Robertstown Industrial Estate Transport Assessment
For Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
Date: 13 August 2018 Doc ref: 3267 -HYD -XX -XX -RP -TP -3001
DOCUMENT CONTROL SHEET
Issued by Hydrock Consultants Limited Tel: 029 20 023 665 First Floor Castlebridge 5 www.hydrock.com 5 - 19 Cowbridge Road East Cardiff CF11 9AB
Client Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
Project name Robertstown Industrial Estate
Title Transport Assessment
Doc ref 3267 -HYD -XX -XX -RP -TP -3001
Project no. C-09253 -C
Status S3 - Suitable for Review and Comment
Date 13/08/2018
Document Production Record
Issue Number P01 Name
Prepared by David Cooke
Checked by David Chapman
Approved by David Chapman
Document Revision Record
Issue Numb er Status Date Revision Details
P01 S3 10 /08/2018 First Issue
Hydrock Consultants Limited has prepared this report in accordance with the instructions of the above named client for their sole and specific use. Any third parties who may use the information contained herein do so at their own risk.
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 i
CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION ...... 1 1.1 Overview ...... 1 1.2 Scope ...... 1 2. EXISTING CONDITIONS ...... 3 2.1 Site Location and Use ...... 3 2.2 Local Highway Network ...... 3 2.3 A4059 Aberdare Bypass Extension...... 5 2.4 Existing Traffic Flow Conditions ...... 5 2.5 Highway Safety ...... 6 3. SUSTAINABLE CONNECTIVITY OF THE SITE ...... 10 3.1 Overall Site Accessibility...... 10 3.2 Walking and Cycling Introduction ...... 10 3.3 Walking Infrastructure and Routes ...... 10 3.4 Cycling Infrastructure and Routes ...... 12 3.5 Walking and Cycling Distances ...... 13 3.6 Accessibility by Public Transport ...... 15 3.7 Summary ...... 18 4. DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS...... 19 4.1 Overview and Layout ...... 19 4.2 Vehicular Access ...... 19 4.3 HGV Access Route ...... 19 4.4 Pedestrian and Cycling Access ...... 20 4.5 Parking ...... 20 4.6 Internal Layout ...... 21 4.7 Construction Movements ...... 21 5. TRIP GENERATION AND DISTRIBUTION ...... 23 5.1 Introduction ...... 23 5.2 Proposed Vehicle Trip Generation ...... 23 5.3 HGV Movements ...... 24 5.4 Vehicle Distribution and Assignment ...... 24 5.5 Proposed Development Modal Split ...... 26 6. FUTURE YEAR TRAFFIC FLOWS ...... 27
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 ii
6.1 Assessment Scenarios ...... 27 6.2 Traffic Growth ...... 27 6.3 Future year flows and assessment scenarios ...... 27 7. TRAFFIC IMPACTS AND OPERATIONAL ASSESSMENTS ...... 28 7.1 Introduction ...... 28 7.2 Extent of Assessment ...... 28 7.3 Assessment Scenarios ...... 28 7.4 Percentage Impact Assessments...... 28 7.5 Operational Assessments - Overview...... 29 7.6 Operational Assessments - Results Summary ...... 30 7.7 Operational Assessments - Summary ...... 36 8. TRANSPORT IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY ...... 37 8.1 Overview ...... 37 8.2 Walking ...... 37 8.3 Cycling ...... 37 8.4 Public Transport ...... 37 8.5 Vehicular Access ...... 37 8.6 Travel Plan ...... 38 9. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ...... 39 9.1 Summary ...... 39 9.2 Conclusions ...... 40
Tables
Table 2.1: 2018 Traffic Flow and Speed Survey Results – Wellington Street ...... 6 Table 3.1: Proximity of the site to Local Facilities and Amenities ...... 14 Table 3.2: Local Bus Services ...... 16 Table 3.3: Bus Services from Aberdare Bus Station ...... 16 Table 3.4: Rail Services from Aberdare Rail Station ...... 17 Table 4.1: Car Parking Standards ...... 21 Table 5.1: Vehicle Trip Generation – Privately Owned Housing ...... 23 Table 5.2: HGV Trip Rates and Trips ...... 24 Table 5.3: Proposed Development Forecast Modal Splits...... 26 Table 7.1: Proposed Development Percentage Impacts on Total Traffic Flows ...... 29 Table 7.2: A4059 / Wellington Street Roundabout Junction Analysis - 2018 Results...... 30 Table 7.3: Queue Length comparison - A4059 / Wellington Street Roundabout ...... 31 Table 7.4: A4059 / Wellington Street Roundabout Junction Analysis - 2023 Results (with and without development)...... 31 Table 7.5: A4059 / Canal Road Roundabout Junction Analysis - 2018 Results ...... 32
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 iii
Table 7.6: Queue Length comparison - A4059 / Canal Road Roundabout ...... 32 Table 7.7: A4059 / Canal Road Roundabout Junction Analysis - 2023 Results (with and without development) .. 32 Table 7.8: Wellington Street / Abernant Road / Cwmbach Road Roundabout Junction Analysis - 2018 Results ... 33 Table 7.9: Queue Length comparison - Wellington Street / Abernant Road / Cwmbach Road Roundabout ...... 33 Table 7.10: Wellington Street / Abernant Road / Cwmbach Road Roundabout Junction Analysis - 2023 Results (with and without development) ...... 34 Table 7.11: A4059 / Abernant Road Roundabout Junction Analysis - 2018 Results ...... 35 Table 7.12: Queue Length comparison - A4059 / Abernant Road Roundabout ...... 35 Table 7.13: A4059 / Abernant Road Roundabout Junction Analysis - 2023 Results (with and without development)...... 35
Figures
Figure 2.1: Site Location Plan ...... 3 Figure 2.2: Personal Injury Accident Locations ...... 7 Figure 2.3: Location Plan of PIAs at the A4059 / B4275 / Ffordd Tirwaun roundabout ...... 8 Figure 3.1: Walking and Cycling Infrastructure surrounding site ...... 11 Figure 3.2: Cycling Routes within the vicinity of the proposed development site ...... 13 Figure 3.3: Local Facilities and Amenities Plan ...... 15 Figure 4.1: Proposed HGV Route to Site ...... 20 Figure 5.1: Car driver commuting flows to Rhondda Cynon Taf 002 ...... 25
Appendices
Appendix A Scoping Discussions with RCTCBC Appendix B Local Highway Boundary Extents Plan Appendix C Traffic and Parking Beat Survey Data Appendix D PIA Data Appendix E Site Masterplan Appendix F Site Access Drawings and Swept Paths Appendix G TRICS Output Report Appendix H Census Distribution Analysis Appendix I Junctions 9 Outputs
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 iv
1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Overview
Hydrock has prepared this Transport Assessment (TA) to seek to accompany an application for a proposed commercial development on land to the south west of Wellington Street in Robertstown, Aberdare.
