Swansea Council 71/72 THE KINGSWAY Travel Plan
02 NOVEMBER 2019 CONFIDENTIAL
Swansea Council
71/72 THE KINGSWAY Travel Plan
TYPE OF DOCUMENT (VERSION) CONFIDENTIAL
PROJECT NO. 70039389 OUR REF. NO. 02
DATE: NOVEMBER 2019
WSP 1 Capital Quarter Tyndall Street Cardiff CF10 4BZ Phone: +44 2920 769 200
WSP.com
CONFIDENTIAL
QUALITY CONTROL
Issue/revision First issue Revision 1 Revision 2 Revision 3
Remarks Draft Issue Final Issue
Date September 2019 November 2019
Prepared by Rhian Sheady Rhian Sheady
Signature
Checked by Lindsay McCauley Lindsay McCauley
Signature
Authorised by Peter Evans Peter Evans
Signature
Project number
Report number
File reference
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council
CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 OVERVIEW 1 1.2 WHAT IS A TRAVEL PLAN? 1 1.3 REPORT STRUCTURE 1
2 PLANNING POLICY REVIEW 3
2.1 OVERVIEW 3 2.2 NATIONAL, REGIONAL, AND LOCAL POLICY 3 2.3 BREEAM 3
3 BASELINE CONDITIONS 5
3.1 OVERVIEW 5 3.2 SITE LOCATION 5 3.3 LOCAL HIGHWAY NETWORK 6 3.4 WIDER PLANS FOR THE KINGSWAY/ORCHARD STREET 12 3.5 PARKING AVAILABILITY 15 3.6 PUBLIC TRANSPORT ACCESSIBILITY 16 3.7 WALKING AND CYCLING ACCESSIBILITY 25 3.8 LOCAL AMENITIES 34 3.9 SAFETY REVIEW 35
4 DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS 38
4.1 OVERVIEW 38 4.2 SUMMARY OF PROPOSALS 38 4.3 SITE LAYOUT 39
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council
4.4 SERVICING AND REFUSE ACCESS 40 4.5 PARKING PROVISION 40 4.6 CYCLIST FACILITIES 41 4.7 ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES 44
5 OBJECTIVES AND TARGETS 46
5.1 OVERVIEW 46 5.2 OBJECTIVES 46 5.3 TRAVEL MODE TARGETS 46
6 TRAVEL PLAN MEASURES 48
6.1 OVERVIEW 48 6.2 WORKPLACE TRAVEL PLANS 48 6.3 TRAVEL PLAN COORDINATOR ROLE 49 6.4 MANAGEMENT OF DELIVERIES AND SERVICING VEHICLES 49 6.5 PROMOTION AND TRAVEL INFORMATION 50 6.6 CYCLIST FACILITIES 50 6.7 CYCLE CLINICS/TRAINING 51 6.8 PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES 51 6.9 FACILITIES FOR MOBILITY IMPAIRED PERSONS 52
7 IMPLEMENTATION MONITORING AND REVIEW 53
7.1 OVERVIEW 53 7.2 MONITORING 53 7.3 REVIEW 54
TABLES
Table 3-1 - Summary of Nearby Car Parks 15 Table 3-2 - Number of Bus Services Serving the Proposed Site 18 Table 3-3 - Number of Bus Services from Selected Locations 19
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council
Table 3-4 – Rail Service Provision 22 Table 3-5 - Integrated Network Map Routes in Proximity of Swansea City Centre. 31 Table 3-6 - Amenities in Proximity to the Proposed Site 35 Table 4-1 – Approximate Breakdown of Building Spaces 39 Table 4-2 – Swansea Cycle Parking Standard Requirements 43 Table 4-3 - BREEAM Requirements for the Number of Cycle Spaces 44 Table 4-4 – Provision of Local Disabled Bays 45 Table 5-1 – Interim Percentage Mode Share Targets 47 Table 6-1 – Provision of Local Disabled Bays 52
FIGURES
Figure 3-1 - Site Location 6 Figure 3-2 – Existing Regeneration Work on The Kingsway 7 Figure 3-3 - Christina Street 8 Figure 3-4 - Local Highway Network 9 Figure 3-5 – Contractors Compound 9 Figure 3-6 - Accountants Fronting onto Picton Lane 10 Figure 3-7 - Oxford Street 12 Figure 3-8 - Wider Plans for The Kingsway/Orchard Street 14 Figure 3-9 - Location of Car Parks with the Available Capacity Indication, Based on Average Usage 16 Figure 3-10 - Location of Bus Stops Within 650m Walking Distance 17 Figure 3-11 - Average Number of Vehicles Arriving at P&R Sites (Daily) 20 Figure 3-12 - Cycling Stands at the Front of Train Station 21 Figure 3-13 - Cycle Stands on Platform 1 (left) and Platform 4 (right). 21 Figure 3-14 - Cycling Distances from Site. 26 Figure 3-15 - Extract of Swansea Cycle Map 27 Figure 3-16 - National Cycle Network Surrounding Swansea 28 Figure 3-17 - Location of Proposed Crossing Facilities as part of Regeneration of The Kingsway 29
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council
Figure 3-18 - Walking Distances from Site. 30 Figure 3-19 - Extract of Integrated Network Map for Swansea. 31 Figure 3-20 - Audited Routes 33 Figure 3-21 - Issues within Swansea Centre 34 Figure 3-22 - Collisions Reported in the Study Area 36 Figure 4-1 – Architect’s Illustration of Proposed Digital Employment Hub 38 Figure 4-2 - Proposed External Arrangements 40 Figure 4-3 - Example of Installed Wheeling Ramps 42 Figure 4-4 - Example of Cycle Repair Stand 42 Figure 6-1 - Example of Cycle Repair Stand 51
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 OVERVIEW This Travel Plan (TP) has been prepared by WSP for the proposed Digital Employment Hub on The Kingsway in Swansea City Centre. The Digital Employment Hub is a mixed-use development and forms part of the proposed Urban Village on The Kingsway. This TP is required in support of the planning application. Taking into account the scale of the proposals and the varying needs and requirements of different building occupiers, this overarching TP will help establish a strategic approach to travel planning for the development. This document is a key intervention to improve sustainable travel to the proposed development, and ensure that the site provides safe access for all travel modes. The TP has been prepared in accordance with relevant local, regional, and strategic policy and best practice including Planning Policy Wales Edition 10. This TP has been prepared to be compliant with BREEAM New Construction 2018 UK. The content of the TP has been determined following scoping discussions with Swansea Council. The TP is a key measure identified in the Transport Implementation Strategy (TIS) section of the Transport Statement (TS) that has been prepared in support of the planning application. 1.2 WHAT IS A TRAVEL PLAN? A TP assists with managing the travel demands and impacts of a new development. TP’s can be defined as a long term site management strategy designed to promote access to / from a site or area by sustainable modes of transport and to facilitate travel choice. A TP is a live document that should be regularly updated and reviewed. A TP should establish a strategy with clear objectives and targets, supported by suitable polices and quality measures for implementation. Whilst the location of a development, its physical design, and proximity to facilities creates the conditions to make sustainable travel a preferred choice, communicating these opportunities to occupiers is critical to the success of the TP. The primary aim of a TP is often to reduce single occupancy car use to an agreed level within an agreed time period. Although targets will be specific to the site and local area, they should take into account sustainable travel objectives as set out in national and local transport planning policy. A Travel Plan Coordinator (TPC) for the building will be appointed prior to occupation of the development to implement the TP. The TPC will be responsible for ensuring that each occupier has a TPC, as well as coordinating the operation and management of the TP, and ensuring its delivery. 1.3 REPORT STRUCTURE The structure of this TP is as follows: Chapter 2 – Planning Policy Review Chapter 3 – Baseline Conditions Chapter 4 – Development Proposals Chapter 5 – Objectives and Targets Chapter 6 – Travel Plan Measures
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 1 of 54
Chapter 7 – Implementation, Monitoring, and Review
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 2 of 54
2 PLANNING POLICY REVIEW
2.1 OVERVIEW A TP is a document that sets out a programme of measures or initiatives for reducing the number of privately owned vehicles making trips to / from a proposed site. The TP also sets out to promote and encourage alternative sustainable modes of transport. This TP looks to adhere to the local, regional, and national policy guidance, so that the proposed development is designed and planned using the relevant policies and guidance. 2.2 NATIONAL, REGIONAL, AND LOCAL POLICY This section provides a brief overview of all the relevant policy that affects the production of TPs. For a more thorough review of the policies set out in this section, refer to the supporting TS.
