TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT May 2021
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TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT May 2021 Document No: WHHT-BDP-WGH-XX-RP-T-00105 Revision: C01 Date: 17th May 2021 Watford General Hospital Redevelopment Outline Planning Application TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT 20175-04 Revision C Prepared by Odyssey on behalf of West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust May 2021 Watford General Hospital Redevelopment OPA Transport Assessment Version Date Name Reviewed by Description of changes Sign off Draft April 2021 Emily Scott-Holt Mark Bubb Draft report for Simon Blinkhorne review by BDP A April 2021 Emily Scott-Holt Mark Bubb Report for review by Simon Blinkhorne BDP/ WHHT B April 2021 Emily Scott-Holt Mark Bubb Revised following Simon Blinkhorne Trust comments C May 2021 Emily Scott-Holt Mark Bubb For Submission Simon Blinkhorne -1- Watford General Hospital Redevelopment OPA Transport Assessment Contents 1 Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................... 3 2 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 4 3 Policy Context .................................................................................................................................. 8 4 Existing Conditions ........................................................................................................................ 14 5 Sustainable Travel and Accessibility .............................................................................................. 17 6 Background Traffic Conditions ...................................................................................................... 23 7 Proposed Development ................................................................................................................ 28 8 Sustainable Transport Strategy ..................................................................................................... 38 9 Trip Generation and Impact .......................................................................................................... 41 10 Junction Capacity Assessments ..................................................................................................... 45 11 Summary and Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 50 -2- Watford General Hospital Redevelopment OPA Transport Assessment 1 Executive Summary 1.1 This Transport Assessment (TA) provides an assessment of the transport and highways impacts of the redevelopment of Watford General Hospital (WGH) in support of an Outline Planning Application (OPA). This TA has been prepared by Odyssey on behalf of West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust (‘the Trust’). 1.2 This TA examines the transport and highways policy context applicable to the site, together with a review of the existing accessibility of the current hospital to public and sustainable modes of transport. The TA goes onto to review the development proposals, specifically examining the proposed access arrangements to the site and parking provision. The development site’s potential impact on the highway network is also assessed, together with the sustainable transport initiatives that would be implemented/ secured. 1.3 The site is considered to have good access to public and sustainable modes of transport at present, however, the site does currently experience some conflict between vehicles and pedestrians. Additionally, due to the site’s topography and existing layout of buildings, there are difficulties for patients and visitors with restricted mobility. 1.4 Accordingly, it is proposed to improve the user experience through the provision of a high- quality public realm; helping to promote a shift in travel behaviour of staff, patients and visitors away from private car use. 1.5 It is, however, noted that owing to the very nature of the hospital, there is a requirement to facilitate suitable vehicular access, and provide access to an appropriate provision of parking for all user groups including patients and visitors with restricted mobility either due to age or medical condition. 1.6 As part of the development proposals the primary vehicular access to the site would be served from Thomas Sawyer Way, providing access to the majority of the hospital’s car parking, via the consented Multi-storey Car Park (MSCP), the Pick-up and Drop-Off (PUDO) areas and to the hospital’s FM Yard. Blue Light emergency access to the patient transfer area would be retained from Thomas Sawyer Way and Willow Lane. Secondary access for staff parking is to be retained from Vicarage Road and Willow Lane in the short-medium term. 1.7 In terms of car parking to be provided on-site, whilst the clinical floorspace of the hospital is increasing, the proposed level of parking would be kept at a similar level to the existing provision. As part of the development proposal the parking provision would be rationalised, with parking spaces being allocated for staff, patients and visitors; thereby allowing for a more effective use of parking as well as helping to promote alternative modes of transport. In addition, the new hospital proposes to implement new ways of working (remote working and video consultations etc.), which would reduce the need for staff, patients and visitors to travel to the hospital, thereby reducing the potential parking demand. -3- Watford General Hospital Redevelopment OPA Transport Assessment 1.8 The new access arrangements to the hospital would result in the hospital no-longer being permeable to traffic between Thomas Sawyer Way and Vicarage Road, as well as the main vehicular access to the hospital changing from Vicarage Road to Thomas Sawyer Way; thereby resulting in a slight re-distribution of traffic on the local highway. This re- distribution of traffic has been assessed as part of this TA, which demonstrates that the proposed hospital would not result in material increase in traffic on local junctions, and in fact the new access arrangements would have the potential for the hospital to lessen its impacts on local junctions within Watford town centre, (such as The Hornets Gyratory). 1.9 The proposal for the new hospital is therefore considered to be acceptable from a highways perspective, owing to its suitable access arrangements, compliance with planning policy (with particular emphasis on promoting active and sustainable modes of travel) and minimal impact on the local highway network. 2 Introduction 2.1 This Transport Assessment (TA) has been prepared in support of an Outline Planning Application (OPA) for the redevelopment of Watford General Hospital (WGH). The TA has been prepared by Odyssey on behalf of West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust (‘the Trust’). The applicant and proposed development 2.2 West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust manages hospitals in Watford, Hemel Hempstead and St Albans and provides services to a population of approximately 500,000 people living in Hertfordshire and north London. 2.3 All three hospitals are in need of investment and the Trust has been named as one of eight in the national New Hospital Programme, which will provide funding to redevelop its buildings and facilities across the three sites, with a new hospital building in Watford and refurbishment and partial redevelopment at the hospitals in Hemel Hempstead and St Albans. 2.4 The current application is seeking outline planning permission for the proposed redevelopment of WGH (‘the Proposed Development’), which sees the reconfiguration and consolidation of existing hospital services into an area at the south of the current WGH site, with the following formal description of development: “Outline application with all matters reserved for: Demolition of hospital buildings and construction of an Emergency Care hospital (Use Class C2), with up to 1,000 beds and up to 120,000m2 floorspace, an energy centre, and ancillary retail units, including associated access and landscape improvements.” -4- Watford General Hospital Redevelopment OPA Transport Assessment 2.5 Further description of the Proposed Development is provided in the accompanying Design and Access Statement and Planning Statement. 2.6 The site’s location is presented in Figure 1, whilst Appendix A presents the site boundary of the application site. 2.7 The site lies within the administrative boundary of Watford Borough Council (WBC), who are the Local Planning Authority, and Hertfordshire County Council (HCC), who are the Local Highway Authority. Planning Context 2.8 Previous applications have been submitted for the proposed extension and renovation of WGH. The latest application was approved in 2015, granting outline planning approval for the extension of the hospital to provide an additional circa. 40,000 sqm of new Hospital / Healthcare accommodation. This was secured as part of the wider hybrid planning application for the Watford Health Campus (planning reference 14/00511/OUTM). 2.9 Given the extenuating circumstances at the time of preparing this report, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated impacts on the NHS and travel behaviour, the survey data and analysis previously undertaken for the 2015 application at WGH, as discussed above, has been utilised as appropriate, within this report. The Existing Watford General Hospital 2.10 The existing WGH covers an area of approximately 7.5 hectares and comprises of 62,000 sqm (GIA) of clinical and non-clinical floor space spread across 18 buildings. 2.11 The existing hospital