The proposals are to accommodate up to 20 industrial units on-site for B1(c), B2 and / or B8 land uses. The Gross Floor Area (GFA) of all of the units on the site would be up to approximately 3,000 sqm (it is likely to be slightly less than this, but for the purpose of a robust assessment, the analysis in this TA has been based on a development of this size).
The proposed development will be accessed from Wellington Street from two new priority junctions situated at either end of the site which would be connected via an internal access road.
1.2 Scope
Pre-application discussions have been held with highway officers at Rhonda Cynon Taf County Borough Council (RCTCBC). This included the production of a TA Scoping Report, email correspondence and a pre-application meeting. The Scoping emails and Scoping Report are included in 0.
The pre-application discussions agreed the methodology for undertaking the TA, including trip rates, trip distribution, growth factors, extent of junction assessments and software to be used, survey periods, year of future assessments, principle of access, committed developments and travel planning inputs.
This TA has been set out in accordance with various local and national guidance including Technical Advice Note 18: Transport (TAN18), RCTCBC Local Development Plan (Adopted 2011), the BGCBC Access, Circulation and Parking SPG (2011) and South East Wales Valleys Local Transport Plan (January 2015) as well as considering our previous experience of other similar sites.
The TA also considers guidance from the Department for Transport (DfT) including Transport Evidence in Plan Making, Manual for Streets, Local Transport Note 2/08: Cycle Infrastructure Design and guidance from the CIHT - Providing for Journeys on Foot, Planning for Walking and Manual for Streets 2.
As a broad overview the TA includes the following:
• Description of the location of the site as well as a review of the existing conditions of the surrounding local highway network including access and parking, existing traffic flow patterns and highway safety; • Review of walking and cycling routes in accordance with the Active Travel Act and analysis of the connectivity of the site with regard to local facilities, walking, cycling and public transport networks; • Development proposals, in particular access by all modes, site design principles, car parking and servicing and delivery arrangements; • Trip generation and distribution; • Traffic growth factors for baseline traffic flows and committed developments; • Analysis of the impact on the local highway network; • Transport Implementation Strategy including mitigation measures, where required.
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 1
In addition to the TA, a Framework Travel Plan (FTP) has been produced to promote and encourage sustainable travel to future employees and visitors from the outset of occupation. This has been submitted as a separate standalone document as part of the application.
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 2
2. EXISTING CONDITIONS 2.1 Site Location and Use
The site is located on the north eastern periphery of Aberdare approximately 400 metres to the north of Aberdare Rail Station and the town centre.
It is bordered by residential properties along Bridge Street to the north west, Wellington Street to the north east, the recently completed Coleg y Cymoedd Aberdare Campus and the River Cynon to the south-east and to the south west by a continuation of the Aberdare branch line to the Tower Colliery.
The site was previously occupied by the Former Railway Goods Yard due to its location directly adjacent to the Aberdare branch line. The site is under the ownership of RCTCBC and is currently unoccupied.
Although the site frontage is contiguous with Wellington Street, there is currently no vehicular access to the site from this location.
The location of the site in its local context is shown in Figure 2.1.
Figure 2.1: Site Location Plan
Robertstown Industrial Estate Abernant Robertstown SITE
Tesco Superstore
Aberdare Rail Station
Aberdare Bus Station Aberdare Town Centre
2.2 Local Highway Network Wellington Street
Wellington Street is a single carriageway road which runs in a north – south alignment directly adjacent to the site. The road runs parallel to the A4059 and is subject to a 30mph speed limit. The carriageway is generally around 6.5 metres wide with footway provision on both sides. The extent of the adopted highway boundary along the site frontage is shown in Appendix B.
To the north of the site Wellington Street is fronted by a mix of residential (Robertstown) and industrial properties (Aberdare Business Park). Wellington Street enters Robertstown via a constrained S-bend.
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 3
Within Robertstown, Wellington Street is fronted by residential properties and the carriageway narrows to around 5 metres wide with some on-street parking occurring.
To the northwest of this narrowing the carriageway widens again within Aberdare Business Park and crosses the Aberdare branch rail line at a level crossing. At its northwestern end it links to a four arm roundabout with Meirion Street and the A4059.
To the south of the site, the carriageway is fronted by either brownfield land or the Aberdare campus for Coleg-y-Cymoedd. Around 400 metres to the south of the site, Wellington Street connects with Abernant Road at a four-arm roundabout junction.
A parking survey was undertaken on Wellington Street between Phillip Street and the southern site boundary. This is to identify the level of on-street parking along Wellington Street which may impact on through vehicle movements. This was undertaken by an independent survey specialist (Tracsis Plc) on 19 July 2018 between 0700-0930 and 1600-1830. This survey was split into 6 zones as shown in the data which has been shown in full in Appendix C.
The parking beat data shows that on the majority of Wellington Street, there was no on-street parking, including along the entire frontage of the site. As such, the provision of an access along the site frontage will not have an impact on on-street parking and visibility will not be affected by vehicles parked on-street. In addition, on-street parking should not impact vehicles being able to turn into and out of the site access junctions.
All on-street parking occurred in Zones 2 and 3, with between 5 and 7 vehicles parked during all survey periods. These zones are broadly between and either side of Thomas Street and Bridge Street, where Wellington Street narrows. As such, this section of the highway would not be able to accommodate two-way free flowing movements and an informal give-way would operate. There is appropriate forward visibility along the majority of this section, for this to operate safely. However, the results of this survey would confirm that a HGV route to the south for the majority of vehicles would be more appropriate, although there is an existing industrial area to the north of this restricted section. Abernant Road
Abernant Road is a single carriageway road which connects Wellington Street with the A4059 and the village of Abernant to the north-east. Between Wellington Street and the A4059 the carriageway is approximately 6.5 metres wide with footways on both sides of the carriageway.