2.3 BREEAM BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology) was created in 1990 by the Building Research Establishment. It is a means of assessing new development in terms of their environmental awareness. In transport terms, new development needs to ensure it promotes and contributes to a good sustainable transport network. Each new development is rated against a system of six levels: unclassified, pass, good, very good, excellent and outstanding. The proposed development needs to meet level 5 of excellent (also known as level 4 as ‘unclassified’ is sometimes not referred to on the levelling scale) in order to receive funding from the Welsh Government. This funding would be used to help build the new development.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 3 of 54
There are various categories and criteria that the development needs to meet in order to progress through the levels. For transport, this involves the following list: Public transport network connectivity; Pedestrian and cyclist facilities; Access to amenities; Travel Plans and necessary information; and, Disabled access.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 4 of 54
3 BASELINE CONDITIONS
3.1 OVERVIEW This chapter provides an overview of the existing conditions at the site and the local highway network. The chapter covers the following: Section 3.2 provides an overview of the site location; Section 3.3 describes the local highway network; Section 3.4 outlines the wider plans for regeneration of The Kingsway and Orchard Street; Section 3.5 summarises the parking conditions and availability in Swansea City Centre; Section 3.6 describes the accessibility of the site by public transport; Section 3.7 describes the accessibility of the site by walking and cycling and the findings of the route audit; Section 3.8 identifies the amenities accessible from the site; and, Section 3.9 provides a review of recorded collisions in the vicinity of the site. 3.2 SITE LOCATION The Digital Employment Hub is proposed for the site of the former Oceana building on The Kingsway in Swansea City Centre, as shown in Figure 3-1. Demolition of the Oceana building began in October 2015 and the site has now been cleared in preparation for the proposed development. The site is bounded by The Kingsway to the north and Picton Lane to the east, west and south. Areas of the site are currently being used as a contractor’s compound for on-going regeneration work on The Kingsway.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 5 of 54
Figure 3-1 - Site Location
Source: Esri, HERE, Garmin, USGS, Intermap, INCREMENT P, NRCan, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), Esri Korea, Esri (Thailand), NGCC, (c) OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community
SITE LOCATION
3.3 LOCAL HIGHWAY NETWORK 3.3.1 THE KINGSWAY / ORCHARD STREET The site is located on The Kingsway B4290 in central Swansea. The Kingsway continues as Orchard Street towards Swansea Train Station to the north of the junction with Bellevue and College Street. The Kingsway / Orchard Street / St Helen’s Road B4290 junction forms one of the primary east-west corridors through central Swansea. It forms a key link between the proposed site and Swansea Central Train Station to the north. Approximately 100m west of the site, The Kingsway forms a three-arm roundabout with Dillwyn Street and St Helen’s Road. The Kingsway and Orchard Street are currently undergoing regeneration improvements, further information about how this will transform the transport network local to the site is provided in Section 3.4.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 6 of 54
The regeneration works will provide wide footways on both sides of The Kingsway and improved crossing facilities. Figure 3-2 shows an area of The Kingsway where regeneration work is already complete, with wide footways, dropped kerbs, and tactile paving at side streets. Before these works commenced the streets formed a busy thoroughfare for buses, cars, cyclists and pedestrians. The Kingsway had three lanes of traffic for the westbound direction only, one of which was a bus lane.
Figure 3-2 – Existing Regeneration Work on The Kingsway
3.3.2 CHRISTINA STREET The Kingsway forms a junction with Christina Street immediately west of the proposed site. Christina Street, shown in Figure 3-3, is single one-way carriageway that directs traffic in a northerly direction. Christina Street has two lanes for vehicle traffic and a short section of bus lane to the north of the junction with the Kingsway. Footways and street lighting are provided along both sides of Christina Street.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 7 of 54
Figure 3-3 - Christina Street
3.3.3 PICTON LANE The proposed site for the Digital Hub building is bounded by Picton Lane on three sides, as shown in Figure 3-4. Picton Lane provides access to the rear of properties that front on to Oxford Street and Union Street. The rear access is used for servicing and fire exits. Refuse and recycling stores for these properties are located on Picton Lane.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 8 of 54
Figure 3-4 - Local Highway Network
FORMER PICTON LANE CAR PARK
SITE LOCATION
The former car park on Picton Lane to the east of the proposed development site is being used as a contractor’s compound for the on-going regenerations works on The Kingsway. A street view of the access to the contractors compound can be seen in Figure 3-5.
Figure 3-5 – Contractors Compound
Left: Picton Lane looking towards The Kingsway Right: Picton Lane to the east of former car park, looking towards The Kingsway.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 9 of 54
A single property fronts on to Picton Lane. The property is a chartered accountant, as shown in Figure 3-6.
Figure 3-6 - Accountants Fronting onto Picton Lane
OXFORD STREET Oxford Street runs parallel to The Kingsway and forms the hub of retail and food outlets in Swansea. The eastern section of Oxford Street is pedestrianised from the junction with Plymouth Street, as shown in
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 10 of 54
Figure 3-7.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 11 of 54
Figure 3-7 - Oxford Street
3.4 WIDER PLANS FOR THE KINGSWAY/ORCHARD STREET The Digital Employment Hub proposals form part of Swansea Council’s on-going wider plans to transform The Kingsway into a more attractive environment for people to live, work, and visit, as set out in the local planning documents in Section 2. The plans for the highway involve a reduction in vehicle lanes to provide more public space for pedestrian and cycling routes and green space. This will involve the removal of the bus lane and restoring two-way traffic to The Kingsway. Traffic relief on The Kingsway and Orchard Street will result from re-routing traffic from Orchard Street to Alexandra Road and reinstating two-way movements along part of Mansel Street. Further details of the proposals are shown in Figure 3-8, including: Re-instating two-way traffic on The Kingsway and Orchard Street
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 12 of 54
Providing wider footways on the south side of carriageway and wider non-segregated pedestrian / cycle footway on the north side Introduction of street furniture such as seating and cycle racks Improvements to adjacent streets perpendicular to Kingsway including Cradock Street and Union Street Controlled crossings at junction with College Street / Belle Vue Way / Orchard Street (The Kingsway Circle) and at junction with Christina Street directly to the west of the Digital Employment Hub site Two additional zebra crossings A new pocket park at The Kingsway Circle. Introduction of 20mph speed limit A new pedestrian street will also be created linking The Kingsway to Oxford Street to the east of the proposed site (properties 232 and 233 Oxford Street have also been demolished to create this link) Pedestrianising the northern section of Union Street to provide greater linkage with the pedestrian zone on Oxford Street. The regeneration proposals will transform The Kingsway to a valuable walking and cycling route and will be provide a key link to the site.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 13 of 54
Figure 3-8 - Wider Plans for The Kingsway/Orchard Street1
1 Source: Swansea Council Cabinet Files
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 14 of 54
3.5 PARKING AVAILABILITY WSP have been commissioned by Swansea Council to undertake a parking strategy study for Swansea. The first package of work is currently on-going and involves reviewing the existing parking arrangements and assessing the current levels of parking congestion. The review covers the Park and Rides, Swansea Central and The Kingsway. A summary of review, available at the time of production of this report is provided in this section. For further details, please refer to the supporting TS. Table 3-1 summarises the facilities at car parks in proximity to the proposed development and the walking distance to each car park.
