Manual for Streets 1 Manual for Streets 2

Manual for Streets 1 Manual for Streets 2 RTPI Cymru - Briefing 05 November 2010

Introductions- WSP MfS team Alan Young Senior Technical Director - WSP Project Manger MfS1 and contributor Project Manager and Co - Managing Editor MfS2/contributor Peter Evans Associate Director WSP WSP s MfS trainer MfS2 contributor Delivered MfS training programme to all Welsh authorities during 2010 Contact: peter.evans@wspgroup.com Tel:02920 366 300 Mobile:07824 471 861

What we will be covering today day Ice Breaker What makes a good place An Inspector Calls/recent Inspectors questions Spot the issues Successful streets Manual for Streets 1 The Start of the journey Quality audits Collaborative working Manual for Streets 2 People like to walk in straight lines Manual for Streets Research De-cluttering Questions Start Time Finish 1.45pm 4.00pm

What makes a good place? Character Sustaining or enhancing local character Promoting legible development Promoting a successful relationship between public & private space Promoting quality, choice and variety Promoting innovative design

What makes a good place? Movement Promoting sustainable means of travel Access Ensuring ease of access for all

What makes a good place? Environmental Sustainability Achieving efficient use & protection of natural resources Enhancing biodiversity Designing for change Community Safety Ensuring attractive, safe public spaces Security through natural surveillance

What makes a Sustainable Street? Character encouraging a sustainable community / sustainable transport Legible / Recognisable Connected / Permeable Movement encouraging sustainable modes Encouragement of walking / cycling Public transport Access encouraging access for all Environmental Sustainability working with the environment Biodiversity Solar shading Sustainable Drainage Systems Community Safety encouraging activity / walking / cycling

How can quality enhance sustainability? Ensuring attractive, safe public spaces Reduced maintenance need Reduced lifetime costs Reduce clutter

How can a good place help movement? Encouragement of walking / cycling Surveillance / street lighting Legibility Public transport Facilities / land uses which reduce the need to travel

The first milestone Manual for Streets 1 Launched March 2007

TRL Document 332

TRL Document 662

Some recent issues uncovered The Local Authority Picture in 2010 Approximately 15% of decision makers who have attended WSP training were aware Manual for Streets existed! Approximately 5% of decision makers who attended WSP training were using Manual for Streets! Approximately 1% of decision makers who attended the recent WSP training were aware of the research documents which inform Manual for Streets! Decision makers were still using DB32 and considered this to be acceptable! Planning Inspectors were highlighted as not giving Manual for Streets any weight! Planning Inspectors have highlighted decision makers as not using Manual for Streets! Many Highway Design Guides not updated since March 2007!

An Inspector Call s Some recent appeal decisions

Appeal APP/V4250/A/08/2080757 Hilton Park, Chadwick St, Leigh 99 dwellings, Nov 08 Issues: Access to the Strategic Route Network High Street Visibility could not meet adopted standards Inspector: Despite the high volume of traffic carried by Leigh Road, to my mind the combination of land uses and their relationship with the highway results in this location being a place that is people base, It is therefore my view that it is the guidance within MfS that should be used in this case.

Appeal APP/P4225/A/07/2040756/NWF Coral Mill, Rochdale, 87 dwellings, 5 Sept 07 Issues: A663 joining J21 of M62 1 km NW of site 85 th percentile speeds 25mph and 27mph Vis at access could not meet adopted standards Inspector: I accept the Appellant s approach to research based matter. The classification of Shaw Road has no bearing on a driver s ability to stop if necessary, and I see no reason why in this location a Y distance of the SSD should not be adopted.

Appeal Martins Terrace, Abercynon Erection of 80 dwellings Issues: Whether adequate highway access would be afforded to the site, and whether such arrangements would provide access for refuse and emergency vehicles. Inspector: although MfS does not provide design advice for the access bridge if replacement is required, to default to DMRB is not a sustainable approach, the principles of MfS should be adopted and a bridge sufficient to serve a residential development is required, not a major road bridge design to motorway design standard. A clear understanding of the day to day use needs to be considered, not a default standard, MfS has challenged this out dated approach

Some Recent Inspectors Questions 1. What width is required to allow access for a fire engine? 2. What is a street? 3. What is the BS distance for a refuse vehicle to reverse? 4. What distance does a fire engine need to get within of a dwelling entrance? 5. Does the proposed Traffic Regulation Order condition pass the circular test? 6. What is the difference between a small and larger radius at the proposed junction? 7. What is the value of good design? 8. Have you taken account of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998? How and why? 9. Please take me through how you have considered the user hierarchy in this case? 10.What is the car ownership levels in this locality? You don t know please find out by the end of the day?

11.So what is the difference between MfS and DMRB? 12.Your design standards were approved in 2006 are they up to date? 13.Does the road type affect the SSD s in MfS? 14.Does forward visibility influence speed? 15.Did the appellant provide a scoping note? 16.Have you carried out a swept path analysis? How did you do this? What vehicles did you use? 17.What is the appropriate design standard for the bridge linking the two residential areas? 18.Is highway adoption an issue for this appeal? 19.Has a stage 1 safety audit been carried out? 20.Is this design sustainable? Why?

Don t worry engineers have stop taking the illegal substances!!

