Haughley New Street to Stowmarket Improvement
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Haughley New Street to Stowmarket Improvement A14 Non-Motorised User Audit Report Audit at Detailed Design Stage December 2007 Non-Motorised User Audit Report Audit at Detailed Design Stage December 2007 Produced for Highways Agency Prepared by Mouchel Knights House 2 Parade Sutton Coldfield West Midlands B72 1PH T 0121 355 8949 F 0121 355 8901 E @mouchel.com Document Control Sheet Project Title A14 Haughley New Street to Stowmarket Improvement Report Title Non-Motorised User Audit Report Revision C Status Issue Control Date 10 December 2007 Record of Issue Issue Status Author Date Check Date Authorised Date A Draft Keith Lewis 09/07 O Garland 09/07 O Garland 09/07 B Draft Keith Lewis 09/07 O Garland 09/07 O Garland 09/07 C Draft Keith Lewis 11/07 O Garland 11/07 O Garland 11/07 C Issue Keith Lewis 12/07 O Garland 12/07 O Garland 12/07 Distribution Organisation Contact Copies Highways Agency Roger Hawkins 1 (Draft A&B) 1 (Draft C & Michael Povey Issue C) 718009 OR 16 NMU Audit Issue Rev C2.doc i © Mouchel 2007 Contents Document Control Sheet............................................................................................. i Contents...................................................................................................................... ii Tables ......................................................................................................................... iv Foreword ..................................................................................................................... 1 1. Introduction........................................................................................................ 2 1.1 Overview ............................................................................................................. 2 1.2 Scope of the NMU Audit ...................................................................................... 2 2 Objectives and Design Features....................................................................... 6 3 Public Inquiry................................................................................................... 10 3.1 Introduction........................................................................................................ 10 3.2 Objections ......................................................................................................... 10 3.2.1 Public Footpath 37 10 3.2.2 NMU Facilities at Tot Hill junction 11 3.2.3 Other NMU Crossings of the trunk road 11 3.2.4 NMU Crossings along De-trunked A14 and side roads 11 3.2.5 Alternative NMU routes 12 3.2.6 Shepherds Lane 12 3.3 Inspector’s Recommendations........................................................................... 12 3.3.1 Public Footpath 37 12 3.3.2 NMU Facilities at Tot Hill Junction 13 3.3.3 Other NMU Crossings of the trunk road 13 3.3.4 NMU Crossings along detrunked A14 and side roads 14 718009 OR 16 NMU Audit Issue Rev C2.doc ii © Mouchel 2007 3.3.5 Alternative NMU routes 14 3.3.6 Shepherds Lane 15 4 Items raised in this Audit ................................................................................ 16 4.1 Potential Misuse Of Proposed NMU Facilities.................................................... 16 4.2 Design Of The New NMU Route........................................................................ 17 4.3 Design Of The NMU Crossings At Quarries Cross And Fishponds Way ............ 18 4.4 NMU Facilities At Tot Hill Junction..................................................................... 19 4.5 Footpath 2 ......................................................................................................... 20 4.6 Shepherds Lane ................................................................................................ 20 5 Audit Team Statement..................................................................................... 22 Appendix A Drawings.............................................................................................. 23 718009 OR 16 NMU Audit Issue Rev C2.doc iii © Mouchel 2007 Tables 1. Estimated two-way traffic flow AADT – 2009 and 2024 3 2. Consultations with interested parties / user groups 4 3. Objectives and design features 6 718009 OR 16 NMU Audit Issue Rev C2.doc iv © Mouchel 2007 718009 OR 16 NMU Audit Issue Rev C2.doc v © Mouchel 2007 Non-Motorised User (NMU) Audit Report Foreword This Non-Motorised User (NMU) Audit Report has been prepared for the Highways Agency (HA) at the Detailed Design Stage of the A14 Haughley New Street to Stowmarket Improvement scheme. It may not be used or relied on by any other person or by the client in relation to any other matters not covered specifically by the scope of this report. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the report, Mouchel Parkman Services Limited (MPL) is obliged to exercise reasonable skill, care and diligence in the performance of the services required by the HA, and MPL shall not be liable except to the extent that it has failed to exercise reasonable skill, care and diligence, and this report shall be read and construed accordingly. This report has been prepared by MPL. No individual is personally liable in connection with the preparation of this report. By receiving this report and acting on it, the client or any other person accepts that no individual is personally liable whether in contract, tort, for breach of statutory duty or otherwise. 718009 OR 16 NMU Audit Issue Rev C2.doc 1 © Mouchel 2007 Non-Motorised User (NMU) Audit Report 1. Introduction 1.1 Overview This report results from a Detailed Design Stage Non-Motorised User (NMU) Audit carried out on the A14 Haughley New Street to Stowmarket Improvement scheme. The Audit was carried out by the Design Team in August 2007 in accordance with HD 42/05 “Non-Motorised User Audits” (DMRB 5.2.5). An NMU Context report was prepared in accordance with HD 42/05 by the Design Team at the Preliminary Design Stage. It included changes up to the publication of Draft Orders in March 2006. The NMU Context Report was updated and a draft reissued at the Detailed Design Stage in August 2007. The Design Team comprised of: • Oliver Garland (Design Team Leader) C.Eng, MICE • Keith Lewis (NMU Audit Leader) I.Eng. AMICE • Paul Corbett (Senior Technician) HNC Civil Engineering 1.2 Scope of the NMU Audit The audit consisted of: i. An examination of the ‘NMU Context’ report that was prepared at Preliminary Design Stage. The report was considered to be still valid, although the following material changes that have taken place since the publication of Draft Orders in March 2006 and are included in the updated report. • Public Inquiry held in November 2006 and Secretaries of State’s decision to proceed with the scheme announced in April 2007. • Updated traffic flow forecasts based on the Most Likely Flows from the Mouchel Parkman traffic model (July 2006). Refer to Table 1 below. 718009 OR 16 NMU Audit Issue Rev C2.doc 2 © Mouchel 2007 Non-Motorised User (NMU) Audit Report Section of road Estimated two-way Estimated two-way flow AADT (2009) flow AADT (2024) De-trunked A14 – Haughley New Street to 887 1,240 Quarries Cross De-trunked A14 – Quarries Cross to 1484 1,952 Fishponds Way De-trunked A14 - Tot Hill Junction to 9,543 11,505 Stowmarket Proposed A14 – Haughley Bushes 40,466 51,813 Accommodation Bridge to Tot Hill Junction Proposed A14 – Tot Hill Junction to eastern 42,853 55,159 limit of the Scheme Table 1. Estimated two-way traffic flow AADT – 2009 and 2024 • The undertaking of Public Footpath Usage Surveys at strategic locations on the public footpath network on 2nd July and 10th September 2006. The locations for the survey stations (shown on drawing 718009/SI/032 A appendix A) were selected on those public footpaths whose usage could be influenced by the proposed improvement. Each survey recorded the number and approximate age range of people using the footpath network. The condition of the footpaths was also documented. The results of the surveys have been presented in the Public Footpath Survey Usage Reports ref: 717647/OR/38 and 717647/OR/48. • Closure of Haughley Bushes picnic site by Suffolk County Council in September 2006 as a result of anti-social behaviour taking place at the site. This closure is a temporary measure whilst Suffolk County Council reviews how access to the site should be managed. • Approval of the proposed Stowmarket Relief Road B1115. Following the Public Inquiry, the Inspector recommended the scheme should proceed, and a decision letter was issued 13/07/06. Construction is expected to start at the beginning of 2008. It is currently expected to be open to traffic in 2009. 718009 OR 16 NMU Audit Issue Rev C2.doc 3 © Mouchel 2007 Non-Motorised User (NMU) Audit Report ii. A continuous assessment of the proposed scheme design against the needs of Non- Motorised Users. iii. Further consultations with the interested parties / user groups shown in Table 2 below. Acting Central Area Highway Manager (Mike Young ) Suffolk County Council (SCC) Assistant Area Highways Manager (Bob Daniels) Countryside Access Leader (Andrew Woodin) Countryside Access Officer (Claire Prime) Cycling Officer (Lucy Williams) Gipping Valley Countryside Officer and Haughley Picnic Site (Nick Dickson) Maintenance Manager (Mike Atkins) Road Safety Engineer (Brian Lomax) Senior Development Control Officer (Bob Leonard) Senior Legal Executive (Shane Hines) Street Lighting Engineer (Phil Scragg) Transport Planner (Alastair Southgate) Transport Policy Officer (Lewis Boudville) Waste Operations Manager (Adam