assessment is often requested for smaller developments, including
residential developments as low as 20 units. It may only need to cover a limited number of issues,
such as access, parking and effects on the local environment.
Applicants should discuss the need to supply a Transport Assessment with the Highways Planning
Team at an early stage. Agreement will be required on the scope of the assessment, as detailed in
Appendix 7.1, and the most appropriate times and methods for collecting transport data.
3.3.3
Travel Plan
A Travel Plan is a general term for a package of measures tailored to the needs of individual sites
and aimed at promoting greener, cleaner travel choices and reducing reliance on the car. It involves
the development of a set of mechanisms, initiatives and targets that together can enable your
organisation to reduce the impact of travel2 and transport on the environment, whilst also bringing a
number of other benefits to your organisation as an employer and to staff.
The Travel Plan tries to promote development that supports more sustainable travel choices and
reduces the need to travel. The plan may involve physical or behavioural measures for:
Reducing car usage particularly single occupancy journeys
and increasing the use of public transport, walking and cycling
Reducing traffic speeds to improve road safety, particularly
for pedestrians and cyclists
Environmentally friendly freight movements particularly
home delivery services and water based transport
The City Council will seldom require a Travel Plan because the
majority of developments are too small to warrant a plan, or the
developer is entirely separate from the eventual employer, and at the
time of application details of future employees are not known.
However, a Travel Plan may be required for any planning applications
likely to have significant transport implications, including most
educational establishments. These Travel Plans should be capable of
answering most highway related objections received to the application.
3.3.4
Assessment of the traffic information by the Highways Planning Team, will be in accordance with
the Pre-Inquiry Unitary Development Plan3 Policy Trans 14, and recommendations could include:
potential highway hazards and to ensure that the highway is as safe as possible for all users. It can
assist in identifying the best solution where there are options, including the most attractive
pedestrian or cycle routes and the safest position for a proposed point of access.
A Stage 1 Preliminary Design Safety Audit should occur as early as possible because it may require a
change in the design concept and may be requested as part of the Planning Application. A Stage 2
Detailed Design Safety Audit and a Stage 3 After Construction Safety Audit will be undertaken later.
The audit should be carried out by an individual who is independent of the design team and should
generally follow the Guidelines for the Safety Audit of Highways5.
3.5 Crime reduction measures
All development must actively seek to reduce crime and the fear of crime in accordance with the
Crime and Disorder Act 19986 and as recommended in Designing out crime in Westminster, A guide to
planning an attractive and safe environment7.
Recesses at the edge of the highway should be avoided and all areas should have natural surveillance
by residents and visitors, with overlooking of communal areas, including footways, accesses and car
parking, to provide a deterrent to the opportunist criminal, anti-social behaviour and vagrancy.
Advice should be obtained as early as possible from the City Councils Crime Prevention Design
AdviserC4.
Street lighting should have white light to highlight hazards and avoid the creation of shadows
which may promote criminal activity. Advice can be obtained from the City Councils Street
Lighting ManagerC5.
Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)8 may be desirable and the supplementing or upgrading of the
existing Westminster CCTV system may be requested. Advice can be obtained from the City
Councils Crime & Disorder Reduction / CCTV TeamC6.
4
4.1 Accessibility
An accessible environment must provide for everyone. Useful dimensions are available in the Metric
handbook, Planning and design data9.
To meet central government criteria, in Planning and Access for Disabled People A Good Practice Guide10,
disabled access must be considered at the
conception of the design.
Means of access for disabled people must be within
a development and must have no impact,
temporary or permanent, on the highway.
Ramps should conform to BS 830011 or Part M of the
Building Regulations 200412 and should not be steeper
than 1:20, with no ramp section longer than 10
metres or rising more than 500 mm. Assistance can
be obtained from Westminsters Access OfficerC7.
4.2 Pedestrians
Pedestrian needs must be met in accordance with the Pre-Inquiry Unitary Development Plan3 Policy Trans
3, with particular regard to:
Adequate width to cater for existing or proposed pedestrian flows, as Appendix 7.8.
Ease of movement for people with a mobility or sensory impairment
Safe and attractive routes and road crossings
Minimising journey times by providing the most convenient and direct routes that follow
desire lines, including the provision of public walkways and cycle routes.
Applicants are expected to meet the car parking needs of a development within the curtilage
of the development. The maximum parking standard, as shown in Appendix 7.2, for
residential development, should not be exceeded. However, developers are encouraged to
provide off-street parking to the maximum limit because the on-street residents parking
scheme is heavily over-subscribed throughout the city.
Any developer who wishes to provide less than one parking bay per residential unit must
provide supporting documentation to demonstrate that its parking demand will not create
on-street parking problems. The minimum sizes for residential garages are shown in
Appendix 7.3 and parking bays are shown in Appendix 7.4.