Table 3-1 - Summary of Nearby Car Parks Car Park Name Operating Total Disabled Short Notes Walking Hours Spaces Spaces or Long Distance Stay (metres) Council Owned, Park & Ride 1. Landore Park 06:45 -19:30 550 25 Long The 350 & Ride* Kingsway bus stop 2. Fabian Way 06:45 -19:30 550 23 Long St. Mary’s 550 Park & Ride* Square bus stop Council Owned, Off-Street 3. Oxford Street 08:00 - 21:00 116 27 Short 3 Hours max 200 4. Northampton 07:00 - 23:00 84 4 Short 4 Hours max 250 Lane 5. Park Street 08:00 - 21:00 31 6 Short 3 Hours max 350 East 6. Pell Street 08:00 - 21:00 30 3 Short 3 Hours max 270 7. YMCA Car 08:00 - 21:00 21 2 Short 3 Hours max 200 Park 8. Park Street 08:00 - 21:00 15 15 Long Disabled only 250 West 9. The Quadrant 08:00 - 23:00 517 30 Long - 550 MSCP Council Owned, On-Street 10. Oxford Street 08:30 - 18:00 34 - Short 30 minutes 160 on-street max NCP Car Parks 11. Orchard 07:00 - 21:00 512 3 Long - 500 Street 12. Kingsway 07:00 - 21:00 328 4 Long - 100
*Walking distance for the Park & Ride car parks is calculated between the proposed site and the nearest bus stop served by the Park & Ride bus provision.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 15 of 54
Figure 3-9 shows the location of car parks within proximity to the proposed development and indicates the average parking availability where usage data is currently available.
Figure 3-9 - Location of Car Parks with the Available Capacity Indication, Based on Average Usage
3.6 PUBLIC TRANSPORT ACCESSIBILITY This section summarises the number of bus stops accessible from the site and the frequency of bus routes serving these stops. An overview of rail services at Swansea Train Station is provided within this section, as well as a review of the P&R service. More information on journey times to the site from key origins by different travel modes including bus and rail are provided in the supporting TS. 3.6.1 BUS TRANSPORT There are a number of designated bus lanes across the city, providing journey time reliability and time savings for some of the bus journeys. The bus lanes are predominantly located along the Fabian Way and Oystermouth Road corridor, West Way, and on B4603 south of the Landore P&R site. The assessment against BREEAM requires identification of compliant transport nodes so that the Public Transport Accessibility Index (PTAI) can be calculated. Compliant transport nodes, e.g. bus stops or train stations must be less than 650m walkable distance from a building entrance.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 16 of 54
Figure 3-10 shows the bus stops nearest to the site which are served by unique services and are within 650m walk. More bus stops are located within 650m walk; however, these are served by buses which can be accessed by a nearer bus stop.
Figure 3-10 - Location of Bus Stops Within 650m Walking Distance
Figure 3-10 shows that there are a number of bus stops located within the 650m walking distance from the proposed site. Swansea LDP states that urban developments ‘should normally be within a walkable distance of 400m from a public transport access point, on a route with a weekday 20 minute or better frequency’. This is consistent with the guidance published by the CIHT2. Inclusive Mobility3, a guidance document for providing good access for disabled users also recommends bus stops to be within a 400m walking distance, equivalent to an approximate five minutes walk, reduced for every 1m rise of fall.
2 Guidelines for Planning for Public Transport in Development, CIHT, March 1999. 3 Inclusive Mobility, Department for Transport, December 2005.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 17 of 54
All bus stops in Figure 3-10 are located within a 400m walk, apart from St Mary’s Square which is approximately a 650m walk. Table 3-2 sets out the number of bus services accessible from the five nearest bus stops and the one-way frequency of services. To ensure robustness, counting accuracy, and to be compatible with the BREEAM guidance, Table 3-2 contains only one-way services. This means that only services arriving in Swansea were counted.
Table 3-2 - Number of Bus Services Serving the Proposed Site
Bus Stop Distance from Number of Bus Number of Services (One-way) * Site (m) Lines Served Weekday Saturday Sunday 08:00 - 19:00 09:00 - 19:00 10:00 - 17:00
Christina 130 1 39 20 7 Street
Craddock 210 4 74 52 0 Street
Kingsway 350 16 505 396 59
Swansea 400 20 306 263 35 Bus Station
St. Mary's 550 1 42 38 0 Square
Total 42 966 769 101
* To avoid double counting of services, bus services which stop at more than one of the five stops have only been counted for the nearest bus stop served. Table 3-3 identifies the locations with the highest frequency of bus services to the proposed site.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 18 of 54
Table 3-3 - Number of Bus Services from Selected Locations
Origin Location Number of Weekday Services
Morriston Hospital 126
Swansea University Bay Campus 94
Neath Victoria Gardens 74
Blaen y Maes 52
Three Crosses / Derlwyn 42
Townhill 42
Newton / Mumbles Limeslade Bay / Caswell Bay 42
Llanelli 41
Port Tennant 33
Pontardawe 32 For further details of the bus services that serve the proposed site, the route summary, and number of services, please refer the supporting TS. At present, The Kingsway bus stop is located 350m east of the proposed site. There are plans to relocate this stop as part of the on-going regeneration on The Kingsway to the proposed site frontage. This would further enhance the accessibility and convenience for accessing the proposed development by bus. 3.6.2 PARK AND RIDE Swansea Council currently operate two P&R services into Swansea City Centre. These are the Landore P&R and Fabian Way P&R. Landore P&R is located off the A4217, north of Swansea City Centre and provides connections for trips from north Swansea and the M4. Both car parks have a capacity for 550 vehicles and operate on a pay and display basis. They are open Monday to Saturday between 06:45 and 19:30. The sites have enclosed waiting areas with seating, information points, refreshment and toilet facilities. The P&R bus services are run by First Cymru and operate at a frequency of 15-20 minutes. The services benefit from improved journey time reliability and time savings from the connecting bus lanes. Figure 3-11 shows the average number of vehicles arriving at the P&R facilities each day of the week.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 19 of 54
Figure 3-11 - Average Number of Vehicles Arriving at P&R Sites (Daily)
600
500
400
300
200 Average Daily Vehicle Arrivals Vehicle Daily Average
100
0 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Fabian Way Landore Capacity
Source: Data provided by Swansea Council. 3.6.3 RAIL TRANSPORT The closest train station to the site is Swansea Train Station located approximately 900m walking distance to the north east of the site, along The Kingsway and Orchard Street. The station provides access to local stations in South Wales and long-distance services to Manchester Piccadilly, London Paddington and Holyhead. There is step free access to all platforms at the station and amenities at the station include: 35 cycle spaces Ticket office Ticket machines including accessible ticket machines Toilets including accessible toilets Waiting rooms Refreshment facilities and shops Figure 3-12 shows the cycling stands in front of the train station and Figure 3-13 shows additional cycle stands on platform 1 and platform 4.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 20 of 54
Figure 3-12 - Cycling Stands at the Front of Train Station
Figure 3-13 - Cycle Stands on Platform 1 (left) and Platform 4 (right).