Policy Documents: Planning Policy Wales TAN12 (2009) TAN18 (2007) TAN22 Manual for Streets (2007) Manual for Streets 2 (2010) Parking Standards Local Design Standards / Guides DB32 cancelled by MfS March 2007

What issues can you see?

Manual for Streets Aims to increase the quality of life through good urban design and deliver more peopleorientated streets

Successful Streets Where? Upton

Successful Streets New Hall, Harlow

High Street Kensington

The Ashlands, Portishead

The benefits of better urban streets Cabinet Office Urban Transport report (November 2009) Importance of taking into account multiple objectives when developing transport strategies / schemes Not simply congestion reduction Other priorities include: economic regeneration climate change accident reduction reducing air and noise pollution encouraging sustainable and healthy travel

Streets as Places which provide: Movement Access Parking Utilities/Services

Manual for Streets - 1 Guidance for practitioners involved in the planning, design, provision and approval of new streets, and modifications to existing ones. Aims to increase the quality of life through good urban design and deliver more people-orientated streets.

Design Bulletin 32 v Manual for Streets The Legal Position? Manual for Streets replaces Design Bulletin 32 and its companion guide Places, Streets and Movement. Manual for Streets does not set out new policy or introduce new additional burdens Presents guidance on how to do things differently within the existing policy, technical and legal framework. Manual for Streets updates and re-establishes the link between planning professionals, designers and engineers. Based on research.

George Street, Edinburgh Adapting to change

suburban sprawl

We are still building the ingredients of towns but have forgotten how to put them together

Developing quality environments? This is what DB32 has been delivering

Hierarchy of Users Who are we designing for? Have we been wasting money!

Place making has taken a different focus

But are we creating quality environments?

Traditional Neighbourhood

Getting it Right Visual appropriateness Robustness Landscape Density Sustainability Layout

Street Clutter

What does the tree mean to you?

The Quality Audit process: Manual for Streets (sections 3.7.2 and 3.7.3) Quality Audits Series of assessments Carried out by various professionals within particular guidelines By grouping the assessments together, any compromises in the design will be apparent Not a box ticking exercise Integral part of the design and implementation process

Quality Audits An audit of visual quality A review of how the streets will be used by the community A road safety audit, including a risk assessment An access audit A walking audit A cycling audit A non-motorised user audit A community street audit (in existing streets) A Place check audit A travel planning audit An environmental / sustainability audit.

Quality Audits The Quality Audit team may include; Road safety auditor Urban designer Planner Transport Planner/Travel Planner Highways engineer Landscape architect Community representative Police representative

Collaborative Working

Pre-application discussions Who to involve and when? Common complaints: But I wouldn t have agreed to that. Why didn t you mention this before? Agree a vision / objectives at the outset A willingness to engage

Community Engagement Increasing focus upon community empowerment When should I consult the community? There isn t anything to comment on! You have already made your mind up! Be genuine about what you are asking Be clear about what is NOT up for debate Whose community is it anyway? Whose responsibility is it? Be prepared for wider issues to emerge

Design Review Purpose independent review and advice Multi-disciplinary Can be requested by LPA or applicant Material consideration Importance of early engagement

Design Charettes / Workshops Enquiry by Design Multi-disciplinary Ideas galore. Time and cost implication Public Relations / Profile

Delivery Agreements Voluntary agreements Timetable Working arrangements Responsibilities Commitments / Priorities What if circumstances change?

The street is a place and not the bit left over between buildings

Street Hierarchy Neighbourhood Street Formal Crescents Park Enclosure Lanes Green Fringe Lower High Street The Green Route Community Street

Integrating New Development into the Existing Urban Fabric

Typical Widths for Street Hierarchy and Urban Design

Permeability

Manual for Streets 2 Wider Application of the Principles 26/10/2010

So Why the Need for Manual for Streets 2? +

Hilton Park Leigh Site

Scope of MfS Definition of a street: MfS focuses on lightly-trafficked residential streets, but many of its key principles may be applicable to other types of streets. (ref MfS Status and Application)

Manual for Streets 2 - Why? MfS only applicable to residential streets? Concerns over HGVs and buses re braking characteristics Fear of litigation Comfort of familiar stringent standards Lack of confidence in applying MfS principles

Scope of MfS2

Launched September 2010. MfS 2 does not replace the 2007 document but sits along side it.

re-striking the balance

Workshop, February 2010 Some key issues of concern: More guidance on where MfS applies, Use speed limits as a proxy? Emphasise multi-disciplinary approach - Quality Audits Shift burden of proof provide evidence for signs and lines Little mentioned of cyclists Not all highways being considered are streets Too urban

Application of key areas of MfS1 and 2 guidance

Visibility: stopping sight distances (85 th percentile speeds) 60 Speed (mph) 50 40 30 20 10 Road Width = 5m Road Width = 6m Road Width = 7m Road Width = 8m Road Width = 9m Road Width = 10m 0 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 Forward Visibility (m) TRL Research: the site survey data shows that speed increases with road width and visibility for both links and junctions

Relearning Old Lessons Research found a relationship between increased carriageway width and increases in the average speed of traffic, and conversely reductions in radius of curvature of highways and reductions in speed of traffic. Road Design in relation to Traffic Movement and Road Safety R J Smeed, Proceedings of the IME 1954

Changing Context A452 Chester Rd, Birmingham