The parking layout should provide accessible bays for disabled users, designed and marked
up to conform to the Inclusive Mobility13 guide for at least 10% of both the market and
affordable units to cater for long term needs in accordance with Pre-Inquiry Unitary Development
Plan3 Policy H9. Pedestrian access must cater for disabled users.
Where the parking demand cannot be met on-site and may create an on-street parking
demand in excess of 80% of bays available to residents, as specified in the Pre-Inquiry Unitary
Development Plan3 Policy TRANS 23, the development will be resisted unless the potential
impact of cars being parked on street is mitigated.
Access to the road for front garden14 or forecourt parking will be resisted, in accordance
with Pre-Inquiry Unitary Development Plan3 Policy TRANS 26, especially where it involves the
loss of existing on-street parking.
4.4.2
4.4.3
Vehicles entering and exiting a parking garage15 must not interfere with the use of the highway and
the following are some of the main issues of concern:
4.4.4
Footway crossover width should be minimised for pedestrian safety and accesses wider
than 7.3 metres must be split in two. See Appendix 7.6.
Visibility is required for pedestrians on the footway as well as to the carriageway.
Ramps should be no steeper than 1:20 for 5.0 metres (minimum 3.0 metres) prior to
entering the highway, as shown in Appendix 7.3.
The maximum ramp gradient should be 1:10, although 1:8 is acceptable for small
buildings and 1:7 for a level difference not exceeding 1.5 metres. A transition is required
for all ramps steeper than 1:10, as shown in Appendix 7.3.
Ramp widths must meet the minimum values in Appendix 7.3.
A 5.0 metres long waiting area must be provided on-site for any one-way ramp or access
control. A longer length may be required to accommodate any queues and to prevent
any waiting on-street or reversing into the street.
The ramp, lift or signal controls must be designed for the capacity of the garage.
Turntables are acceptable for access to difficult spaces.
All spaces within car stacking systems must be independent, so that a vehicle does not have to be
moved to permit the storage of another vehicle, except where there is long-term valet-operated
parking. Proposals for car stacking systems must consider any need to provide space for
motorcycles and address access problems for disabled users.
4.5 Servicing
Deliveries16 and refuse collection17 should be on-site with adequate storage and space for parking
and manoeuvring of vehicles within the site. However, vehicular access onto a site is often not
possible because the site is too small or the site is an existing building that cannot realistically be
altered.
Where servicing occurs from the road, the Transport Assessment must show that the road can
accommodate the activity without interference to through-traffic and pedestrians. For safety, it is
essential to minimise any need for vehicles to reverse within the highway. On-street lay-bys are not
normally permitted because they tend to become obstructed with parked vehicles and they may
narrow the footway creating problems for pedestrians.
5
Strategic Routes
Transport for London Road Network - the main signed traffic routes on which through
traffic should travel and where the priority will be the movement of people and goods. They
are normally identifiable through the Priority (Red) Route controls.
London Distributor Roads - routes which provide links, between the Transport for London
Road Network, and distribute traffic to neighbouring boroughs. They are, in general, either
signed local routes, bus routes or routes carrying relatively large amounts of traffic.
Non-strategic routes
Local Distributor Roads - routes that distribute traffic to neighbouring boroughs and within
the city. They are in general either signed local routes, bus routes or routes carrying relatively
large amounts of traffic
Local Roads - routes which distribute local traffic and provide access to residential and local
centres. Local Roads are also used by cyclists on longer journeys. The priority on these
roads will be people over traffic.
Junction - A new side road interrupting the footway. It is likely to be required at accesses
permitted on strategic routes and in other particular circumstances.
May be required for:
- Residential developments exceeding 30 bedrooms
- Commercial development that attracts more than 100 motor vehicle trips (movements
which would otherwise cross a footway) by cars and motorcycles per day
- Commercial development served by Heavy Goods Vehicles
Ramps must be accommodated on the applicants site, in accordance with the Pre-Inquiry Unitary
Development Plan3 Policy TRANS 27. No alteration to the footway will normally be accepted.
Lifts for the disabled people or for deliveries must be accommodated on the applicants site and not
present any hazard to users of the highway and particularly the visually impaired.
5.5 Vertical clearances
The minimum clearance for new construction over, or within one metre, of a road is 5.3 metres.
Over the rest of a footway the minimum clearance is 2.6 metres, for which a licence is requiredC10,
except for blinds C11 as shown in Appendix 7.9.
The minimum clearances for vaults under the highway are shown in Appendix 7.9. Vaults require
Planning Permission and a Highways Consent16 C10.
