SERVICES
SITE OPTIMISATION
Via has extensive experience of supporting clients in improving and optimising the efficiency and safety of existing highways infrastructure and proposed development access points. This may include preliminary and detailed designs of new or improved access points. This could also include review of HGV servicing for industrial or warehousing operations, review of car park layouts, vehicular and pedestrian accessibility and circulation. Such issues may be particularly pertinent on sites that are being extended and the new build elements encroach into servicing or car parking provision.
TRANSPORT PLANNING
Transport Statements (TS) and Transport Assessments (TA)
These are the most frequent reports needed to accompany planning applications for new developments or a change of use. They identify and assess the suitability of the highway network for the proposal and evaluate the potential transport and highway impacts of the development; these reports may be supported by traffic surveys or traffic modelling as required. If appropriate, recommendations will be made for any mitigation measures that are considered necessary to facilitate the development. As part of a TS or TA, Via will also work with the architect to provide advice on access internal layout, parking provision and servicing.
Feasibility and Master Planning
Often technical site constraints arise due to inadequate consideration of them at the early stages of a project. The need to identify and deliver a safe and commercially viable access is critical and often informs the very early stages of a master plan. Via can assist in reviewing access options and identifying potential challenges to clients from the outset. We can also advise on master plan considerations in relation to parking provision, internal road networks, servicing, pedestrian and cycle provision, all of which can impact on developable area and therefore viability.
Public Consultations
Often highways is an emotive issue for local residents in consideration of new developments; Via has extensive experience of providing technical support to, and participating in, public consultation events.
Junction Capacity Modelling
Via’s expertise in developing safe and practical junction design solutions is supported and informed by sound and practicable analysis of the capacity modelling of the proposals. This results in cost effective junction designs which are acceptable to the overseeing authorities. The following junction capacity modelling software are regularly used in this process:
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Priority junction module (PICADY) within Junctions 9
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Roundabout junction module (ARCADY) within Junctions 9
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LINSIG v3 for signalised junctions and networks
Travel Plan
A Travel Plan is a tool for promoting and encouraging safe, healthy and sustainable travel and to reduce the number of journeys made by private car; it is a key tool in the promotion of sustainable development. A Travel Plan is often a requirement at planning stage that gets developed further as the project progresses. Via has delivered a range of Travel Plans across many different land uses from schools and colleges to food manufacturing and warehouse distribution sites.
Travel Plan Co-ordinator Role
A successful Travel Plan needs to be implemented and monitored over time and this is normally undertaken by the Travel Plan Co-ordinator. Via can undertake this role on behalf of clients.
HIGHWAY DESIGN
Via has a range of expertise in this area and a good understanding of the local and national standards for design work together with other technical areas that may have an impact, such as drainage, ground conditions or trees. We will work with the client to identify a technically robust, safe and commercial design. We can provide sufficient detail to either secure planning or for contract tendering purposes depending on the requirements. This includes the Section 38 and 278 processes.
We can undertake vehicular swept paths using the AUTODESK vehicle tracking software. We can also build bespoke vehicles and components into AUTODESK to assess unusual loads such as wind turbine blades to assist in both the planning and detailed design stages.
ROAD SAFETY AUDIT
Road Safety Audits (RSA) are generally required where there are proposed changes to a public highway, often required as a result of mitigation proposals put forward within a Transport Assessment. Furthermore, Local Planning and Highway Authorities also require the submission of a Road Safety Audit as part of the adoption process of a new public highway.
RSA’s are split into 4 stages, Stage 1 will audit an initial design which is often required as part of a planning application submission, Stage 2 is carried out after completion of the detailed design of the works before a start on site whilst Stage 3 is undertaken on completion of the highway works. A Stage 4 Audit is sometimes required by Highway Authorities where the safety performance of the improvements 12 or 36 months post completion needs to be monitored / investigated.
RSA’s can only be undertaken by a specialist team with an appropriate level of experience. Both Eric and Chris have extensive experience of carrying out all stages of RSA’s for a wide range of schemes and are approved by numerous local authorities across the UK to carry out RSA's.
EXPERT WITNESS
Should planning permission be refused by the local authority, the applicant can appeal the decision to the Secretary of State. This appeal can take on many forms depending on the complexity of the issue(s) arising and may culminate in public enquiries that require technical experts to prepare and present evidence at the hearing. We hope that clients don’t find themselves in this position, but we can support in the following areas if they do!
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Support on Statement of Case
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Preparation of Proof of Evidence, Statement or Written Representations
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Preparation and agreement of Statement of Common Ground
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Preparation of Rebuttal Evidence
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Attendance at and presentation of evidence to hearings / public inquiries as professional witness
IMPLEMENTATION
Construction Management
Via can prepare Construction Management Plans for facilitating development, such plans are often made a condition of planning consent. They may include measures for identification of suitable routing of vehicles to site, abnormal load assessments for construction vehicles and temporary road closures/diversions during construction. The construction plan may also need to consider/tie into a Construction Environmental Management Plan that may be a requirement on environmentally sensitive sites.
Stopping up Orders
The term 'stopping up' means that once such an order is made, the highway land will cease to be a highway, road or footpath. Stopping up orders are often made because the public highway is no longer necessary or to allow development to take place. Via can support you in preparing stopping up orders and can take the headache of this process off you by managing the full process for you from application to implementation.
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