Table 3-4 provides a summary of the frequency of rail services arriving at Swansea Train Station during the assumed operating hours of the proposed development. As Table 3-4 demonstrates, there is a well-established rail connectivity between Swansea, the local area, and stations in South Wales. There are frequent services connecting Swansea and areas to the west, with almost 20 trains arriving from Carmarthen during a weekday. Services to the east are also frequent with over 20 trains arriving from Cardiff during a weekday, between 08:00 and 19:00.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 21 of 54
Table 3-4 – Rail Service Provision
Origin Route Summary Approximate Number of Services (one-way) Journey Time from Origin Weekday Saturday Sunday (08:00-19:00) (09:00- (10:00- 19:00) 17:00)
Manchester Manchester Piccadilly – 4 hours 9 8 1 Piccadilly Crewe – Hereford – Abergavenny – Cwmbran – Newport – Cardiff Central – Bridgend – Port Talbot Parkway – Neath – Swansea
Cardiff Cardiff Central – Bridgend – 1 hour 3 3 0 Central* Pyle – Port Talbot Parkway –
Baglan – Briton Ferry – Neath – Skewen – Llamsamlet - Swansea
London London Paddington – 3 hours 11 9 5 Paddington Reading – Swindon – Bristol Parkway – Newport – Cardiff Central – Bridgend – Port Talbot Parkway – Neath – Swansea
Holyhead Holyhead – Chester – 5 hours 1 0 0 Wrexham – Ruabon – Hereford – Abergavenny – Newport – Cardiff Central – Bridgend – Pyle – Port Talbot Parkway – Baglan – Briton Ferry – Neath – Skewen – Llansamlet – Swansea
Carmarthen Carmarthen – Pembrey & 50 minutes 5 4 4 Burry Port – Llanelli – Swansea
Fishguard Fishguard Harbour – 2 hours 1 (arrives 2 2 Harbour Clarbeston Road – 09:51) Clunderwen – Whitland - Carmarthen – Pembrey & Burry Port – Llanelli – Swansea
Pembroke Pembroke Dock – Tenby – 2 hours 5 5 1 Dock Kilgetty – Carmarthen – Kidwelly – Llanelli - Swansea
Milford Milford Haven – 2 hours 6 5 2 Haven Haverfordwest – Whitland – Carmarthen – Llanelli - Swansea
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 22 of 54
Origin Route Summary Approximate Number of Services (one-way) Journey Time from Origin Weekday Saturday Sunday (08:00-19:00) (09:00- (10:00- 19:00) 17:00)
Crewe Crewe – Hereford – Newport 3.5 hours 2 1 0 – Cardiff Central – Neath - Swansea
Crewe via Crewe – Shrewsbury – Sugar 5 hours 1 0 0 Heart of Loaf – Llandeilo – Llanelli - Wales Swansea
Llanelli Llanelli – Gowerton - 0.5 hour 2 1 0 Swansea
Gloucester Gloucester – Chepstow – 2 hours 1 1 0 Newport – Cardiff Central – Neath – Swansea
Llandovery Llandovery – Llandeilo – 1.5 hours 1 0 0 Pontarddulais – Llanelli - Swansea
Shrewsbury Shrewsbury – Sugar Loaf – 4 hours 2 3 1 Llandeilo – Llanelli - Swansea 3.6.4 FUTURE PUBLIC TRANSPORT ENHANCEMENTS This section sets out the future ambitions to improve public transport provision in Swansea. At present, The Kingsway bus stop is located 350m east of the proposed site. There are plans to relocate this stop as part of the on-going regeneration on The Kingsway to the proposed site frontage. This would further enhance the accessibility and convenience for accessing the proposed development by bus. Policy T3 of the Swansea Local Development Plan sets out ambitions for a high frequency on 5 cross city routes as follows: City Centre to Mumbles via Singleton Hospital and Swansea University; City Centre to Gorseinon/Pontarddulais via Fforestfach ; City Centre to Pantlasau/Felindre via Llangyfelach; Pantlasau/Felindre to City Centre via Morriston Hospital, Morriston and Landore; and City Centre to Skewen and Briton Ferry via Fabian Way and Swansea University Bay Campus. The high frequency routes will follow a radial approach to serve Swansea City Centre and surrounding major attractors.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 23 of 54
Policy T3 also identifies plans for a less frequent orbital bus service (minimum 2 per hour) connecting existing nodes and proposed development areas at: Morriston to Llansamlet; Llansamlet to the City Centre via Winch Wen; City Centre to Swansea University; and Swansea University to Morriston via Llangyfelach. Swansea Bay Metro, a transformational aspiration for Swansea has the potential to improve the proposed site’s connectivity and accessibility in the future.4 The plans set out to create a system of light rail network by expanding existing network and potentially creating new lines and stations in the future. This will include introducing light rail to the lines between High Street and Llanelli, and between High Street and Port Talbot. It can be assumed, that Swansea Bay Metro would further enhance site’s connectivity and accessibility. The Metro will allow for the efficient movement of people, services and goods within and through the region, to access key employment centres, leisure and services. Table 2 of the Joint Transport Plan for South West Wales sets out a matrix of issues alongside generic scheme proposals for Swansea to improve connectivity. Table 2 identifies the following actions to improve public transport access to employment sites: Travel Plan development; Integrated ticketing arrangements; All Wales Travel Card; Consistent Information policy; New/increased bus or rail services; Innovative responses to low level access demands; and Publicise all Wales Car sharing scheme. The following actions have been identified to address concerns over road safety or security which may discourage public transport usage or active travel: Continue to work through education, training and publicity measures to improve road safety awareness and encourage good road use skills; Plan and deliver targeted improvements to high collision locations; Ensure consistent design to build in safety; and Work with WG to secure further support for British Transport police. These identified improvements will further enhance the accessibility of the site by public transport and make bus and rail travel a more convenient and attractive travel option. A total of 31 million rail journeys were recorded across Wales for 2017-18, an increase of 1.9% compared to the previous year with total number of rail journeys in Wales has increased every year since 1995-965.
4 https://swalesmetroprof.blog/2018/12/07/swansea-bay-metro/ 5 Regional Rail Usage - Passenger Journeys 2017-18 Annual Statistical Release, Office of Rail and Road. http://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/media/1122/regional-rail-usage-2017-18.pdf
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 24 of 54
Swansea Station is already a major hub within the Welsh transport network. Between 2017-18 the total estimated entries and exits for the station equated to 2,158,886, making Swansea the 4th most used station in Wales. In 2016, Network Rail predicted a 30% increase in passenger demand growth for commuting into Swansea from local stations by 20236. This is estimated to further increase to 87% growth in passenger demand by 2043, demonstrating the key role Swansea Station plays in active travel initiatives over the next two decades. The completion of the Swansea Bay Metro will help to accommodate and encourage this growth. 3.6.5 CALCULATION OF ACCESSIBILITY INDEX Calculation of the Public Transport Accessibility Index (AI) of the site is a requirement for assessment against BREEAM. The AI has been calculated using the Accessibility Index Tool for BREEAM New Construction 2018 (UK). The results and calculations can be found in the supporting TS. 3.7 WALKING AND CYCLING ACCESSIBILITY This section sets out the existing provision for pedestrians and cyclists local to the proposed site. 3.7.1 CYCLING NETWORK Figure 3-14 shows the areas which can be reached from the site in a 10-minute, 20-minute and 30- minute cycling distance. A cycling speed of 16 kph has been used as per the Road Bike guidance7. The figure shows that all of Swansea City Centre is within a 10-minute cycle of the site and that the built up areas of Swansea are within a 30-minute cycle.
6 Welsh Route Study, Network Rail, March 2016 https://cdn.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Welsh-Route-Study.pdf 7 Source: https://www.road-bike.co.uk/articles/average-speed.php
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 25 of 54
Figure 3-14 - Cycling Distances from Site.
Prior to the regeneration works at The Kingsway, a cycle lane was present on The Kingsway / Orchard Street alongside the bus lane. As discussed in Section 3.4, the proposals to transform these streets include a non-segregated pedestrian and cycle footway on the north side of the carriageway, and a wide footway on the south side. These proposals are also identified in the Integrated Network Map route list. The new cycle route along The Kingsway and Orchard Street will provide a connection between the site and Swansea Train Station where cycle parking is provided. Figure 3-15 shows the existing cycling network surrounding the proposed site. The map shows that there are several cycle routes connecting to The Kingsway and providing routes out of Swansea City Centre.
