Secondary School to Haye Road

Transcription

1 Secondary School to Haye Road The street continues as a 6.5m wide two-way carriageway with a bend to the right some 200m south of the secondary school. The junction at this bend allows the introduction of a key building on the south west corner which is, visually, very prominent from the north. A signalised pedestrian crossing facility is provided at this point to assist Sports Centre users access the playing fields north of Main Street. The Sports Centre building directly to the south of the street also provides the opportunity for another landmark building when viewed from the west. The street continues along the southern edge of Hazeldene Quarry where it will be flanked by a steep bund screening the quarry to the north and a row of trees bordering the northern edge of KGV playing fields. The carriageway along this length is widened to 9.5m to provide a dedicated bus and cycle lane for west bound traffic approaching the Haye Road junction. This bus lane provides priority of the HQPT buses the entire length of the road from Vinery Lane to Haye Road. The closure of Vinery Lane, shown on Sheet 9, needs to be carefully managed, including resolving continued access to the south for existing residents. This is expected to be a matter for further review. The default has to be closure in order to avoid the otherwise inevitable rat-running. Non Motorised Users The Main Street is designed to be a high quality and safe environment for pedestrians. The minimum footway width is 3m with many greater than 4m wide. The High Street will be designed to allow adjacent open areas in front of the shops and commercial premises to merge with the highway edge, creating space for cafes and retail goods display areas to the rear of the formal footway. Pedestrian crossing facilities are provided throughout the length of the street. Inside urban the area there are seven sets of traffic signals each having an all red pedestrian call off phase. The all red phase allows pedestrians to diagonally cross junctions often a desire line. A further signalised pedestrian crossing facility is located outside the Sports Centre to provide a safe connection to the sports fields to the north of the Main Street. Informal crossing facilities, in the form of a central refuge, are provided at the north eastern end of the Main Street where traffic flows are highest and in the High Street where crossing distances are large. Elsewhere, uncontrolled crossing points are situated on both sides of each junction in order to provide as much flexibility in crossing locations as possible. The AAP requirement to provide links to the National Cycle Route NCN 2 at Deep Lane and the NCN 27 on the A379 alignment is delivered by a number of means. An urban edge route is provided around the northern and southern boundaries of the urban area. These link to Deep Lane by means of a combined footway/cycleway on the Main Street north of the Park and Ride. They also link to the A379 corridor via Vinery Lane and Sherford Road. It was originally intended that the southern urban edge route be designated as the NCN route. However, it was felt by the local cycling officers that a more direct connection into the Town Centre facilities was more appropriate and it is proposed that the NCN 2 will be directed along the Main Street. In recognition that the Main Street will be used by cyclists the parking bays have been widened to 3m to provide additional clearance between parked vehicles and the cycle running lane. High Quality Public Transport Link (HQPT) Initial suggestions were made by the highway authorities to provide the route of the HQPT around the edge of Sherford. This was perceived to offer the fastest possible service from the Park and Ride into Plymouth. However it became very clear that to enable Sherford itself to benefit from the HQPT service it had to run through the heart of the development, maximising the walkable catchment area of each bus stop. Further options examined the provision of a segregated route parallel to and one block behind the Main Street, but it was not clear as to the status of this street in terms of urban design. It was also felt that with the service located on a secondary street, its profile would be lower and would not as successfully encourage modal shift. Furthermore it was felt that it may be a less comfortable and safe environment for waiting passengers as the street would be have lower levels of activity and be less overlooked than the Main Street. It was decided therefore that that the HQPT must run on the Main Street. A fully segregated lane on the Main Street was considered. However when including the traffic lanes and parallel parking, considered vital to encourage early activity on the Main Street, a further lane was considered impractical. It was nevertheless, agreed that a significant element of bus priority must be provided and the proposal now includes bus priority equipment on the approach to all the traffic signals, providing minimal delay for the HQPT. In addition there is further insurance that if a segregated lane throughout its length is required in the future, the parking lanes could be replaced with a bus lane. The Main Street corridor is therefore wide enough and sufficiently flexible to allow dedicated bus lanes to be retrofitted, if required in the future. The Main Street therefore provides a key link for a High Quality Public Transport bus system between the Park and Ride, through Sherford onto the A379 and Plymouth City Centre. There is no definitive description of an HQPT system, however in this instance it is generally taken to mean a reliable high frequency public transport service that provides cost effective and quicker alternative to cars with modern clean buses. Furthermore, it is a service that has the capacity to carry large numbers of people. The Main Street must allow the buses to perform to these criteria. No decision regarding the type of vehicle to be used for HQPT has been taken. Nevertheless it is envisaged that in K:\D (D102241) SHERFORD\HIGHWAYS\MAIN STREET\SHERFORD MAIN STREET NARRATIVEFINAL DOC

