Transport Statement PROPOSED A1 FOODSTORE ENTIRELY
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Transport Statement PROPOSED A1 FOODSTORE ENTIRELY REPLACING EXISTING A1 NON FOOD UNIT Havens Head Retail Park, Milford Haven June 2016 London Metric PLC REPORT CONTROL Document: Transport Statement Project: Proposed Change of Use. Client: London Metric Job Number: T387 File Origin: T:\Projects\London Metric\T387 – Milford Haven\Reports DOCUMENT CHECKING Primary Author: James Athersmith Checked: Chris Smith Authorised: CS Issue Date Status Checked for Issue 1 31.05.16 First Draft CS 2 13.06.16 Final CS CONTENTS Page 1. INTRODUCTION 3 2. EXISTING SITUATION 4 3. ACCIDENT ANALYSIS 7 4. PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT 11 5. TRANSPORT PLANNING POLICY 10 6. TRIP GENERATION AND EFFECT 11 7. CONCLUSION 24 Appendices Appendix A – TRICS Data Drawings Location Plan Distance Isochrones Txxx – Milford Haven/Reports/Transport Statement 2 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 This Transport Statement (TS) has been prepared by Exigo Project Solutions (EPS) to accompany an application for a change of use from A1 (Non Food) to A1 (unrestricted) at Unit A2, Havens Head Retail Park, Milford Haven. 1.2 The purpose of this report is to provide an indication of the impact the development will have on the local transport network. 1.3 Havens Head Retail Park offers the following retailers at present: Tesco; Boots; Peacocks; Card Factory; 99p Stores; Pound Stretcher and; Home Bargains. 1.4 It is proposed to derestrict the A1 planning consent at unit A2 (908sqm GFA) with an Iceland Food Store. The nearest Iceland food store is located in Haverfordwest circa 9 miles north of the site. Iceland are considered as a deep discount store and as such would complement the existing Tesco Supermarket, which stocks a high proportion of convenience and comparison goods. 1.5 The highway effect of changing Use Class A1 (restricted to non-food) land use to Class A1 (unrestricted) is investigated as a part of the TS. 1.6 This TS has been produced in line with Local and National Guidance. 1.7 The TS provides a background to the existing highway situation in the area and that connected to the existing site use. The proposed development is then discussed and the impact on the network is demonstrated. Txxx – Milford Haven/Reports/Transport Statement 3 2. EXISTING SITUATION 2.1 Havens Head Retail Park fronts Victoria Road 4-arm roundabout (A4076), located in the centre of Milford Haven. Victoria Road (A4076) is a major route through Milford Haven, linking the site with surrounding areas such as Hubberston, Stynton and Thornton. 2.2 The existing retail park acts a major retail destination in Milford Haven, containing both food and non-food retail stores. The food retail offering allows visitors to the retail park to perform a food shop; however, it is robust to assert that the Tesco Food Store is a destination in its own right. 2.3 The nearest food store to the site is a LIDL store located off Great North Road (A4076) approximately 1.5km east via the A4076. Milford Haven at present is served by single Tesco and LIDL food stores, and therefore presents a limited food retail choice for local residents. The nature of the retail offering from a LIDL store dictates some customers would be required to seek additional comparison goods to facilitate a ‘full’ weekly shop. It is highly likely some customers of the LIDL food store would travel to Havens Head retail park to purchase additional comparison goods or vice versa to complete their weekly grocery shop. Providing a complimentary discount food store within a comfortable walking distance of an existing Tesco Food Store will encourage sustainable trip linkage. 2.4 Additional food retail stores can be found in Haverfordwest, Neyland and Pembroke. The nearest ‘Iceland Stores’ is found in Haverfordwest approximately 9 miles north of the site. 2.5 The retail park benefits from a large well established catchment area; attracting customers from neighbouring Hubberston, Stynton and Thorton as well as Milford Haven. 2.6 The current occupiers of Havens Head Retail Park are detailed below: Tesco Food Store 3518 sqm GFA; Boots Store 289 sqm GFA; Peacocks Store 570 sqm GFA; Card Factory Store 344 sqm GFA; 99p Store (Proposed Iceland) 741 sqm GFA; Poundstretcher Store 908 sqm GFA; Home Bargains Store 1393 sqm GFA Site Access 2.7 The site fronts Victoria Road roundabout (A4076) which contains levelled footways. Victoria Road roundabout connects St Lawrence Road and Hamilton terrace. Txxx – Milford Haven/Reports/Transport Statement 4 Accessibility via Non-Car Modes 2.8 The Institute for Highways and Transport provides guidance on ‘acceptable’ walking distances by destination it its publication: ‘Providing for Journeys on Foot’ (2000). Although, there is nothing specifically