5.6 Tables and chairs
Tables and chairs placed on the highway must
not obstruct the free flow of pedestrian traffic
and they require Planning Permission and a
Street Trading Licence. A plan indicating the
area to be licensed and the number, size and
layout of tables and chairs, and any other items
to be placed on the highway must be supplied.
Guidance on table spacing is given in Appendix
7.7 and reference should be made to the
Westminster guide, The placing of tables and chairs
on the highway20.
Planning permission for tables and chairs
normally requires all items to be removed from
the highway outside the permitted hours.
Planters, tubs and advertisements, e.g. A boards, are not normally permitted.
5.7 Temporary licences to use the highway
Temporary structures, scaffolding, skips and any other partial obstruction of the highway or
footway, associated with building construction, will require a licenceC11.
6
HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS
Road design information is contained in Residential Roads and Footpaths, Layout considerations21 but
detailed advice is provided below for Westminster.
6.1 Footways
To allow for the free flow of pedestrians, the Council has requirements for footways as shown in
Appendix 7.8. For safety and access reasons, a double row of kerbing, one stepped above the other
to gain height, will not be permitted.
At some time all people have constraints on their mobility, whether this arises from a permanent or
temporary impairment, a pushchair or heavy shopping bags, and will benefit from measures such as
10
dropped kerbs or raised crossings. The Council has a programme to install dropped kerbs and
tactile paving, but will keep the use of tactile paving to those sites where it is essential.
The Council will request footway improvements from a developer. Occasionally this involves
providing or completing a footway, but normally involves repaving.
Repaving in isolated sections is visually undesirable and any request for repaving will seek to identify
a natural limit as close as possible to the site. Natural limits include a junction, major vehicle access
or other feature that would mask a change in footway quality. The quality of materials is covered by
the Councils publication The Westminster Way22.
6.2 Cyclists
London local authorities and Transport for London have identified a network of cycle routes known
as the London Cycle Network Plus. All development is expected to maintain and, wherever
possible, enhance the existing cycle network to provide continuity of routes. Cycleways may be on
the road, shared with pedestrians or preferably segregated as shown in Appendix 7.8. More
information is available in the London Cycle Network Design Manual23.
Development is expected to provide cycle parking on-site, as section 4.3, but for non-residential
functions, such as retail, that have numerous visitors, cycle parking must be easily accessible. This
can often only be provided on-street. Where there is inadequate local space, cycle parking may be
needed to be positioned at a distance from the development and may even require the Council to
accept a cash contribution towards the general provision of on-street cycle parking.
6.3 Street furniture and street clutter
All street furniture will need to comply with any distinct style of street furniture, including lighting
columns, seats, bus shelters, litter bins and cycle parking stands that is required in different areas.
Consideration must be given to the good practice in street management and design contained in the
City of Westminster guide, The Westminster Way19. Advice on anti-flyposting treatment may also be
obtained from the Councils Anti Graffiti and Fly-Posting UnitC13.
The Council has a policy of reducing street clutter, which includes minimising the use of bollards,
barriers and signage poles. A developer will be asked to consolidate the position of street furniture
and signage to improve the visual environment and to minimise interference with pedestrians and
disabled people.
Each development should give consideration to the need for
street nameplates and property identification to assist emergency
services and those visiting the premises. This is particularly
important where historical naming and numbering of streets
might create confusion. The designer needs to consult
Development Planning ServicesC1 for advice on the most
appropriate location for street name plates and the location for
property name and number. The procedure for varying numbers
is undertaken when the development is being implementedC14.
To minimise clutter, consideration should be given to the
following being installed on buildings:
Standard City of Westminster street nameplates
Street lighting units
CCTV cameras
11
Planning Condition
A Planning Condition in the Planning Permission may be suitable for minor or well defined
works. A restrictive Grampian condition normally prohibits use of the development until the
required works are complete.
Planning obligations under section 106, Town & Country Planning Act 199024
Highway or environmental works for a development are normally agreed, between the developer
and the highway authority, through a planning obligation under a section 106 agreement or
undertaking. To determine the cost of the works a developer will need to pay for advance
design works.
Guidance on the implementation of highway improvements is given in the Westminster guide,
Design and Implementation of Highway Schemes Associated with Development25.