2 order to achieve the necessary patronage levels, high capacity Bendi Buses may be used. The vertical and horizontal alignment of the Main Street has been designed to allow Bendi Buses to operate at speeds of up to 30mph, through the urban area. However it is anticipated that actual speeds will be close to those identified for each of the described Character Areas. Where the surface water from the highway is mixed with substantial volume of private development runoff, the sewer will be adopted by South West Water; where the predominant flow is from the highway, the Highway Authority will adopt as a highway drain. The relevant authority will also adopt the soakaway features. In order to ensure that buses travel through Sherford substantially quicker than the car, priority will be given to buses approaching signalised junctions. Presently eight sets of traffic signals are proposed on the Main Street (if those situated on the existing highway at Deep Lane, Haye Road and Stanborough Cross are not included) each one provided with vehicle actuated switching to give bus priority at all of these junctions. On leaving the Park and Ride, the HQPT will be given priority onto the Main Street at the Northern Avenue junction and will run on the Main Street to the Bridge where, when necessary, it will switch onto its own running lane in the centre of the street. It will then run in the main carriageway until it reaches the Secondary School where it is allowed a straight line across the open area in front of the school entrance bypassing the signalised junction with Southern Avenue. The Haye Road Junction has been designed to provide a segregated approach for the west bound HQPT to receive priority over vehicles waiting to join Haye Road. This can be adapted to allow HQPT buses to turn right from Haye Road onto a future dedicated route through the existing Moorcroft Quarry site. In order to ensure that the interim situation of buses travelling on Haye Road and joining the A379 at Stanbourgh Cross is not compromised by other traffic, a 400m long dedicated bus lane from as far back as Vinery Lane ensures that there is a significant advantage for the bus over the car. This enables the buses to reach the stop line at Haye Road without any delay and the provision of a bus gate allows buses reaching the signalised junction at Stanborough Cross always to pass through on the first phase of the lights. This will give the bus a tremendous advantage over the car but most importantly the advantage will be very visible, and will be witnessed most by those in queuing cars watching the bus pass by. It will act therefore to advertise modal shift. The relative performance of the bus will promote patronage and the episodic congestion for other forms of motorised traffic will actively discourage the use both of the car and of this route which will in turn ensure that the current rat-running is curtailed. The manipulation of the light sequences regardless of traffic levels will be a useful tool through early phases. Three stops within Sherford, in addition to the Park and Ride, are to be provided. These are located at the eastern neighbourhood centre near the square-about junction, at the town centre junction with Brixton Road and outside the secondary school. These stops are designed for high capacity buses with low floors and double entrance doors. Drainage The surface water drainage system serving the Main Street will also drain the adjacent urban areas. Gullies located adjacent to the kerb or in channels on the edge of the carriageway will connect to a surface water sewer below the carriageway. These sewers will drain to a number of main soakaway features located below ground in green open space areas adjacent to the highway at the Bridge and at the western playing fields. These features will be sized to store run-off from the designed rainfall events, however to prevent flooding in extreme events an overflow connection to adjacent watercourses will be provided. Scott Wilson s Engineering layout drawings no s D to 714 shows the principle route of the surface water drains/sewers and the location of the proposed attenuation/storage features. Alignment The Main Street route is entirely located on greenfield agricultural land. With few constraints to its alignment, it was the proposed urban form of Sherford and a desire to seek the less steep areas of topography which, confirmed the detailed route. The topography is generally rolling grassland which drops 70m from the highest point at Deep Lane to the connection point at Haye Road. The steeper gradients are generally at the eastern end however no gradients are greater than 5% (1 in 20). Scott Wilson drawings D108875/717 to 722 shows a long section drawn through the centreline of the Main Street and demonstrates that the proposed finished road level generally follows the existing ground. This therefore limits the amount of earthworks involved in the construction of the street. The Cross-Section drawings D108875/723 to 733 also demonstrate that, in general, the development on each side of the street can be constructed at the back of footpath level again without substantial amounts of earthworks. Access to the existing properties and road connections on site will be incorporated into the overall Sherford road network. In the interim situation the Main Street construction will provide temporary connections to the existing local road network and make available access to the existing properties on site. Lighting Lighting of the Main Street will be to Devon County Council highway lighting standards with white light used throughout. Building mounted lanterns will be used wherever possible. Where lighting columns are unavoidable, primarily adjacent to open space areas or where road widths may compromise ambient lighting on the carriageway, they will be designed as a part of the overall street furniture range. Lighting levels will vary along the length of the street and will be dependant upon the volume of traffic on that length and the K:\D (D102241) SHERFORD\HIGHWAYS\MAIN STREET\SHERFORD MAIN STREET NARRATIVEFINAL DOC