This includes on-road cycle routes on Union Street, Singleton Street, West Way, and Princess Way. These routes providing links out of central Swansea are in addition to advisory on-road cycle routes within Swansea Central Area.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 26 of 54
Figure 3-15 - Extract of Swansea Cycle Map8
National Cycle Network (NCN) Route 4 runs along the coastline of Swansea and is a long distance route between London and Fishguard. The section of Route 4 between Chepstow and Fishguard forms the Celtic Trail cycle route and runs alongside the southern edge of Swansea adjacent to the River Tawe and to the south of South Dock and Oystermouth Road. The site is connected to NCN Route 4 via cycle routes on West Way and Princess Way. Figure 3-16 shows that the route provides a valuable cycle link to many areas surrounding Swansea including
8 Source: https://www.swansea.gov.uk/media/17957/Swansea-Cycle-Map/pdf/Swansea_Cycle_Map.pdf
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 27 of 54
Upper Killay, Gowerton, Dunvant, Gowerton and Loughor to the west. To the east, NCN Route 4 provides cycle connections to Port Tennant, Briton Ferry, Baglan and Port Talbot.
Figure 3-16 - National Cycle Network Surrounding Swansea9
NCN Route 43 is a long-distance route which originates within Swansea, adjacent to the River Tawe. Once the length of the route is complete, the route will connect to Builth Wells via Clydach, Ystalyfera and Llanwrtyd Wells. Figure 3-16 shows that the route provides a valuable cycle connection between the site and residential areas to the north, including Morriston and Clydach. 3.7.2 WALKING NETWORK The site is well connected by those who travel on foot, with footway provision, crossing facilities, and street lighting on the surrounding highway network. The site’s accessibility will be improved following completion of the regeneration works on The Kingsway and Orchard Street. This will include crossing facilities for pedestrians in the locations shown in Error! Reference source not found. and Figure 3-17. The figures also show the location of the proposed pedestrian link between The Kingsway and Oxford Street, also part of the regeneration works. An audit of the key walking routes to the site has been undertaken, and a summary of the findings is provided in the next section. To the east of the proposed Digital Employment Hub, the southern section of Union Street is pedestrianised. The regeneration proposals involve extending the pedestrian area as far as the
9 Source: https://www.sustrans.org.uk/map-ncn
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 28 of 54
junction with The Kingsway. Union Street connects to Oxford Street which runs parallel to The Kingsway and provides a pedestrianised shopping area for most of its length. Figure 3-17 - Location of Proposed Crossing Facilities as part of Regeneration of The Kingsway
PROPOSED CROSSING LOCATIONS
PROPOSED PEDESTRIAN LINK
Figure 3-18 shows the areas accessible from the site within a 400m, 800m, 1200m and 1600m walking distance. The figure shows that almost all of Swansea retail centre is within a ten-minute walking distance of the site. Section 3.8 provides further details of the local amenities and facilities which can be accessed from the site.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 29 of 54
Figure 3-18 - Walking Distances from Site.
3.7.3 FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS FOR WALKING AND CYCLING This section outlines the proposals to enhance walking and cycling within local planning and policy documents. Table 2 of the Joint Transport Plan for South West Wales identifies the following actions to increase the proportion of short distance commuting trips undertaken by walking and cycling: Plan, develop and deliver active travel routes in and between communities; Encourage more active travel infrastructure such as cycle parking/ outdoor clothes storage; and Encourage travel plan development in public, private and third sector organisations. Aligning with requirements of the Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013, Swansea Council have produced the following documents, which are provided in Appendix D: Existing Route Map – this sets out the existing infrastructure for walking and cycling (approved by the Welsh Government in August 2016). Integrated Network Map – this shows the routes which the council intend to deliver over the next 15 years, up to 2033 (approved by the Welsh Government in February 2018). An extract of the Integrated Network map is shown in Figure 3-19 which shows that several route improvements are proposed across for Swansea City Centre. The proposals for the routes would
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 30 of 54
improve the walking and cycling facilities across the region and enhance connectivity into Swansea City Centre and the Digital Employment Hub site.
Figure 3-19 - Extract of Integrated Network Map for Swansea.
Table 3-5 lists the route improvements located in proximity of Swansea City Centre, identified from the Integrated Network Map route list. Some of the route improvements in Table 3-5 are already in progress, such as the proposals along The Kingsway and Orchard Street.
Table 3-5 - Integrated Network Map Routes in Proximity of Swansea City Centre.
Scheme Scheme Name Term Type Detail Number
SWA- Swansea Centre Short Term Shared Use Proposed shared use provision between ST0012 Cradock Street and Christina Street. Proposed shared use path along Orchard Street. Link to Marina.
SWA- Swansea Bay Short Term Shared Use Improved segregation along Swansea Bay ST0017 shared use path
SWA- Swansea Centre Medium Shared Use Current Cycle – Proposed shared use path MT0023 Term through Swansea Centre
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 31 of 54
Scheme Scheme Name Term Type Detail Number
SWA- Swansea Centre / Medium Shared Use Proposed shared use paths through centre of MT0024 Kingsway Term Swansea and along Kingsway
SWA- Mount Pleasant / Medium Shared Use Proposed shared use path along Sketty Road MT0025 Uplands Links Term and Mount Pleasant Road
SWA- Swansea Station Aspirational Shared Use Swansea Station links proposed shared use AS0030 Links Corridor path. Include additional secure cycle parking. New Cut Road improve traffic light timing for cyclists
SWA- Swansea Centre Aspirational Shared Use Swansea centre proposed shared use path. AS0031 Corridor Include additional secure cycle parking.
Table 7 of the Joint Transport Plan outlines the following schemes within the City Centre Project: City Centre Cycle Network – A scheme which will deliver an off-road traffic-free network for cyclists in Swansea City Centre. The scheme is expected to be delivered on a phased basis and will complement proposals for city centre redevelopment and regeneration; Kingsway Public Transport Initiative – Reconfiguration of The Kingsway to accommodate enhancement public transport infrastructure; Air Quality Package – A series of traffic management measures to improve city centre air quality; and Public Transport Enhancements to Employment Centres – A package of public transport enhancements to improve connectivity for public transport services to employment sites within the city centre. It has been demonstrated that the site already benefits from good walking and cycling connectivity, these improvements outlined in local planning and policy documents would further enhance facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. 3.7.4 ASSESSMENT OF ROUTES An audit has been carried out of the key routes to the site to identify the accessibility of the site by walking and cycling. This has been undertaken to identify the quality of the routes and highlight any areas of concern. The routes which were audited are shown in Figure 3-20 alongside key facilities and transport nodes which the routes connect to.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 32 of 54
Figure 3-20 - Audited Routes
Swansea Train Station
Orchard St NCP
P&R Bus Stop
Bus Stop
Kingsway NCP P&R Bus Stop
Bus Stop
Swansea Bus Quadrant Shopping Station Centre and Car Park
Given that the proposed site is located within the retail centre of Swansea, the routes were generally of good quality, particularly for pedestrians. The following text sets out the issues which were identified along the routes. Figure 3-21 displays the identified issues along the audit. For full details of any issues and those that will be resolved, refer to the supporting TS.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 33 of 54
Figure 3-21 - Issues within Swansea Centre
3.8 LOCAL AMENITIES This section of the report identifies amenities within 500m walking distance from the site, in compliance with the BREEAM guidance. This, in turn, supports the assessment of potential travel needs of the proposed site’s future occupants. A walking distance of 500m is equivalent to an approximate 6-minute walk. Table 3-6 summarises the range of amenities located within the 500m walking distance from the site.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 34 of 54
Table 3-6 - Amenities in Proximity to the Proposed Site
Type of Amenity Number of Amenities within 500m Walking Distance
Appropriate food outlet 41
Access to cash 25
Access to an outdoor open space (public or private, 2 suitably sized and accessible to building users)
Access to a recreation or leisure facility for fitness or 4 sports
Publicly available postal facility 10
Community facility 7
Over the counter services associated with a 4 pharmacy
Public sector GP surgery or general medical centre 3
Childcare facility or school 1 Table 3-6 demonstrates that due to its central location within Swansea City Centre, the site benefits from a range of amenities within walking distance. The following figures identify the location of different types of amenities. For further details and a review of the collision data, please refer to the supporting TS. 3.9 SAFETY REVIEW 3.9.1 ALL COLLISIONS A review of collision data has been carried out using the data obtained for a five-year period from October 2013 to September 2018 for the highways in the vicinity of the site. The area for which the collision data has been obtained, together with collisions reported during the identified five-year period are illustrated in Figure 3-22.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 35 of 54
