Moneystone Park (Appeal) APP/B3438/W/16/3144848 Highway Proof of Evidence Laver Leisure (Oakamoor) Limited October 2017 C/O HOW Planning LLP Mott MacDonald Ground floor Royal Liver Building Pier Head Liverpool L3 1JH United Kingdom T +44 (0)151 482 9910 F +44 (0)151 236 2985 mottmac.com C/O HOW Planning LLP 40 Peter Street Manchester Moneystone Park (Appeal) M2 5GP 367654 1 C APP/B3438/W/16/3144848 P:\Liverpool\ITD\Projects\367654 Moneystone\Inquiry November 2017\Proof of Evidence 5.docx Highway Mott MacDonald Proof of Evidence Laver Leisure (Oakamoor) Limited October 2017 Mott MacDonald Limited. Registered in England and Wales no. 1243967. Registered office: Mott MacDonald House, 8-10 Sydenham Road, Croydon CR0 2EE, C/O HOW Planning LLP United Kingdom Mott MacDonald | Moneystone Park (Appeal) APP/B3438/W/16/3144848 Laver Leisure (Oakamoor) Limited Issue and Revision Record Revision Date Originator Checker Approver Description A April 2016 Andrew Caroline Ella Kevin Riley First draft for QC comment Watkin B July 2016 Andrew Caroline Ella Kevin Riley Second draft for QC comment Watkin C October 2017 Andrew Caroline Ella Kevin Riley Final Watkin Document reference: 367654 | 1 | C Information class: Standard This document is issued for the party which commissioned it and for specific purposes connected with the above-captioned project only. It should not be relied upon by any other party or used for any other purpose. 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We have not i ndependentl y verified suc 367654 | 1 | C | October 2017 P:\Liverpool\ITD\Projects\367654 Moneystone\Inquiry November 2017\Proof of Evidence 5.docx Mott MacDonald | Moneystone Park (Appeal) APP/B3438/W/16/3144848 Laver Leisure (Oakamoor) Limited Contents Executive summary 1 A.1 Site Context and History 1 A.2 Accessibility 1 A.3 Local Economy and Tourism 1 A.4 Development Proposals and Mitigation 2 A.5 Policy Context 2 A.6 Traffic Generation and Access 2 A.7 Signage and Routes 3 A.8 Black Plantation Connectivity 3 A.9 Sustainable Travel Modes 3 1 Introduction and Principal Issues 4 1.1 Appointment 4 1.2 Qualifications 4 1.3 Relevant Experience 4 1.4 Proposed Development Overview 5 1.5 History of the scheme from a planning perspective 5 1.6 Issues to be addressed 7 1.7 Structure of this Proof of Evidence 8 1.8 Summary 9 2 Setting the scene 10 2.1 Site Location 10 2.2 Historic use of the site 10 2.3 Accessibility 10 2.4 Local Economy and Tourism 19 3 Development Proposals 23 3.1 Proposed Development 23 3.2 Proposed Mitigation 23 3.3 Opportunities 27 4 Policy context 32 4.1 Overview 32 4.2 National Planning Policy Framework (NPFF) 32 4.3 Staffordshire Moorlands Core Strategy 33 4.4 Churnet Valley Masterplan (2014) 34 4.5 Staffordshire County Council Local Transport Plan (2011) 34 367654 | 1 | C | October 2017 P:\Liverpool\ITD\Projects\367654 Moneystone\Inquiry November 2017\Proof of Evidence 5.docx Mott MacDonald | Moneystone Park (Appeal) APP/B3438/W/16/3144848 Laver Leisure (Oakamoor) Limited 5 Issues 1&2: Traffic Generation and Congestion 35 5.1 Reasons for refusal 35 5.2 Trip Generation and impact 35 5.3 Use of Carr Bank 37 5.4 Summary 38 6 Issue 3: Signage and Routes 39 6.1 Reason for refusal 39 6.2 Alton Towers 39 6.3 Signage and shuttle service 39 6.4 Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP) 40 6.5 Summary 41 7 Issue 4: Black Plantation Connectivity 42 7.1 Reason for refusal 42 7.2 Black Plantation 42 8 Issue 5: Sustainable Modes 44 8.1 Reason for refusal 44 8.2 Policy Context 44 8.3 Travel Plan 44 8.4 Exemplar Travel Plan Benchmarks 46 8.5 Staff Travel 48 8.6 Summary 50 9 Summary 52 9.1 Key Points 52 9.2 Proposed mitigation 52 9.3 Conclusion 53 Appendices 54 MM1 - Indicative Masterplan 55 MM2 – SMDC Decision Notice 56 MM3 – SCC Highways Consultation Response (Original Scheme) 57 MM4 – Royal Haskoning Travel Plan 58 MM5 – SCC Highways Consultation Response (Revised Scheme) 59 367654 | 1 | C | October 2017 P:\Liverpool\ITD\Projects\367654 Moneystone\Inquiry November 2017\Proof of Evidence 5.docx Mott MacDonald | Moneystone Park (Appeal) APP/B3438/W/16/3144848 Laver Leisure (Oakamoor) Limited MM6 – Rebuttal to other