3 particular use of the area. For example, the High Street section will have higher lighting levels, taking into account greater pedestrian activity in that area. The road adjacent to the bat corridor will be treated as a special case with lower lighting levels and reduced mounting heights, minimizing light spill into the surrounding area. Temporary lighting may need to be provided before adjacent buildings are constructed and this will be dependant upon a number of issues, including the levels of traffic and general activity. Urban Design and Surface Finishes The urban design of the street and the public realm has been designed by Lavigne Lonsdale, taking advice from The Streets for All (South West) Design Compendium. This document, published by the Department for Transport and English Heritage, provides guidance on street material and furniture in great detail and demonstrates local regional characteristics for the south west, including Devon. The material selection relating to buildings and streets, places particular emphasis upon the use of local materials, where, historically, local geology has been the important source of construction material. Despite the wide range of materials available to today s designers, Sherford and the Main Street in particular, seeks to use a simple palate of colours and materials in order to maintain a consistent character throughout. The surface finishes include five types of materials. Black Asphalt Macadam for the carriageway running lanes; Buff coloured spray tar and chip (rolled) for the adjacent footways; Reconstituted paving in flags and blocks for footways in key character areas; Reconstituted block paviour 100x 200mm-300mm. feature paving in carriageways in key character areas; and Reconstituted Countryside cobbles (100x100mm in the parking bays). The tree survey in Section 7 shows which trees will need to be removed to accommodate the road corridor although the tree protection plans need to be finalised as a Condition. Charcon 'Countryside' Cobbles 100x 100mm It is also acknowledged that whilst the locations for the street furniture (bollards, seats, bins, lights etc) has been indicated on the surface finishes plans, the actual product range has yet to be finalised. The street furniture is an important element of the public realm and so further design consultation is required so that a coordinated product range for Sherford is produced. Similarly, the public art component needs careful consideration and whilst indicative locations have been identified, further liaison is required. The aim is, of course, to co-ordinate all of the component elements of engineering, architecture, landscape architecture and urban design in order to set the scene and ultimately to create a unique and inspiring piece of townscape. Charcon 'Andover' Block Paving All kerbs will be 300mm (nominal) width and have an adjacent edge channel (300mm wide stone or 3x 100x200mm setts) and be formed from reconstituted granite. Trees form a key element of the streetscape with semi mature trees forming avenues along the main corridors. Species will be chosen from varieties that are suitable for intensive urban areas. Sheet 3 shows the method of planting for various conditions within the Main Street corridor. K:\D (D102241) SHERFORD\HIGHWAYS\MAIN STREET\SHERFORD MAIN STREET NARRATIVEFINAL DOC