12
APPENDICES
Appendix 7.1
Transport Assessment
A detailed Transport Assessment, involving traffic surveys and covering a range of transport conditions and
predictions is required for developments that could be expected to generate at least one of the following
levels of pedestrian or vehicular traffic:
A more than 1,000 one-way person trips per day, or
B more than 500 vehicle movements per day, or
C more that 100 person trips during the peak hour, or
D more that 100 vehicle movements in any single hour, or
E more than 20 heavy goods vehicle (over 7 tonnes) movements per day, or
F any heavy goods vehicle movements between midnight and 6am
As a guide, these levels of traffic could be expected from developments of the following sizes:
Land Use
A1: Retail
A3: Pubs/Restaurants
B1/A2: Office
B2-7: Industry
B8: Storage/Distribution
C1: Hotel
C3: Dwellings
D2: Entertainment
Threshold
2,000 m2 GFA
500m2 GFA
2,500m2 GFA
4,000 m2 GFA
4,000 m2 GFA
100 bedrooms or any with
conference facilities
200 units
> 200 person capacity
Criteria
A or B or C
A
C
E
E
A
A or B
A
Always required
Always required
Always required
3. Trip generation
a) Number of person trips generated, categorised by mode of
transport and time of day
b)
Always required
Always required
13
Always required
Always required
Always required
Always required
Always required
Always required
6. Public transport
a) Evaluate the accessibility of the site by public transport
Always required
7. Road network
a) Identify junctions and links that will be affected by
development traffic. Quantify and evaluate the reserve
capacity, queues and delays at critical junctions
b) Carry out a Safety Audit
Always required
9. Environmental impact
a) The impact of generated traffic on air pollution, vibration
and noise
10. Parking
a) Justify the level of parking provision as part of the
application
Always required
14
Always required
Vehicle parking
Maximum of 1 space per 1,500 sq.m. gross floor space for staff,
visitors and servicing (but not shop customers) to include one
adequately proportioned and positioned space for staff and visitors
with disabilities per 6,000 sq.m. gross floor space.
Parking for shop customers will not normally be permitted.
Entertainment and
Leisure uses
Hospitals and
Medical Centres
On the merits of each case, but any parking space necessary for people
with disabilities, medical staff who have a demonstrable emergency
commitment and emergency vehicles will be provided off-street.
Residential
development
A maximum of:
(a) 1.0 off-street parking space per residential unit of two
bedrooms or less.
(b) 1.5 off-street parking spaces per residential unit of three
bedrooms or more.
Special Needs
Housing
1.0 space per 10 residential units, but this may be varied to suit
particular cases.
1.0 space per dwelling may be required for housing for people with
disabilities.
15
7.2.2
Cycle parking
Shopping
Educational
Entertainment
Housing
Community
Transport
B1/A2
B1
Light Industrial
B2B7
General Industrial
B8
Warehouses
A1
Food Retail
A1
A1
Garden Centre
D1
Primary Schools
D1
Secondary Schools
D1
Universities/Colleges
A3
A3
A3
Restaurants/Cafes
D2
Theatres/Cinemas
D2
C2
Student Accommodation
C3
Flats
D1
Doctor/Dental Surgeries,
Health Centres and Clinics
D1
Libraries
C2
Hospitals
Bus/Rail Stations
16
4.9m
4.9m
2.8m
mimimum
single
5.0m
3.5m
typical double
disabled
2.3m
4.9m
7.3.1
4.2m
2.8m
Larger garages should be supplied to allow for cycles, refuse and other storage
Communal garages
5.0m (3.0m)
3.0m
4.8m
0.3m
road
0 .6
3 .6
barrier or
traffic signal
footway
access queue
0 .3
12.0m(7.5m)
1.0 X 1.0 m
visibility splay
garage
5.0m (3.0m)
1:20
road
1:20
1:10
1:10 (1:7)
footway
1:10
garage
17
5m
barrier
7.3.2
4.8m
2.4m
6.0m
4.5m
3.5m
6.0m
1.8m
0.6m
7.4.2
4.8m
4.8m
TRANSFER ZONE
4.8m
1.2m
TRANSFER ZONE
1.2m
2.4m
3.6m
6.0m
standard
(non disabled)
single disabled
double disabled
7.4.3
Vehicle
(Vehicle used for typical size)
Medium Car
(Volvo 440)
Refuse Vehicle
(Phoenix 23)
Length
(metres)
Width
(metres)
Turning radius
- kerb to kerb
(metres)
Rear overhang
(metres)
4.4
1.7
5.1
0.9
5.4
2.0
5.9
1.5
8.0
2.1
7.4
2.6
9.9
2.5
9.5
3.5
18
19
20
21
Footway widths
4.3m
3.3m
0.9m (0.76m)
1.8m
2.0m
kerb line
wheelchair
(two-way use)
subways
schools and
bus stops
Cycleways
22
7.8.3
Design and layouts are as recommended in the London Cycle Network Design Manual20
23
Appendix 7.9
1.8m
Minimum footway
kerb
footway
arcade
column
2.6m
5.3m
(5.1m)
7.9.1
Vertical clearances
Carriageway
1.0m
Underground vaults
1800 mm Max.
24