Gilston Area 1521/162/AO Transport Advice Note v1 30.06.2014 1. INTRODUCTION Alan Baxter & Associates LLP (ABA) have been appointed on behalf of City & Provincial Properties PLC (CPP) to provide initial transport advice for the proposed development of the Gilston Area in east Hertfordshire. The Gilston Area is a greenfield site approximately 315 hectares in size (see Appendix A Initial Site Plan). The site is bordered by the A414 to the south and fields to the north, west and east. The land is included as a Broad Location for Development within the East Hertfordshire District Council (EHDC) Preferred Options consultation document. This initial transport note is prepared in response to Hertfordshire County Council’s (HCC’s) request for transport information associated with the Gilston Area Broad Location for Development identified within EHDC’s emerging District Plan. This note is provided in advance of CPP’s Housing Trajectory and Infrastructure Delivery Plan (HTIDP) which is to be submitted to EHDC by the end of July. 2. INITIAL CONCEPT MASTERPLAN PROPOSALS The proposals in the Initial Concept Masterplan relate to a Sustainable Urban Extension of up to 5000 units across land owned by CPP and People for Places (PfP). This is considered to be the most sustainable urban extension for the Gilston Area and the HTIDP will consider the delivery of this volume of housing and infrastructure across the plan period (2011-2031). Based on CPP’s latest Initial Concept Masterplan and the initial technical work carried out to date, it is considered that the site could accommodate circa 4,600 residential units to be delivered within the District Plan period (to 2031). The landowners are committed to providing a sustainable mix of housing that delivers a balance between the preferred mix identified within EHDC’s most up to date Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) and market needs and demands at the time of a planning application. The Initial Concept Masterplan illustrates supporting transport and social infrastructure and amenity open space provision which may include the following: Education (primary and secondary) Community uses Healthcare Retail Commercial Open space, sports and recreation Further information on supporting land uses and their approximate size/land take will be provided within the HTIDP, which will be submitted on behalf of CPP to EHDC in late July 2014. 3. INITIAL CONSIDERATION OF NEW AND IMPROVED TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTRE The Gilston Area is anticipated to accommodate up to 5000 residential units by 2031. To facilitate access to the developments a summary of potential infrastructure that could be provided is set out below: Eastwick roundabout improvements Improvements to the existing Fifth Avenue Stort Crossing Burnt Mill roundabout capacity upgrade
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Gilston Area 1521/162/AO Transport Advice Note v1 30.06.2014
1. INTRODUCTION
Alan Baxter & Associates LLP (ABA) have been appointed on behalf of City & Provincial Properties PLC (CPP) to provide initial transport advice for the proposed development of the Gilston Area in east Hertfordshire. The Gilston Area is a greenfield site approximately 315 hectares in size (see Appendix A Initial Site Plan). The site is bordered by the A414 to the south and fields to the north, west and east. The land is included as a Broad Location for Development within the East Hertfordshire District Council (EHDC) Preferred Options consultation document. This initial transport note is prepared in response to Hertfordshire County Council’s (HCC’s) request for transport information associated with the Gilston Area Broad Location for Development identified within EHDC’s emerging District Plan. This note is provided in advance of CPP’s Housing Trajectory and Infrastructure Delivery Plan (HTIDP) which is to be submitted to EHDC by the end of July.
2. INITIAL CONCEPT MASTERPLAN PROPOSALS
The proposals in the Initial Concept Masterplan relate to a Sustainable Urban Extension of up to 5000 units across land owned by CPP and People for Places (PfP). This is considered to be the most sustainable urban extension for the Gilston Area and the HTIDP will consider the delivery of this volume of housing and infrastructure across the plan period (2011-2031). Based on CPP’s latest Initial Concept Masterplan and the initial technical work carried out to date, it is considered that the site could accommodate circa 4,600 residential units to be delivered within the District Plan period (to 2031). The landowners are committed to providing a sustainable mix of housing that delivers a balance between the preferred mix identified within EHDC’s most up to date Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) and market needs and demands at the time of a planning application. The Initial Concept Masterplan illustrates supporting transport and social infrastructure and amenity open space provision which may include the following:
Education (primary and secondary)
Community uses
Healthcare
Retail
Commercial
Open space, sports and recreation
Further information on supporting land uses and their approximate size/land take will be provided within the HTIDP, which will be submitted on behalf of CPP to EHDC in late July 2014.