Around 60 metres to the south of Wellington Street, Abernant Road passes under the Aberdare Branch Rail line where there is a height restriction of 12ft (3.66 metres). This restricts HGV movements along Abernant Road connecting to the A4059.
To the north of Wellington Street and to the north of the village of Abernant, the road turns into a partially surfaced rural lane which eventually links to the A470 to the east. Cwmbach Road / Canal Road
Cwmbach Road connects to the four arm roundabout with Wellington Street and Abernant Road at is northwestern end. This becomes Canal Road to the south east and links to the A4059 to the south. As such this route provides an alternative access to and from the site for HGV movements for those with heights in excess of 12 ft (3.66 metres).
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 4
The carriageway is approximately 7 metres wide along its length and subject to 30 to 40mph speed restrictions with a reduction to 20mph outside the school. In the vicinity of its junction with Wellington Street the carriageway is fronted by some industrial uses, residential properties and Aberdare Girls School. Some on-street parking occurs in this location in marked parking bays and laybys and double and single yellow line parking restrictions are provided outside of these locations.
There are footways on both sides of the carriageway which are connected by a zebra crossing directly adjacent to its junction with Wellington Street.
Between Plasdraw Road and Well Place, Cwmbach Road has a rural setting with a footway only provided on the southern side of the carriageway. A4059
The A4059 is the key arterial route within the vicinity of the site. This joins the trunk road network at each end with the A470 at Abercynon accessed to the south and the A465 at Hirwaun accessed to the north. As such, this would form the key HGV route to and from the site.
Within the vicinity of Aberdare and Cwmbach the A4059 is a wide single carriageway road with intermittent footway provision and is subject to a speed limit of between 40 and 60mph. 2.3 A4059 Aberdare Bypass Extension
As part of the RCTCBC LDP, highway improvements have been proposed on the A4059 to tie in with the dualling of the A465 Head of the Valleys Road which is currently being delivered by Welsh Government.
The LDP identifies that these improvements will assist with the development of the Strategic Sites in Hirwaun and Aberdare.
In particular, funding has been secured to delivery improvements at the A4059 / B4275 roundabout (Asda roundabout) in Aberdare to provide capacity and flow enhancements. 2.4 Existing Traffic Flow Conditions
To establish a baseline traffic position on the network against which the development proposals can be assessed, surveys were undertaken at key junctions on the local highway network. The extent of the study area was agreed with RCTCBC through scoping discussions. An independent traffic survey specialist (Tracsis Plc) was commissioned to carry out the surveys between the hours of 0700 - 1000 and 1600 - 1900 on 19th July 2018. The obtained surveys included junction turning counts and queue length surveys at the following junctions:
1. A4059 / Wellington Street Roundabout 2. A4059 / Canal Road Roundabout 3. Wellington Street / Abernant Road / Cwmbach Road Roundabout 4. A4059 / Abernant Road Roundabout (Ynys Roundabout) The full survey results are included in Appendix C. Using the combined traffic flow data from both junctions, network peak hours of 08:00 - 09:00 in the AM peak period and 17:00 – 18:00 in the PM peak period have been identified. Traffic flow diagrams showing the baseline 2018 turning movements across the network during the peak hours are included as Figures 2.3 and 2.4 to the rear of this TA.
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 5
In addition, an automatic traffic count was obtained on Wellington Street to obtain traffic speeds and flows to aid with the junction design. This was obtained between the 19 July and 25 July 2018.
The resultant average weekday traffic flows and average 7 day speeds are presented in Table 2.1. Full survey outputs have been reproduced within Appendix C.
Table 2.1: 2018 Traffic Flow and Speed Survey Results – Wellington Street
Direction AM Peak PM Peak Weekday Average 85th (0800 -0900) (1700 -1800) Average Speed (mph) Percentile Speed (mph) Northbound 78 118 1047 31.3 36.7 Southbound 73 64 852 31.0 36.0 Two-Way 151 182 1900 N/A N/A
The traffic flows on Wellington Street are between 151 and 182 two-way movements in the AM and PM peak hours and 1900 movements over a weekday average period. The survey also showed approximately 1% of the traffic flows were HGVs.
The speed survey showed 85th percentile speeds at less than 37 mph (60kph) and average speeds of c.31mph.
Based on the observed speeds (below 60kph 85 th percentile speeds) and considering the context of the site it is considered that the guidance within Manual for Streets would be appropriate for the design of the proposed site access junctions. 2.5 Highway Safety
Personal Injury Accident (PIA) data has been obtained from recorded road safety data published annually by the Department for Transport (DfT). The statistics provide recorded PIA data reported in each local authority recorded using the STATS19 accident reporting form. The annual dataset is released in June each year, although 2017 data is being released at the end of September, and as such the most recently available five-year dataset covers between January 1 st 2012 and 31 st December 2016. The study area covers the local highway network between the site and the A4059 at the Canal Road roundabout and the B4275 roundabout as well as the A4059 / Merion Street roundabout to the north.
Figure 2.2 contains a plot of the accidents within the study area over the recorded five year period. A summary of the STATS19 outputs is shown within Appendix D.
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 6
Figure 2.2: Personal Injury Accident Locations
Key:
Slight Serious Fatal Study Area
Mapping: Google Maps (2018)
A total of 25 PIAs were recorded within the study area during the five year period. Of these two were classified as serious in severity and 23 were classified as slight in severity. None of the PIAs were fatal.
One of these PIAs involved vulnerable road users (i.e. pedestrians, cyclists and / or children). Three incidents involved motorcyclists and two involved a HGV / Bus.
The following summarises the two PIAs which have been classed as serious:
• One occurred along Thomas Street to the north of the site this was as a result of vehicle colliding with a pedestrian • One occurred along Cwmbach road and was as a result of a single vehicle losing control. Clusters of four or more PIAs occurring within 25 metres were shown on the A4059 / B4275 / Ffordd Tiwaun Roundabout. This showed a total of seven PIAs occurring within the vicinity of the roundabout, although these all occurred in different locations and do not therefore indicate a cluster of four PIAs in the same location or a pattern of incidents. Figure 2.3 shows the location of the PIAs which occurred at the roundabout.