4 MAIN STREET DETAILED APPLICATION Introduction This detailed proposal is included within the Sherford planning application in order to achieve the following objectives: To demonstrate how the Red Tree proposal engages positively with key planning policy objectives aimed at providing a highway and public transport link between A38 and A378; To demonstrate how Sherford can bring forward early and positive delivery of: o improvements to Deep Lane junction in tandem with the establishment of the Park and Ride Interchange. This will help reduce traffic flows on A38 and is key to the performance of new bus services delivered from the outset; and Approach The Main Street design has been achieved through a collaborative effort between the Red Tree project team, The Prince s Foundation, South Hams District Council, the highway authorities of Devon County Council and Plymouth City Council and The Highways Agency. At the same time the outcomes reflect the wider involvement of non transport-only disciplines as exemplified through all design exercises. The alignment of the route has evolved through the master planning process. Initially, at the Enquiry by Design, the route from Deep Lane to the A379 was identified and drawn up by The Prince s Foundation with the assistance of Paul Murrain and Andrew Cameron (then with Alan Baxter Associates and now WSP). At this stage it was agreed that the Main Street would have a High Street element in the centre, where retail use is the principle activity. Red Tree also wished to make this space the formal centre of the development. A wide street was preferred with a strong sense of place and enclosure common to many market towns and particularly similar to the High Streets found in Malborough, Wiltshire and Honiton, East Devon. o a new route within Sherford, which will function as the main highway and public transport link and create opportunities for new development. By submitting this detailed proposal alongside the outline proposal, clear sight is given of the first stage of infrastructure construction. In so doing Red Tree provides the opportunity for the planning process to make its determinations simultaneously. Similarly, Red Tree proposes to open discussions regarding, and to initiate design of, the first phase of housing development following this application. This overlapping, concurrent approach is designed to shorten the timetable to commencement of works on site. The investment in this work ahead of any planning certainly reflects Red Tree s commitment to securing infrastructure that supports new development and the wider community. The most immediate benefit of this approach is the delivery at outset of the enhanced public transport arrangements required by the Structure Plan and the emerging LDF strategies of both Plymouth City and South Hams District Councils. Red Tree supports the Councils clearly stated, combined ambition to promote more sustainable lifestyles and in particular to walk away from the usual over-reliance on the motorcar. The overall form of development, the location and early delivery of community, education and retail facilities are all aimed at achieving this. Equally important is the early commitment to this Main Street Link. Honiton High Street The performance of the High Quality bus route along the street has also been a key factor in the design. The result expresses the dynamic balance required between the various, sometimes apparently competing, desired outcomes. The bus must have a noticeable advantage over the motorcar, but must live broadly in the same space as the car which also contributes to the economic vitality of the commercial aspects of the town centre. Equally both must exist side by side with pedestrian and cycle activity in these public spaces. The detailed design is based upon guidance provided in the new Manual for Streets published in draft by the Department for Transport and the Department for Communities and Local Government. Andrew Cameron is a key contributor to the advice contained in this publication. Scott Wilson and officers from Devon County and Plymouth City Council, with Andrew Cameron representing The Prince s Foundation, formed a High Street Design Group. The physical layout of the street, key junctions and character areas were prepared by Scott Wilson with public space and landscape design input provided by urban designers and landscape architects, Lavigne Lonsdale. The Design Group included safety auditors and urban designers from Devon County Council and South Hams District Council. The final design has been subjected to an independent Stage 1 Road Safety Audit. The report is included with this application. K:\D (D102241) SHERFORD\HIGHWAYS\MAIN STREET\SHERFORD MAIN STREET NARRATIVEFINAL DOC

5 CHARACTER SETTING DRAWING Lavigne Lonsdale Current Road Corridor Sheet 1. Detailed Character Areas Sheet 2. Detailed Area A Eastern Gateway Sheet 3. Detailed Area A Eastern Gateway Sheet 4. Detailed Area B Sherford Bridge Sheet 5. Detailed Area B Sherford Bridge Sheet 6. Detailed Area C The High Street Sheet 7. Detailed Area C The High Street Sheet 8. Detailed Area D Secondary School Sheet 9. Detailed Area D Bat Corridor Sheet 10.

6 c u r r e n t r o a d c o r r i d o r main street design & character setting sheet 1

7 detailed character areas main street design & character setting sheet 2

8 kennington frontages newton abbot bath see detail bath detailed area a: eastern gateway bath main street design & character setting sheet 3

9 a a typical section A - A detailed area a: eastern gateway 2. hennef main street main street design & character setting sheet 4

10 see detail (axo) b b typical section B - B detailed area b: sherford bridge main street design & character setting sheet 5