3. INITIAL CONSIDERATION OF NEW AND IMPROVED TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTRE
The Gilston Area is anticipated to accommodate up to 5000 residential units by 2031. To facilitate access to the developments a summary of potential infrastructure that could be provided is set out below:
Eastwick roundabout improvements
Improvements to the existing Fifth Avenue Stort Crossing
Burnt Mill roundabout capacity upgrade
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A414/Church Lane junction improvements
New junction along A414 approximately 1km east of Church Lane
Secondary Stort Crossing (see further details below)
Fifth Avenue Crossing to be adapted for tidal flow system with bus priority post completion of Secondary Stort Crossing
Spine link through the Gilston Area 3.1 Secondary Stort Valley Crossing
A secondary North-South link across the Stort Valley, in addition to the Fifth Avenue Crossing, is considered to be a key piece of infrastructure in promoting the Gilston Area for development. It would not only provide a direct connection to the town from the Gilston Area but would also deliver benefits for Harlow and the wider surrounding areas. The crossing would provide a direct link to Pinnacles employment area from the west, relieving congestion on Eastwick roundabout, Fifth Avenue and Burnt Mill roundabout. The Stort Valley comprises a number of constraints in the form of physical boundaries, environmental sensitivity and high flood risk. Further study towards the design feasibility of a secondary crossing servicing the Gilston Area will be considered over the coming months; however, the initial outline design could give consideration to aforementioned studies and satisfy the following principles:
Sensitive to its location and the environment
Provide direct links to employment areas
Relieve congestion in Harlow Town Centre
Promote sustainable modes of transport
4. INITIAL PHASING AND TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE
It is proposed to bring forward the Gilston Area in a number of broad planning phases. CPP’s Initial Concept Masterplan anticipates the Gilston Area to accommodate circa 4600 residential units by 2031. As the phases of development progress across the two sites, the requirements for infrastructure improvements are triggered at varying land use and unit capacity. Further information on the transport infrastructure triggers and their relationship to housing delivery will be included within the HTIDP and subsequent technical evidence base work to be developed. Table 1 illustrates the anticipated transport infrastructure triggers whilst Appendix B Infrastructure Phasing Plan illustrates the potential stages of phasing and new and improved infrastructure. It should be noted the figures for Residential Units Completed provided in Table 1 are indicative only and subject to change upon further study.
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Table 1: Residential unit completion and anticipated transport infrastructure triggers
Fifth Avenue Stort Valley Crossing capacity improvements Additional junction to A414 from PfP site A414/Church Lane junction improvements Spine link road across Gilston Area
Spine link road through Gilston Area Secondary Stort Valley Crossing Fifth Avenue Stort Valley tidal flow bus priority system in place
5. INITIAL ACCESS STRATEGY
The Initial Site Access Plan and Initial Public Transport Plan in Appendices C and D, respectively, illustrate the following:
Primary access to the Gilston Area is via A414
Church Lane access route and link roads increase permeability of site to adjacent settlements
Local public transport loop dis-incentivises private car travel within Harlow
Bus priority measures increase connectivity to Harlow Rail Station and key areas of employment
6. SCOPE OF FURTHER TECHNICAL WORK
ABA’s supporting transport strategy to CPP’s Housing Trajectory and Infrastructure Delivery Plan (HTIDP), to be submitted to EHDC by the end of July, will be in the form of an Interim Transport Strategy summarising the following:
Initial movement framework, identifying broad multi-modal access strategies
Schedule of key on and offsite highway infrastructure proposals
Strategic highway modelling assessing traffic flows of Gilston Area in consideration with other site-promoters in the area
High-level junction modelling evaluating number, size and form of strategic connections
High-level vehicle trip distribution exercise across the Gilston Area
Initial outline design of Secondary Stort Crossing for costing and viability calculations
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7. SUMMARY
In summary, this initial transport note provides information to HCC outlining potential transport infrastructure options currently under consideration to facilitate development in the Gilston Area. A range of potential new and improved transport infrastructure proposals have been highlighted, including North-South Stort Valley crossings, a spine link road and junction improvements. The Gilston Area is anticipated to be brought forward in broad planning phases of delivery. Each phase, in relation to land use capacity and residential completions, will trigger the requirement for particular transport infrastructure. The proposed transport infrastructure aims to provide greater access to the Gilston Area, relieving congestion, increasing site permeability, and delivering measures to support an increased use of sustainable modes of transport.
Please note, this note is written in advance of further work including the HTIDP and technical work to be developed prior to the EHDC District Plan Pre-Submission Draft, early 2015.
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8. APPENDICES
A INITIAL CONCEPT SITE PLAN B INFRASTRUCTURE PHASING PLAN (Ref. 1521-162-SK01) C INITIAL SITE ACCESS STRATEGY AND (Ref. 1521-162-SK02)
D INITIAL PUBLIC TRANSPORT PROPOSALS (Ref. 1521-162-SK03)