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 7
Figure 2.3: Location Plan of PIAs at the A4059 / B4275 / Ffordd Tirwaun roundabout
Mapping: Google Maps (2018)
These PIAs are summarised as follows:
• Rear end shunt between two vehicles on A4059 East approach • Collision between a car and motorbike entering the roundabout from A4059 East • Collision between two vehicles on the circulatory carriageway • Collision between two HGV’s on the circulatory carriageway at Ffordd Tirwaun exit of roundabout • Single vehicle incident on A4059 West approach to the roundabout • Side on collision between two vehicles on A4059 West approach to the roundabout • Rear end shunt on A4059 West approach to roundabout. The incidents at this junction indicate there is not a common causality factor and therefore the evidence does not show there is a highway safety pattern / problem at the roundabout. None of these incidents results in serious injuries.
No PIAs occurred on Wellington Street along the site frontage.
2.5.10 Whilst any accidents are unfortunate, there is a relatively low number of collisions across the five year period considering the study area covers an A road running through an urban area and the level of vehicle, cyclist and pedestrian movements which would likely be accommodated within the study area.
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 8
When combined with a low severity rating overall, this indicates that the study area and associated junctions do not have an inherent road safety issue.
Based on this analysis it is therefore concluded that, although all incidents are regrettable, the PIAs that occurred do not indicate a specific issue with the geometry of the highway that would be exacerbated by the proposals.
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 9
3. SUSTAINABLE CONNECTI VITY OF THE SITE 3.1 Overall Site Accessibility
The importance of the location of a site in relation to encouraging sustainable travel is set out within TAN18: Transport (March 2007). Paragraph 3.7 states “The location of major travel generating uses including employment, education, shopping and leisure can significantly influence the number and length of journeys, journey mode and the potential for multi-purpose trips. Development plans should seek wherever possible to identify locations for such developments, which offer genuine and easy access by a range of transport modes”.
TAN18 then continues to state that “ allocate major generators of travel demand in city, town and district centres and near public transport interchanges, as a means to reduce car dependency and increase social inclusion by ensuring that development is accessible by public transport for those without access to a car .”
Finally, paragraph 3.8 states “ Locations that are highly accessible by a variety of travel modes offer significant opportunities to make travel patterns more sustainable .” As such it is recognised by TAN18 that the sustainable location of a site can assist in facilitating sustainable travel habits.
This chapter sets out the connectivity of the site to the surrounding area by sustainable modes of travel and demonstrates the accessible location of the site.
3.2 Walking and Cycling Introduction
The importance of walking and cycling in contributing towards sustainable travel patterns is detailed in TAN18. The guidance emphasises not only the role walking and cycling can have as main modes of transport for local journeys but also the considerable contribution they play in forming parts of longer journeys by public transport. Paragraph 6.2 of TAN18 states that Local Authorities should promote walking as the main mode of transport for shorter trips.
This section of the TA sets out details of the walking and cycling infrastructure / routes from the site to surrounding facilities and public transport hubs. The routes to the surrounding facilities and services have been considered in the context of the Welsh Government Active Travel Act Design Guidance (ATADG) (2013). 3.3 Walking Infrastructure and Routes
The site is well connected to the local area by an extensive network of footways, as would be expected for a site situated within an existing urban area that already accommodates high levels of pedestrian movements. The routes to key facilities and public transport hubs are mainly flat and the majority of streets surrounding the site have footways on both sides.
To gain a full understanding of the quality of the routes connecting to the site and identify any potential issues, a review of the pedestrian infrastructure on routes to the key facilities has been carried out considering the guidance set out in the Active Travel Act.
An overview plan of the existing footway, crossings and public right of way provision is shown in Figure 3.1.
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 10
Figure 3.1: Walking and Cycling Infrastructure surrounding site
KEY
Footway on side of carriageway Off-road footway Formal controlled crossing locations Dropped Kerb / Tactile Paving Crossing
Site
Tesco
Rail Station
Town Centre
Bus Station
The key routes which have been reviewed in this TA are to the closest bus stops on Wellington Street (to the north by Bridge Street), the Aberdare Rail Station and to Tesco (which includes access to a number of further bus services).
The primary route between the site and Aberdare Rail Station is via footways on the southern side of Wellington Street. These are approximately 2 metres wide, well lit and well maintained. These provide a continuous route between the site and the rail station, with only two minor access road crossings, which both provide tactile paving and dropped kerb. The footway and crossings are shown in Plate 3.1 and 3.2.
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 11
Plate 3.1: Wellington Street footways Plate 3.2: Wellington Street dropped kerbs
The Wellington Street footways connect with the two metre-wide footways on the western side of Abernant Road which in turn link to the station access ramp.
The route to the rail station is considered to be of good quality, is flat, lit and provides a continuous footway between the site and the rail station with approximately a 450 metre walk. This is an acceptable and appropriate route to accommodate walking movements.
The bus stop adjacent to Bridge Street to the north of the site can be accessed by the continuous footway which links to the north of the site along Wellington Street. This is also a relatively flat route and of good quality, benefits from lighting and would be suitable for accommodating pedestrian movements.
The route to Tesco and to the bus stops within Tesco can also be accessed by walking along the footways to the north of the site on Wellington Road and then by connecting to the footways on Bridge Street linking to the south. The footways link to the Cynon Trail bridge which crosses the railway between Bridge Street and Thomas Street. This bridge is for walking and cycling movements (although cyclists are required to dismount) and has street lighting along its length. It connects on its southern side to Tudor Terrace, which in turn links to Tesco via a footpath which connects to a ramped access at its eastern end and a pedestrian route which runs along the Tesco northern boundary. Pedestrians can then access the bus stops and laybys using the Tesco frontage. This route is of good quality and these stops are approximately a 650 metre walk from the site.
3.4 Cycling Infrastructure and Routes
National Cycle Network (NCN) Route 478 passes within close proximity of the site. This is a regional cycle route which runs between the Taff Trail (NCN8) at Abercynon to the south and the Heads of the Valleys (NCN46) at Hirwaun to the north.
Locally the cycle route runs along the River Cynon to the east of the site and it routes across the northern boundary of the site within the vicinity of Bridge Street as shown in Figure 3.2. The close proximity of the cycle route to the site would provide an excellent opportunity for travel by this mode.
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 12
Figure 3.2: Cycling Routes within the vicinity of the proposed development site
Source: Sustrans 3.5 Walking and Cycling Distances
There are a number of publications which suggest guidance for appropriate walking and cycling distances to facilities. For reference, these have been summarised as follows.