Figure 3-22 - Collisions Reported in the Study Area
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 36 of 54
Figure 3-22 shows that there was a number of collisions in the identified area, mainly occurring along the arterial east-west and north-south routes through Swansea. A group of vehicle collisions incidents can be observed at the signalised junction between Princess Way and the Oystermouth Road, where only one collision involved a pedestrian and one a cyclist. For further details and a review of the collision data, please refer to the supporting TS.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 37 of 54
4 DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS
4.1 OVERVIEW This chapter of the TS outlines the development proposals for the Digital Hub and the access strategy for vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists accounting for all levels of mobility. 4.2 SUMMARY OF PROPOSALS The proposed Digital Employment Hub forms part of Swansea Council’s on-going wider plans to transform The Kingsway into a more attractive environment for people to live, work and visit. More details of the plans are provided in 3.4. The Digital Employment Hub will form part of the aspirational Digital Creative Quarter on The Kingsway. The Digital Employment Hub proposals comprises a single six-storey mixed use building. An illustration of the proposed building is shown in Figure 4-1. Figure 4-1 – Architect’s Illustration of Proposed Digital Employment Hub
The Digital Employment Hub will provide varied office space and engaging public spaces orientated towards creativity and collaboration in a single area, unique to Swansea. The Quarter aspires to accommodate a wide range of digital and creative entrepreneurs as well as the wider community of Swansea. The types of spaces proposed for Digital Employment Hub are outlined in Table 4-1.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 38 of 54
Table 4-1 – Approximate Breakdown of Building Spaces
Use Proposed Space Approximate Area (m2) Maximum People Capacity
Offices and studios Offices and studios 5043 774
Meeting spaces Meeting rooms 662 258
Event spaces and Conference venue 360 (+180 support space) 360 specialist Gallery/public forum 144 144
Salon/Launchpad/Forum 90 90
Blackbox space 67.5 67.5
Open lab 67.5 - (+22.5 support space)
Roof terrace - 360
Communal spaces Reception/Genius Bar 90 30
Bar/café 144 (+36 support space) 60
Coffee shop 22 (+7 support space) 12
Creche 144 24
Bike workshop 72 12
Retail 162 (+65 support space) 54
Ancillary spaces WC, changing rooms, 360 - cleaners Table 4-1 shows that approximately 5000m2 of office and studio space is proposed, this includes 270m2 of shared office/studio space and 270m2 of co-working space. 4.3 SITE LAYOUT The proposed layout plan for the site is shown in Figure 4-2. This includes retaining vehicle access on Picton Lane and a new pedestrian link to Oxford Street. It is recommended that Picton Lane should operate as a one-way system, allowing access from The Kingsway (adjacent to Christina Street), and an exit on to The Kingsway east of The Kingsway / Christina Street junction. A one-way system around the proposed site would retain servicing access to the rear of properties accessed from Picton Lane and bring safety benefits through reducing vehicle movements and a safer environment for non-motorised users.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 39 of 54
Figure 4-2 - Proposed External Arrangements
. 4.4 SERVICING AND REFUSE ACCESS Picton Lane will be used to provide access arrangements for servicing and emergency vehicles. The Digital Employment Hub will be serviced from the south-west boundary of the building. Picton Lane will also continue to provide servicing access to properties which back or front onto the Lane. 4.5 PARKING PROVISION Section 3.5 sets out the available parking near to the proposed site and shows that there are a number of short stay and long stay car parking opportunities within walking distance to the proposed site. No car parking will be provided on site and as such only servicing and delivery vehicle trips are expected to visit the site. This will include servicing and delivery to existing properties on Picton Lane. As shown in Table 3.1, there are 12 car parks within 550m walking distance of the proposed site. Of the 12 car parks, 11 offer car parking provision for disabled users.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 40 of 54
The proposed site is considered accessible by sustainable modes, with close proximity to the bus and train station, and the quality of walking and cycling facilities outside of the site. The new bus stop located directly outside the building will provide a valuable and direct connection for all users, in particular those with different levels of mobility and ability. 4.6 CYCLIST FACILITIES The provision of quality facilities for cyclists has a key role in facilitating and encouraging travel to the site by bike and is a key part of the development’s TP. The proposals currently include the following facilities: 70 cycle spaces and one cycle repair stand on level -02 6 short stay cycle space at ground level outside the building 7 shower facilities
The 70 covered cycle spaces will be provided in a secure location on level -02. The spaces can be accessed through the ground floor entrance and via shallow steps to level -02. For further details of the floor plans, please refer to the supporting TS. The Swansea Parking Standards Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) states that cycle parking should be located in a safe, secure and convenient location which will not obstruct pedestrians or people with disabilities or visual impairments. The proposals for cycle storage are in line with the SPG. The shallow steps will be fitted with wheeling ramps, these will allow cyclists to comfortably cycle up and down the stairs without needing to physically carry their bikes. Examples of this facility from Sustrans Design Manual are shown in Figure 4-3.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 41 of 54
Figure 4-3 - Example of Installed Wheeling Ramps10
A cycle repair stand will be provided next to the cycle storage on level -02, this will provide a free and convenient facility for cyclists to make repairs to their bikes. An example of a cycle repair stand, which includes a universal bike mount and eight tools to make repairs is shown in Figure 4-4.
Figure 4-4 - Example of Cycle Repair Stand11
10 Source: Sustrans Design Manual Chapter 9, page 7 11 Source: https://www.cyclehoop.com/product/pumps-stations/repair-stand/
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 42 of 54
Shower facilites will also be provided within the building. These cycle facilities will be complemented by marketing and promotion of sustainable travel modes, as set out in the TP. 4.6.1.1 Cycle Parking Standards The following section assesses the proposed cycling facilities against the parking standards for Swansea and BREEAM guidance. The minimum cycle parking required for the proposed spaces has been calculated based on Swansea Parking Standards Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG). The calculations are shown in Table 4-2. Table 4-2 shows that Swansea Parking Standards require a minimum of 69 cycle spaces. For estimating the minimum cycle parking required, as a robust assessment the retail space has been assumed to include the following spaces: Gallery/public forum Salon/launchpad/forum Blackbox space Open lab Reception/genius bar Bar/café Coffee shop Bike workshop
Table 4-2 – Swansea Cycle Parking Standard Requirements
Space Maximum Floor Swansea Cycle Parking Minimum no. of spaces capacity space Standards minimum (m2) Short stay Long stay
Offices (and 774 5705 1 long stay per 200m2 6 29 meeting rooms) 1 short stay per 1000m2
Retail - 990 1 long stay per 100m2 10 10 1 short stay per 100m2
Creche 24 - 1 short stay per 30 children 1 -
Conference 360 540 1 long stay per 10 staff for 12 1 venue 1 short stay per 30 seats
Total 29 40
Table 4-3 sets out the number of compliant cycle spaces required to achieve BREEAM recognition. As the PTAI for the site is above 8, the minimum number of compliant cyclist facilities has been reduced by 50%, in line with BREEAM guidance.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 43 of 54
Table 4-3 - BREEAM Requirements for the Number of Cycle Spaces
BREEAM requirements Maximum Floor space Space 2 Capacity (m ) 50% Minimum No. of Spaces Reduction
Offices (and 774 5705 1 space per 10 staff 77.4 39 meeting rooms)
Retail 990 1012 10 1013
Creche 24 (assumed 1 per 10 staff 1 1 less than 10 staff)
Conference 360 540 1 per 10 staff 37 19 14 venue 1 per 10 visitors
Total 125 69
Table 4-3 shows that to achieve recognition BREEAM for points, a minimum of 69 compliant cycle spaces are required. The development proposals include a total of 76 cycle parking space. This exceeds Swansea parking standards for a minimum of 40 spaces and exceeds the minimum of 68 spaces needed for BREEAM recognition. The building design will ensure that future growth in cycle demand could be accommodated by providing additional spaces in the -02 level. As set out in the TP, monitoring of cycle demand will take place to ensure all demand can be accommodated. 4.7 ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES As required by the latest BREEAM guidance (2018), the proposed development has been designed with consideration of disabled users. The disabled access to the site accounts for varying levels and types of disability, including visual impairment. The SPG states the following ‘It is recommended that appropriately positioned parking places, preferably within 50 metres of the facility served by the car park and which are adequate in size and number, shall be provided for disabled people.’