TAs 60 MM7 – Proposed footpath connections 61 MM8 – Proposed layout of A52/Whiston Eaves Lane Junction 62 MM9 – Proposed layout of site access junction 63 MM10 – Proposed bridleway route 64 MM11 – Response to Pre-Inquiry Highways Comments 65 MM12 – Width Analysis 66 MM13 – Walk Route Analysis 67 MM14 – Statements of Common Ground 68 Staffordshire County Council 68 367654 | 1 | C | October 2017 P:\Liverpool\ITD\Projects\367654 Moneystone\Inquiry November 2017\Proof of Evidence 5.docx Mott MacDonald | Moneystone Park (Appeal) APP/B3438/W/16/3144848 1 Laver Leisure (Oakamoor) Limited Executive summary A.1 Site Context and History A.1.1 The site is a former quarry, with active quarrying ceasing in September 2011. As noted in 1.2.1 of Royal Haskoning’s revised (2016) Transport Assessment (C.D.98), the active quarry used to generate 130 heavy goods vehicle (HGV) movements per day and 170 car movements, giving a total of 300 daily two-way vehicle movements, or 469 daily two-way passenger car units (PCU’s). A.1.2 When functioning as an active quarry, Moneystone also employed over 70 people locally as well as some 20 employees on long-term contracts. Over half of the workforce lived within 6 miles of the site, with 86% of the employees living within 9 miles. The site also employed a number of contractors in transport roles bringing the total employment on site to around 150. A.1.3 The proposed development is intending to generate similar numbers of weekday trips in the peak summer season (370 daily two-way trips in vehicles) which is numerically comparable to the levels of traffic generated by the quarry site when it was fully active, albeit that weekend movements will be higher and there will be a substantial reduction in the number of HGV movements. Appendix MM11 provides a short note on why I believe the trip generation figures for the proposed development applied in this assessment are robust. A.2 Accessibility A.2.1 The appeal site covers approximately 52 hectares and is located within 1 mile of the villages of Whiston to the north west and Oakamoor to the south east. To the south of the site, the Crewe to Derby Railway provides direct connectivity to both Stoke-on-Trent and Derby with the closest stations on the line being Blythe Bridge and Uttoxeter. A.2.2 Routing to the site is principally via an established route (Eaves Lane) that was previously used by all quarry vehicles, with the road operating satisfactorily for many years and accommodating vehicles of a greater size than will use the proposed site when operational. A.2.3 The area is well suited to walking and cycling and has a number of core routes and connections. This will be of benefit to visitors staying in the lodges, and both daily visitors and employees at the site. A.3 Local Economy and Tourism A.3.1 The proposed development is looking to provide a different offer to tourists in the area to the existing hotels and B&Bs (and is therefore not in direct competition), it is well placed to support sustainable trips by walking, cycling or shuttle service to Alton Towers, meaning visitors from the site will have a low impact upon the local road network in comparison to visitors from other accommodation sites. A.3.2 The Moneystone Park development will very much help to strengthen the sense of local community both in terms of providing employment and communal/leisure facilities to local residents, delivering economic and social benefits to the area. By reducing the distance that local residents must travel to access employment and leisure opportunities, the development will also bring notable transport and sustainability benefits to the area. 367654 | 1 | C | October 2017 P:\Liverpool\ITD\Projects\367654 Moneystone\Inquiry November 2017\Proof of Evidence 5.docx Mott MacDonald | Moneystone Park (Appeal) APP/B3438/W/16/3144848 2 Laver Leisure (Oakamoor) Limited A.4 Development Proposals and Mitigation A.4.1 The site will provide 418 parking spaces across the site, with 67 of these for staff, as well as one space per lodge, although vehicles would only be able to park here to unload/load with vehicles being moved to a secure car park within the 418 allowance.