1. Welsh Government - Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013 : Within the Active Travel Act Design Guidance (ATADG) it is stated within paragraph 4.1.4 that “walking as a mode of travel predominates for journeys of less than two miles whilst cycling is more convenient for longer journeys, typically of up to five miles for regular journeys”. This equates to walking distances of up to 3.2km and cycling distances of up to 8km. 2. DfT - TA91/05 P rovision for Non -Motorised Users - Paragraph 2.2 states that 2 miles is ‘a distance that could easily be walked by the majority of people’. Paragraph 2.3 also continues by stating that ‘Walking is used to access a wide variety of destinations including… places of work, normally within a range of up to 2 miles’ (3.2km). This is consistent with the Welsh Government ATADG guidance. 3. Department for Transport (DfT) – Manual for Streets (2007 ): The ATADG references MfS guidance. MfS states that ‘walkable neighbourhoods’ are typically characterised by having a range of facilities within 10 minutes walking distance (c. 800 metres). 4. CIHT (2015) – Planning for Walking : In relation to shorter trips in particular, (section 2.1) states that across Britain about ‘80% of journeys shorter than 1 mile (1.6km) are made wholly on foot’. 5. DfT - Local Transport Note (LTN) 2/08 : Further guidance set out in LTN2/08, suggests that the average distance that cyclists will generally travel is approximately 5km (16 minutes based on a cycling speed of 19.2km/h as set out in LTN2/08). As such, it is considered that suitable walking distances could be up to 3.2km. This equates to around a 40-minute walk travelling at 3mph (4.8kph). It has been assumed that journeys of up to 8km are within an acceptable cycling distance. A cycling journey of 8km would equate to approximately a 25-minute trip. TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 13
Facilities, public transport services and residential areas which are within the vicinity of the site and the acceptable walking and cycling distances accessed via established routes, have been summarised in Table 3.1 with their location shown in Figure 3.3.
Table 3.1: Proximity of the site to Local Facilities and Amenities
Ref Facility / Amenity Walking and Average Travel Time (minutes) Cycling Distance Walking Cycling (metres) Public Transport 1 Robertstown Bridge Street Bus Stop 250 3 <1 2 Plas Draw Railway Station Bus Stop 650 8 2 3 Aberdare Rail Station 450 5 2 4 Abernant Road Bus Stops 700 9 2 5 Cwmbach Road Bus Stops 750 9 2 6 Bus Station 900 11 3 Commercial 7 Tesco Superstore 650 8 2 8 Lidl 800 10 3 9 McDonalds 850 11 3 10 Aberdare Town Centre 1,000 13 3 Education 11 Coleg Y Cymoedd Aberdare Campus 400 5 1 12 Stepping Stones Nursery 450 6 1 13 Aberdare Community School 800 10 3 14 Aberdare Park Primary School 15 St John Baptist High School 1,200 15 4 16 Caradog Primary School 1,400 18 4 17 Aberdare Town Church Primary School 1,400 18 4 Leisure 18 Sobell Leisure Centre 800 10 3 19 Aberdare Park 1,300 16 4 Residential Areas 20 Robertstown 250 3 1 21 Trecynon 1,200 15 4 22 Aber-Nant 1,400 18 4 23 Cwmdare 2,500 31 8
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 14
Figure 3.3: Local Facilities and Amenities Plan
21 Key 20 Public Transport 14 1 Commercial Education SITE Leisure Residential Areas 19 7
8 9 22 12 4 23 11
15 3 5 2 10 18 6 13
16
17
The site is situated within acceptable walking distance to a wide range of facilities, residential areas and public transport stops with a number of bus stops, Aberdare Rail Station, a large and discount supermarket, a fast food outlet and a leisure centre within 800 metres of the centre of the site (10 minute walk).
There are a significant number of existing residential areas situated within a reasonable walk of the site. Within a 3.2km walk of the site there is a residential population of around 21,000 (Table KS102EW, 2011 Census Data). This offers a good potential for movements to and from the site to be made on foot.
There are also various other local facilities and amenities within 1.5km of the site. These include Aberdare Bus Station and the entirety of Aberdare Town Centre.
All facilities and services are within the ATADG upper walking distance thresholds and can be accessed via suitable walking routes in accordance with the ATADG.
The site has good connectivity and access to services and facilities within walking and cycling distance via good quality and appropriate routes and crossings which will encourage walking and cycling for potential future users of the site and reduce the reliance on the private car. The site is situated in an accessible location and the routes linking to the site are considered to be fully compliant with the Active Travel Act. 3.6 Accessibility by Public Transport Bus
There are a number of bus stops within 800 metres of the centre of the site. The closest bus stops are located within Robertstown on the corner of Bridge Street which are situated within 250 metres. These
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 15
bus stops are unmarked. The closest marked bus stops (which include a flag for stopping services) are the Plas-Draw Railway Station bus stops.
The bus services which operate bus stops within 800 metres of the site are summarised in Table 3.2.
Table 3.2: Local Bus Services Service Route Stop First / Frequency La st Day Evening Saturday Sunday 91 Abercwmboi Bridge 0847 / Hourly N/A Hourly N/A - Penywaun Street 1647 91 Penywaun - Bridge 0908 / Hourly N/A Hourly N/A Abercwmboi Street 1708 1 Aberdare – General 0927 / Hourly N/A Hourly N/A Abernant Hospital 1827 113 Aberdare – Girls 0801 / 30 mins N/A 30 mins N/A Cwmbach School 1701
These combined routes provide a frequent service to a number of local destinations.
In addition to the local services, there are stops at Tesco within 650 metres walk of the site and Aberdare Bus Station is within 900 metres walking or cycling distance of the site. There are a further 14 bus services that operate to and from the bus station with five of these serving Tesco (6,7,8,9,11). A summary of these services is shown in Table 3.3.