12 BREEAM states ‘In a development of multiple small retail units, to achieve a credit, 10 compliant cycle storage spaces in total are required where it can be shown that these are accessible to all units.’ 13 BREEAM states ‘The 50% reduction allowed for building locations with a high level of public transport accessibility is not applicable in this case.’ 14 Conference venue is classed as Type B other building transport types.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 44 of 54
Table 4-4 demonstrates that there are a number of opportunities for disabled users to access the site from car parks located near the proposed site. The location of each car park has been provided in Figure 3-9.
Table 4-4 – Provision of Local Disabled Bays
Disabled Bays Disabled Bays Disabled Bays Total Between Between Between 1m - 101m 101m - 301m 301m - 550m
4 51 87 142 The proposed development is considered as accessible for disabled users. The proposed location offers localised car parking opportunities, public transport opportunities, and active travel facilities that meet the requirements of disabled users.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 45 of 54
5 OBJECTIVES AND TARGETS
5.1 OVERVIEW This chapter summarises the TP objectives and targets for the Digital Employment Hub. This TP: Specifies the package of physical, management and promotional measures needed to accommodate the requirements identified above, such as physical infrastructure, the design and location of buildings, parking management, financial incentives and dedicated Travel Plan Coordinators. Sets out a framework for monitoring the objectives and targets, including the future modal split of transport to the development site. 5.2 OBJECTIVES Chapter 2 of this TP provides a review of national and local policies relevant to the proposed development. Based on these policies, the existing conditions and the development proposals, the following TP objectives have been identified: Objective 1: Promote walking, cycling and public transport as an attractive and default choice for travel to/from the Digital Employment Hub. Objective 2: Promote and raise awareness of the benefits of healthier and more environmentally friendly travel to/from the station. Objective 3: Ensure safe movement to/from the Digital Employment Hub by all travel modes, considering the needs of disabled and other less mobile people. Objective 4: Promote and raise awareness of the benefits of healthier and more environmentally friendly travel for staff and visitors to the Hub. Objective 5: Minimise the number of servicing and delivery vehicles to the site.
5.3 TRAVEL MODE TARGETS TPs should include SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timebound) targets related to the objectives of the TP. The following SMART TP targets have been established: Reduce the percentage of people who are commuting to the Digital Employment Hub that are parking in Swansea City Centre: By 5% by the end of the 1st year after occupation; By 10% by the end of the 3rd year after occupation; and, By 15% by the end of the 5th year after occupation. Staff travel surveys will be undertaken within 6 months of the building units being 50% occupied. These initial surveys will be used for the baseline percentage of people parking in Swansea City Centre. Staff travel surveys will be undertaken on an annual basis thereafter. In the interim, mode
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 46 of 54
share targets have been calculated using Census 2011 data on how people travel to Swansea City Centre15. Table 5-1 sets out the Census 2011 interim baseline mode share and the 1st, 3rd and 5th interim mode share targets. The anticipated percentage mode shift away from car travel has not been allocated to specific modes; however, it is expected that there would be an uptake in travel by foot, bike and public transport to reflect the accessible location of the site and the promotion of TP measures.
Table 5-1 – Interim Percentage Mode Share Targets
Mode Share Census 2011 Interim Targets Baseline for MSOA 025 1 year after 3 years after 5 years after occupation occupation occupation
On foot 14% - - -
Bicycle 2% - - -
Train 3% - - -
Bus 12% - - -
Vehicle driver 60% 55% 50% 45%
Vehicle 8% - - - passenger
Taxi 1%
Motorbike 1% For further details of the above data, please refer to the supporting Transport Statement.
15 Baseline mode share has been calculated from Census 2011 journey to work data for the workplace population zones nearest to the proposed site.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 47 of 54
6 TRAVEL PLAN MEASURES
6.1 OVERVIEW This section of the TP sets out the proposed measures to achieve the TP objectives and Targets. The measures include a mixture of ‘soft’ marketing and management measures and ‘hard’ engineering measures incorporated into the design of the development. The following ‘soft’ TP measures are proposed: Company workplace travel plans; Travel Plan Coordinator(s); Management of deliveries and servicing vehicles; Promotion of walking, cycling and travel by public transport; Promotion of car sharing; Travel information; and, Cycle clinics/training. The physical aspects of the design will have influence on the travel behaviours of staff and visitors to the site. If there are any barriers to sustainable transport, the uptake of these modes will be lower. As such, appropriate measures must be taken to ensure the appropriate infrastructure is available to facilitate sustainable travel. The following ‘hard’ TP measures are proposed: Cycle storage; Shower facilities; Bike hire/pool bike facilities; Electric bike charging points; Cycle repair stand; New pedestrian link between The Kingsway and Oxford Street; and, Wayfinding signage to local amenities. The following sections outline the measures which will be implemented in order to achieve the objectives identified in Section 5. 6.2 WORKPLACE TRAVEL PLANS The occupier(s) of the office, retail and café units are currently unknown. It is therefore not possible to confirm any specific TP measures which would be appropriate for each organisation. However, each organisation occupying unit in the building will be expected to appoint a company TPC representative and contribute to the objectives of the overarching TP. Any additional measures that are specific to occupiers (once known) will be updated in the full TP document. The commitment to the TP and providing a company TPC representative will form part of the purchase/lease contract for each of the organisations which occupy the building. The following are examples of company specific measures which could be provided: Flexible working; Salary sacrifice/loan scheme for staff travel tickets and bike purchases; and, Bus passenger discount/introductory vouchers.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 48 of 54
6.3 TRAVEL PLAN COORDINATOR ROLE An overarching TP Coordinator will be appointed to oversee the TP for the whole building. The TPC will be supported by company TPC representatives from all companies based in the building. The roles and responsibilities of the overarching TPC, supported by the company TPCs, are set out below: Implementation and management of overarching Travel Plan; Being a first point of contact for employees regarding travel options and issues; Ensuring that travel related information is displayed publicly and kept up to date, including bus timetables; Organising and encouraging participation in specific travel schemes and events such as National Walk/Bike to Work Week; Liaise with Swansea Council service providers and other stakeholders regarding travel planning issues; Liaise with a Travel Plan Committee which would be formed of the occupying company TPCs; Assisting in the undertaking of travel surveys and preparing progress reports on the success of the Travel Plan initiatives; Preparing revisions or updates to the Travel Plan, where necessary; and, Reporting progress to all Travel Plan stakeholders, including staff and the planning and highway authorities. 6.4 MANAGEMENT OF DELIVERIES AND SERVICING VEHICLES Effective management of deliveries and service vehicles has potential to minimise vehicle trips to the site. Companies occupying the Digital Hub will be encouraged to co-operate with other companies within the building and on Picton Lane to minimise servicing and delivery trips. This could include: Joining with other companies within the building and on Picton Lane to procure the same service providers so that multiple deliveries or refuse collections can occur at the same time; Taking advantage of local preferred supplier schemes; Reducing the frequency of deliveries, e.g. arranging with the supplier to only deliver two days per week regardless of when orders are made; Reducing consumable goods to reduce deliveries and waste collection, e.g. using mugs instead of paper cups; and, Encouraging staff to arrange personal items to be delivered at home or to a collection point near the office or on the way home. Transport for London provide advice notes and toolkits for businesses on how they can minimise servicing and delivery vehicle trips to their site and how to promote this to employees. Whilst the advice is produced for London the guidance and ideas are transferrable to business in Swansea.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 49 of 54
The guidance can be accessed here https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/deliveries-in-london/delivering- efficiently?intcmp=37865. 6.5 PROMOTION AND TRAVEL INFORMATION Promotion and provision of travel information will play a key role in facilitating the uptake of trips being undertaken by sustainable travel modes. It is recognised that marketing and communication is key to the success of a TP. The strategy will aim to raise awareness of the key services and facilities implemented as part of the TP. Staff employed within the building will receive a travel information pack prior to starting their employment or during their introduction. The timing of providing this pack is designed to take advantage of the opportunity to encourage behaviour change whilst the employee is considering their travel options before the employee has established a travel pattern. Information packs will include the following information: Map of the local area to show walk, cycle and public transport routes to / from key local facilities and public transport nodes; Information on walking and cycling routes will be provided together with links to sources of further information for the promotion of walking and cycling; Details of nearest bus stops and railway station and timetable information for the promotion of travel by public transport; Information on cycle hire and cycle training facilities available within Swansea; Details of the key travel plan measures and facilities for the promotion of key services and facilities. The above travel information will also be made available on a notice board within the building. In addition to the provision of Information Packs, the TPC will: Identify accessible routes to public transport services, thereby facilitating the use of public transport as an alternative to the private car; Ensure that travel related information is displayed publicly and kept up to date, including bus timetables; Organise and encourage participation in specific travel schemes and events such as National Walk/Bike to Work Week; and, Investigate setting up a Bicycle User Group (BUG) which will encourage cyclists to meet regularly to discuss local cycle issues. 6.6 CYCLIST FACILITIES The provision of quality facilities for cyclists has a key role in facilitating and encouraging travel to the site by bike. As set out in Section 4, 70 cycle spaces will be provided in a secure and convenient location within the proposed building. An additional 6 short stay spaces will be provided outside the building to cater for short stay trips.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 50 of 54
A cycle repair stand will be provided alongside the cycle storage in level -02, this will provide a free and convenient facility for cyclists to make repairs to their bikes. An example of a cycle repair stand is shown in Figure 6-1 and can be seen to include a universal bike mount and eight tools to facilitate repairs.