prescribed for an acceptable walking distance to a ‘grocery shop’; out of the three destinations the trip purpose of ‘shopping’ would be most analogous to that of ‘commuting’. If a person is more predisposed to walking a ‘preferred maximum’ distance of 2km (i.e. to a place of employment), the same distance to a supermarket would not be deemed as an unacceptable distance, if they already access or intend to access a supermarket on foot; the following assertion is robust, as the act of commuting and performing a grocery shop is deemed inelastic. ‘Town Centres’ ‘Commuting’ ‘Elsewhere’ ‘Acceptable’ 400m 1000m 800m ‘Preferred 800m 2000m 1200m Maximum’ Table 2.2 – “Suggested Acceptable Walking Distance” (IHT, 2000) Modal Split 2.9 Table 2.3 denotes the modal split of Pembrokeshire 012 (Milford Haven) compared to Pembrokeshire Local Authority via travel to work statistics detailed in the 2011 census published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Walk Cycle Car Motorcycle Public Other Transport Pembrokeshire 11.0% 0.8% 79.1% 0.7% 6.6% 1.9% 012 MSOA Pembrokeshire 13.1% 1.0% 79.8% 0.7% 3.8% 1.5% Local Authority Table 2.3 – Pembrokeshire 012 MSOA & LA, Travel to Work 2011 Census 2.10 Table 2.3 denotes how 18.4% of people in Milford Haven (Pembrokeshire 012) travel by sustainable modes of transport to work, higher than local authority wide averages (17.9%). Pedestrians 2.11 The site fronts Victoria Road roundabout (A4076) which provides level footways. Victoria Road roundabout connects St Lawrence Road and Hamilton terrace. 2.12 Pedestrian access is provided by a footway on the site arm of the A4076 and a footways flanking Point Street leading into the site. The latter access point Txxx – Milford Haven/Reports/Transport Statement 5 off Point Street follows pedestrian desire lines and is facilitated by zebra crossings on Point Street and within the site to safely navigate the car park. 2.13 The footway leading into the site from the A4076 roundabout is approximately 1.8 metres in width and is well lit. A zebra crossing is available across the vehicular access road to allow safe passage towards respective store entrances through the car park. 2.14 Pedestrian islands are also located on the exits of the Victoria Road / St Lawrence Hill (A4076) roundabout, to ensure safe passage for pedestrians accessing, leaving or passing the site. 2.15 Footways flank both sides of the A4076 heading east and westbound of the site, exhibiting minimum widths of approximately 1.8m. The footway flanking the non-site side of St Lawrence Hill (A4076) exhibits a minimum width of 3.5 metres. A pedestrian crossing points are found along St Lawrence Hill (A4076), the nearest being a signal controlled pedestrian crossing point, allowing safe passage to residential areas to the west. Victoria road (A4076) provides access to the High Street and Nelson Quay. 2.16 A 2km ‘preferred maximum’ walking distance would include residential areas to the west and east, and the southern fringe of northern residential areas. 2.17 1km and 2km walk-in catchments are shown at Appendix B. 2.18 Overall, the site is considered to be highly accessible on foot, and the footway network and existing pedestrian crossings are considered to be suitable to serve the development proposals. Cycling 2.1 There are no on-street cycle facilities which lead into the existing site. However, a reduced speed limit is implemented, meaning on road cycling is safe to do so. 2.2 The nearest cycle infrastructure is found on Point Street, where a local cycle route in Milford Haven originates. A large stretch of the local cycle route utilises a cycle path found running parallel with railway line between Point Street and Cromwell Road. The local cycle route extends from the site to Neyland in the east, passing through the settlements of Thornton and Steynton, connecting to the National Cycle Route 4. The National Cycle Route 4 links the site to Haverfordwest and Pembroke to the north and south respectively. 2.3 A shared footway is present on a large stretch of the non-site side of St Lawrence Hill. Cyclists can access the site via the signalised pedestrian crossing on St Lawrence Hill (A4076), by dismounting and walking their cycle along footpaths into the site, utilising a zebra crossing on Point Street. 2.4 A 5km cycle catchment would include Steynton and Thorton to the north. 2.5 A plan showing the 5km catchment as well as 5km walking catchments is included within Appendix C. Txxx – Milford Haven/Reports/Transport Statement 6 Public Transport 2.6 Existing bus stops are found within the development site, adjacent to the Tesco Supermarket. Buses enter the site via a ‘Bus Only’ access on Point Street. 2.7 The bus stop is complete with shelter, timetable and flag. Pedestrian access to the bus stop is facilitated by zebra crossings within the site. 2.8 The table below