Table 3.3: Bus Services from Aberdare Bus Station Service Destination First / Frequency Last Day Evening Saturday Sunday 2 Ty Fry / Aberdare 0750 / Hourly 1943 Hourly N/A 1943 6 Merthyr Tydfil 0731 / 30 mins N/A 30 mins N/A 1740 Aberdare 0720 / 30 mins N/A 30 mins N/A 1852 7 Penderyn 0730 / 40 mins N/A 40 mins N/A 1810 Cwmaman 0810 / 20 – 40 Hourly 20 – 40 N/A 1900 mins mins 8 Morfa Glas 0540 / Hourly 35 – 40 Hourly N/A 1905 mins Cwmaman 0710 / Hour ly N/A Hourly N/A 1820 9 Merthyr Tydfil 0711 / 20 mins Hourly 20 mins Hourly 2229 Cwmaman 0630 / 20 mins Hourly 20 mins Hourly 2303 11A Cwmdare 0755 / Hourly N/A Hourly 2 Hourly 1804 11C Cwmdare 0725 / Hourly N/A Hourly 2 Hourly 1825
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 16
Service Destination First / Frequency Last Day Evening Saturday Sunday 13A Cwmbach 0745 / Hourly N/A Hourly 2 Hourly 1845 60 / 60A Pontypridd 0605 / 15 mins 2 Hourly 15 mins N/A 2140 89 Merthyr Tydfil 1345 / N/A N/A N/A 2 Hourly 1745 95A Perthcelyn 0735 / Hourly N/A Hourly N/A 1735 172 Porthc awl 0535 / Hourly N/A Hourly 2 – 3 1815 Hourly 600 Cardiff 1015 / N/A N/A N/A 2 Hourly 2312
There are a number of buses which provide services from key destinations which stop within close proximity of the site. These services provide an excellent combined service frequency and offer an alternative mode to the car. Travelling by bus would offer a realistic and attractive choice of travel mode for potential future users of the site.
Rail
Aberdare Rail Station is located approximately 450 metres to the south from the centre of the site. This provides direct access to further local and regional destinations such as Pontypridd and Cardiff as well as linking the site to the wider residential population in towns and villages along the Cynon Valley.
The station benefits from ramped access, real time information, a ticket counter and ticketing machine, a 41-space car park which is free to rail users and a shelter.
A summary of the timetabled services to and from Aberdare Rail Station is provided in Table 3.4.
Table 3.4: Rail Services from Aberdare Rail Station Monday - Saturday Sunday Daily Services Origin Destination AM Peak PM Peak Daily (End Station) Services Services Services (24 (0800 – (1700 – Hr) 0900) 1800) Aberdare Barry Island 2 2 23 6 Pontypridd - - 1 - Penarth - - 5 - Cardiff - - - 1 Central Cardiff Aberdare 1 1 5 1 Central Bridgend 1 1 16 - Barry Island - - 8 6 TOTAL (Two -Way) 4 4 58 14
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 17
The presence of the rail station within close proximity of the site enhances the sustainable accessibility of the development providing a realistic and attractive alternative for journeys to and from the site. 3.7 Summary
In summary, the site is considered to be situated in a sustainable location. This is consistent with the views of RCTCBC within the decision notice for the neighbouring Coleg Y Cymoedd development (App ref: 15/1322/10) which stated:
‘It is highly accessible by a range of sustainable modes of transport including train, bus, cycling and walking.’
The sustainable location provides future employees of the site with a realistic choice of modes of travel, which will assist in constraining the level of vehicle generation to and from the site.
The site location is also consistent with the policies and guidance as set out in the RCTCBC Adopted Local Development Plan (LDP) as the site is included as part of Policy NSA 7 for mixed use development on-site. This Policy states:
‘In accordance with Policy CS 3 land is allocated at Robertstown / Abernant, Aberdare for the construction of 500 – 600 dwellings, 3.7 hectares of employment / leisure, a new primary school, medical centre and associated informal amenity space in a parkland setting.’
In addition, the LDP states that developments should: ‘Reduce the need to travel by car within Rhondda Cynon Taf by promoting residential and commercial development in the Principal Towns and Key Settlements in the north and south of the County Borough where there is a choice of sustainable modes of transport.’
With regard to employment Policy AW11 states:
‘The redevelopment of derelict, unsightly, underused and vacant land / premises for alternatives uses have significant regeneration benefits.’
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 18
4. DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL S 4.1 Overview and Layout
The development proposals are for a planning application for 20 small scale industrial units. The units will be occupied by B1(c), B2 or B8 land uses.
The proposals are for an overall Gross Floor Area (GFA) across all units of up to around 2,926 sqm. For a worst case assessment, this TA has assessed a development of 3,000 sqm (c. 150 sqm per unit).
The site layout is shown in Appendix E. 4.2 Vehicular Access
Vehicular access is proposed via two new priority junctions with Wellington Street.
The location of the site access junctions (and general arrangement designs) are shown in Drawing 09253-HYD-XX-XX-DR-TP-0101 included as Appendix F. The access is designed fully in accordance with TD42/95 with corner radii of 15 metres and visibility splays in accordance with TAN18 Table B (56 metres in each direction based on 37mph 85 th percentile speeds). The access road widths have been designed to accommodate the two-way movement of vehicles up to and including 16.5 metres long (UK max legal length), with 7.3 metres for the northern access 938 metres for the southern access.
4.3 HGV Access Route
The industrial units proposed on the site are likely to generate some HGV movements onto the highway network. The number of HGV’s expected to be associated with the site is set out in further detail in Section 5.
As set out in Section 2, to the south of the site there is a 12 foot (3.66m) height restriction in place along Abernant Road on the section connecting to the A4059. To the north of the site, there is a narrow carriageway through the residential area which would not be the preferred route for HGV traffic as two- way HGV movements are not achievable along its length.
As such, the most appropriate route for HGV’s to access the site is therefore considered to be to and from the site via the A4059, Canal Road / Cwmbach Road and Wellington Street. The route is shown in Figure 4.1 and is the suggested route as set out on www.freightjourneyplanner.co.uk .
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 19
Figure 4.1: Proposed HGV Route to Site
Source: Freightjourneyplanner
4.4 Pedestrian and Cycling Access
The footways on the western side of Wellington Street would continue into the site on both sides of the site access junctions.
Dropped kerb and tactile paving crossings will be provided at both site access junctions for users with mobility impairments.
Cyclists would access the site on-street via Wellington Street, although the site is situated close to NCN478 which offers an excellent opportunity for access via a key local cycling route and cyclists would only need to travel on carriageway for a short distance from this route.
4.5 Parking Car Parking
Parking on-site will be provided based on guidance set out in the Delivering Design and Placemaking: Access, Circulation and Parking Requirements Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) adopted by RCTCBC in March 2011.
The site is located in Zone 3. This zone is defined as suburban or near urban area outside of the principal towns and key settlements. The description of the zone also states that:
‘The strategic sites if the LDP are also included in this zone for the purposes of the parking guidelines.’
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 20
The guidance for small scale industrial units is set out in Table 4.1.