Figure 6-1 - Example of Cycle Repair Stand16
Shower facilities will also be provided within the building. These facilities along with other TP measures, including cycle training and promotion, will facilitate and encourage travel to and from the building. 6.7 CYCLE CLINICS/TRAINING Bikeability Wales, an inclusive cycling charity based outside Swansea, offers training sessions for children and adults. Information about this service will be included in the travel information packs. The proposal development includes a unit to be occupied by a bike workshop. The TPC will investigate arranging cycle training and cycle clinics with the occupier of this space. 6.8 PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES The proposals have been designed to encourage travel to the site on foot. Section 3.7 describes the provision for pedestrians within the local highway network and outlines the findings of an audit of routes to the site. The audit included five routes which encompassed the key destinations and origins of walking trips within central Swansea. The section demonstrates how the site benefits from good provision and connectivity for pedestrians, due to its central location within Swansea.
16 Source: https://www.cyclehoop.com/product/pumps-stations/repair-stand/
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 51 of 54
The accessibility of the site for pedestrians will be further enhanced through the on-going regeneration works on The Kingsway / Orchard Street and nearby streets, including: Wider footways on both sides of the carriageway; Introduction of street furniture, such as seating; Two additional zebra crossings; Controlled crossings at two junctions (at The Kingsway Circle and opposite the site at Christina Street); A new pedestrian street linking The Kingsway to Oxford Street adjacent to the site (properties 232 and 233 Oxford Street have been demolished to create this link); Pedestrianisation of the northern section of Union Street to provide greater linkage with the pedestrian zone on Oxford Street; Improvements to adjacent streets, including Craddock Street and Union Street; A new pocket park at The Kingsway Circle; and, Introduction of a 20mph speed limit. 6.9 FACILITIES FOR MOBILITY IMPAIRED PERSONS As required by the latest BREEAM guidance (2018), the proposed development has been designed with consideration of disabled users. The disabled access to the site accounts for varying levels and types of disability, including visual impairment. Table 6-1 demonstrates that there are opportunities for disabled users to access the site from car parks located near the proposed site. The location of each car park has been provided in Figure 3-9.
Table 6-1 – Provision of Local Disabled Bays
Disabled Bays Disabled Bays Disabled Bays Total Between Between Between 1m - 101m 101m - 301m 301m - 550m
4 51 87 142
An audit has been undertaken of the walking routes between the site and key facilities including the bus station, railway station, bus stops and car parks. The proposed location offers localised car parking opportunities, public transport opportunities, and active travel facilities that meet the requirements of disabled users. Site users will benefit from the relocation of a bus stop to directly adjacent to the proposed site on The Kingsway, this will minimise the walking distance to the site for people with limited mobility or visual impairments. The TPC will identify accessible routes to public transport services, thereby facilitating the use of public transport as an alternative to the private car. Bikeability Wales offers specialist bikes for hire for people with a range of abilities. The TPC will also provide information on where specialist bikes can be hired from.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 52 of 54
7 IMPLEMENTATION MONITORING AND REVIEW
7.1 OVERVIEW This Chapter sets out the ways in which the TP will be monitored and reviewed. In order to monitor the effectiveness of the TP and its initiatives, it is essential to implement a comprehensive monitoring and review programme. The programme will ensure that measures are delivered in a structured manner to achieve the TP objectives. The TP is an evolving document which will need to be updated on a regular basis in order to take account of the latest best practice and existing conditions and usage on the site. Furthermore, because travel planning is an ever-changing process influenced by changing attitudes and technology, some of the measures and initiatives may become unsuitable in the future, while others not initially considered may come forward as being appropriate. 7.2 MONITORING A programme of monitoring and review will be implemented to evaluate the success of the TP. The TPC will be responsible for implementing the TP and monitoring its effectiveness. The monitoring of the TP will take the form of the following: Staff travel surveys; and, Monitoring of cycle parking demand. The TPC will be responsible for monitoring the cycle parking demand at the site to identify if there is a need to provide additional cycle parking. 7.2.1 BASELINE TRAVEL SURVEYS It is proposed to undertake within 6 months of the building units being 50% occupied. The surveys will be repeated 1, 3 and 5 years after the baseline survey to monitor the progress towards the mode share targets. It is envisaged that the surveys would be in the form of questionnaires for all staff at the proposed development. The surveys will aim to collate information on current travel modes of staff and their willingness to consider alternative modes of travel. The proposed survey forms will be agreed with Swansea Council prior to the survey. The results of the survey will generate baseline mode share data and will be used to set and monitor targets. If the results of the survey find that the targets set by the TP have become outdated, the targets will be adjusted accordingly and the changes provided to Swansea Council for review. 7.2.2 MONITORING REPORT A monitoring report will be produced summarising the results of the analysis after each monitoring stage, i.e. after each staff travel survey. The monitoring reports will be submitted to Swansea Council for approval. At this stage, it is envisaged that the reports will include the following details: Details of progress made since the preparation and submission of the previous monitoring report; A summary of the monitoring results, including a survey methodology, percentage of respondents and results;
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 53 of 54
An assessment of whether the targets are being met or are on track to be met by the end of the monitoring period; The identification of any potential issues or failings; and, The identification of actions for the next phase of evaluation. 7.3 REVIEW The TPC will report the results of each monitoring survey to Swansea Council within one month of the survey results being collected. The TPC and Swansea Council will then review the results and, if appropriate, revise the targets and measures accordingly. The results of the travel survey and revised targets will be included in any subsequent revisions of the TP. If the monitoring results identify that targets are not being met, remedial measures to encourage sustainable methods of travel will be implemented.
71/72 THE KINGSWAY CONFIDENTIAL | WSP Project No.: 70039389 | Our Ref No.: 02 November 2019 Swansea Council Page 54 of 54
1 Capital Quarter Tyndall Street Cardiff CF10 4BZ wsp.com
CONFIDENTIAL