Table 4.1: Car Parking Standards
Type of Development Oper ational Maximum Non -operational General Industry (<235 sqm) 1 van space 2 spaces General Industry (>235 sqm) Maximum 1 space for every 70 sqm 1 space per 120 sqm Minimum 1 space for every 200 sqm Distribution / Storage 35% of GFA 1 space per 120 sqm
Considering all the units would likely be smaller than 235 sqm, this would equate to around 40 non- operational spaces and 20 operational van spaces across the entire site, assuming the site is general industry use.
Cycle Parking
Cycle parking within the site will be provided in line with the Access, Circulation and Parking Requirements SPG.
This identifies that a minimum of one long stay cycle parking space for every 500 sqm and a minimum of one short stay cycle parking space for every 1,000 sqm of GFA should be provided. This would equate to around 9 cycle parking spaces across the entire site.
Any long stay cycle parking provided on-site will be located in convenient, accessible, secure and sheltered locations. 4.6 Internal Layout
The internal site layout is consistent with the principles of Manual for Streets and designed to reduce vehicle speeds and to ensure that safety is maintained within the site. Pedestrians will be able to access the units separately from the vehicle access road and as such any conflict between pedestrians and vehicles would be minimised.
Swept path analysis has been undertaken of the internal site layout to ensure an articulated HGV (16.5 metres) can turn safely and appropriately. This is shown in Appendix F.
4.7 Construction Movements
The details of the construction of the site are yet to be finalised. The impacts of construction would be short term and temporary in nature. It is proposed that all routes to the site are agreed with RCTCBC prior to construction commencing. However, HGV’s will however be advised to follow the primary access route to the site as identified in Figure 4.1.
As a Condition of any forthcoming planning permission a Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP) would be produced. The CTMP would, as a minimum, include details of the routes of construction traffic, temporary signage including the proposed location of warning signs, delivery timetables, the location of wheel washing facilities on site and the location of the construction compound on the site.
Measures would also be adopted during the construction of the site to minimise the impact of construction traffic movements with potential measures set out as follows:
• The production of a plan detailing measures to reduce the contract duration and the number of trips made
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 21
• Techniques and measures will be implemented, where practical, to assist in minimising construction freight trips on the local highway network, particularly during peak times (such as a vehicle booking system) • All construction worker vehicles would be accommodated on the site (or in local car parks) to reduce the impact of overspill parking on the local highway network • Measures will be set out to encourage construction staff to reduce car use to the site, particularly through car sharing and also where feasible by public transport, walking and cycling • Wheel washing and dust sheeting will be undertaken to reduce the impact of mud, dust and dirt on the local highway network
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 22
5. TRIP GENERATION AND DISTRIBUTION 5.1 Introduction
This section sets out the trip generation of the proposed development. It also provides details of the methodology for distributing and assigning vehicle trips onto the local highway network and the modal split which could be associated with the site.
The Trip Rate Information Computer System (TRICS) online database has been analysed for sites with similar characteristics to the proposed development site in terms of scale, location, accessibility and surrounding population numbers.
TRICS is industry standard software, used to forecast trips likely to be generated by development sites. The TRICS database predicts the likely numbers of arrivals and departures by utilising surveys of existing developments of a similar size and characteristics across the UK.
Trip rates have been obtained and applied to establish the forecast trip generation for the proposed development during peak hours and over a daily period. The generation has assumed a development of 3,000 sqm, comprised of 20 units.
The peak hours have been calculated as 08:00 to 09:00 and 17:00 to 18:00 within the TRICS database which coincides with the network peak hours.
5.2 Proposed Vehicle Trip Generation
The following search criteria have been applied to obtain surveys of similar industrial sites within the TRICS database:
• 02 – Employment; D – Industrial Estate category within the TRICS database • Located in England and Wales (excluding London) • Sites with between 1,758 to 7,000 sqm GFA • Suburban Area and Edge of Town locations • Multimodal surveys carried out since 2000 • Sites with a population of less than 20,000 within 1 mile and less than 75,000 within 5 miles The above search criteria resulted in the identification of four similar sites. The full TRICS reports are included as Appendix G.
The vehicle trip rates and trip generation are set out in Table 5.1.
Table 5.1: Vehicle Trip Generation – Industrial Estate
Time Period Trip Rates (per 100 sqm ) Trip Generation ( 3,000 sqm ) ARR DEP TOT ARR DEP TOT AM Peak 0.569 0.347 0.916 17 10 27 (0800 -0900) PM Peak 0.310 0.652 0.962 9 20 29 (1700 -1800) 12 Hour 4.887 4.909 9.796 147 147 294 (0700 -1900)
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 23
Table 5.1 shows that the industrial units are forecast to generate 27 two-way vehicle trips in the AM peak (0800-0900), 29 two-way vehicle trips in the PM peak (1700-1800) and 294 two-way vehicle trips over a 12 hour period (0700-1900). 5.3 HGV Movements
The TRICS database has been used to estimate the number of HGV movements which could be associated with the proposed development. For this the OGV trip rate derived from TRICS has been applied.
The resultant trip rates and HGV trips over a 12 hour period are summarised in Table 5.2.
Table 5.2: HGV Trip Rates and Trips
Time Period Trip Rates (per 100 sqm ) Trip Generation (3,000 sqm) ARR DEP TOT ARR DEP TOT 12 Hour 0.304 0.268 0.572 9 8 17 (0700 -1900)
The TRICS analysis demonstrates that the site could be associated with around 17 HGV movements over a 12 hour period. On average, this would relate to around 1.5 HGV movements per hour across the 12 hour period. This is likely to consist of a mixture of different sized vehicles over 3.5 tonnes. This level of HGV generation is unlikely to have a material impact on the routes used to and from the site. 5.4 Vehicle Distribution and Assignment
The percentage distribution of vehicles across the wider network has been based on 2011 Census data contained in Table WU03EW - Location of usual residence and place of work by method of travel to work (Middle Layer Super Output Area (MSOA) level) as presented on the Nomis website 1. The Census data is considered appropriate for use in distributing traffic associated with the development during the peak hours as the majority of vehicle trips would be for commuting purposes, rather than operational or visitor trips.
The MSOA in which the site is situated – Rhondda Cynon Taf 002, has been used as the place of work, with car journeys to this MSOA from a usual residence being used to estimate the vehicle distribution. MSOA data has been used as this can be analysed by mode of travel. Data at a more localised level is only available for analysis combining all modes of travel which is not necessarily representative of vehicle destinations. This census data is presented visually on the Datashine Commute website 2 with the flows from MSOA Rhondda Cynon Taf 002 reproduced in Figure 5.1.
1 https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/ 2 http://commute.datashine.org.uk TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 24
Figure 5.1: Car driver commuting flows to Rhondda Cynon Taf 002
Source: Datashine commute (www.commute.datashine.org.uk)
Figure 5.1 shows that the majority of movements to Rhondda Cynon Taf 002 are from relatively local areas with a large proportion of journeys coming from Aberdare, Cwmbach, Hirwaun, Mountain Ash, Abercynon, Godreaman and Merthyr Tydfil. There is a broadly similar split between vehicle trips that are likely to travel north and south to and from the site.
The most appropriate route from each origin has been identified based on distances and journey times between the site and origin. For journeys remaining within Blaenau Gwent 004, the routing has been based on analysis of likely destinations and attractors. Vehicles have then been distributed across the local routes accordingly.
The Census analysis from Nomis has been presented in detail in Appendix H. The percentage turning movements have been obtained by totalling the number of movements along each route within the study area. The same distribution percentages have been used in the AM and PM peaks. A summary of the routes for commuting movements as follows:
• A4059 north – 47% • Merion Street – 5%
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 25
• A4059 South (via Canal Road) – 5% • A4059 South (via Abernant Road) – 38% • Aberdare (north from Abernant Road / A4059 roundabout) – 5% The distribution percentages across the network are shown in Figure 5.2 at the rear of this report, which also shows the percentage turning movements at each junction.
The HGV movements have been assumed to travel 75% to the south of the site via the route shown in Figure 5.1 and 25% to the north along Wellington Street to the A4059. These movements have been distributed in the peak hours accordingly and shown in Figure 5.3 at the rear of this report.
The resultant assigned vehicle movements associated with the proposed development in the AM and PM peaks are provided at the rear of this report as follows:
• Figure 5.4: Development Vehicle Assignment – AM Peak (0800 – 0900) • Figure 5.5: Development Vehicle Assignment – PM Peak (1700 – 1800) 5.5 Proposed Development Modal Split
A forecast of the modal split percentages for the proposed development site has been estimated using comparable sites from the TRICS analysis. The trips over 12 hours have been used to estimate the modal split using TRICS.
A localised context has then been applied, through obtaining modal split data for journeys to work from 2011 Census data for the four output areas used in the trip distribution analysis. The applicable 2011 Census data is shown in Table QS701EW - Method of travel to work, trips to output area W00006085 have been considered in the analysis (within which the site is located).
The modal split has been obtained through taking an average figure between the Census and TRICS data. The adjusted modal split and forecast person trips by mode are set out in Table 5.3.
Table 5.3: Proposed Development Forecast Modal Splits
Mode of Travel Modal Split % Person trips by mode TRICS Census Adjusted AM Peak PM Peak 12 Hour Public Transport 0% 9% 5% 2 2 20 Vehicle Driver 82% 59% 71% 27 29 294 Passenger 6% 11% 9% 3 4 36 Cycle 2% 2% 2% 1 1 7 Walk 4% 16% 10% 4 4 41 Other 5% 3% 4% 2 2 17 TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 39 41 415
The modal split percentages and the vehicle trip generation forecast within this analysis do not consider the reduction in car use and increase in trips by other modes which would be targeted through measures within the travel plan. In addition, there will be sustainable measures adopted as part of the site design to facilitate sustainable travel including the provision of cycle parking. Finally, considering the close proximity to the rail station and bus stops with frequent services the level of public transport use is considered low for users of this site. As such, the level of sustainable trips could be higher than shown in Table 5.3 and vehicle trips may be constrained to a lower level accordingly.
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 26
6. FUTURE YEAR TRAFFIC FLOWS 6.1 Assessment Scenarios
6.1.1 The AM and PM peak hours on the surrounding local highway network have been assessed. These occurred between 08:00 – 09:00 and 17:00 – 18:00.
6.1.2 A base year assessment of 2018 has been undertaken to verify and calibrate the junction models to ensure they reflect the observed operation and queue levels as recorded within the traffic surveys.
6.1.3 In addition to a 2018 base year assessment, an assessment has been undertaken in 2023, being five years after the planning submission. 6.2 Traffic Growth
6.2.1 To take account of background traffic growth on the local highway network within the vicinity of the site between 2018 and 2023, growth factors have been applied to 2018 obtained traffic flow data.
6.2.2 Growth factors have been calculated using the TEMPro (v7.2) software which takes into account growth in population, employment, and car ownership based on information derived from the National Trip Ends Model (NTEM) and the 2011 National Travel Survey.
6.2.3 The TEMPro growth factors have been based on the most appropriate middle layer super output area within the software, in this case Rhondda Cynon Taf 002. The resultant growth rates are shown as follows:
• 2018-2023 AM Peak: 1.066 • 2018-2023 PM Peak: 1.063 6.2.4 TEMPro guidance specifies that the growth forecasts for individual areas are derived from forecasts at a local authority level which are informed by allocated housing and employment sites within the associated local development plans. It is therefore considered that these growth forecasts will capture committed developments within the surrounding area.
6.2.5 There will also be an element of potential double counting of vehicle trips associated with the site which is an employment allocation within the LDP. However, TEMPro has not been adjusted, to ensure the assessment is based on a robust worst case. 6.3 Future year flows and assessment scenarios
6.3.1 The resultant 2023 traffic flows are shown at the rear of this report as follows:
• Figure 6.1: 2023 Baseline – AM Peak • Figure 6.2: 2023 Baseline – PM Peak The development traffic flows have then been added to the forecast base flows with the resultant base plus s development flows shown in the AM and PM peaks at the rear of this report as follows:
• Figure 6.3: 2023 Baseline + Development – AM Peak Hour • Figure 6.4: 2023 Baseline + Development – PM Peak Hour
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 27
7. TRAF FIC IMPACTS AND OPERATIONAL ASSE SSMENTS 7.1 Introduction
7.1.1 This section sets out the scope of the local highway network over which the impact of the proposed development has been assessed, the assessment scenarios, the results of percentage impact assessments considering all movements through each junction and a summary of the operational assessments of key junctions.
7.2 Extent of Assessment
7.2.1 The TA considers the impact of the proposed development at the following junctions:
1. A4059 / Wellington Street Roundabout 2. A4059 / Canal Road Roundabout 3. Wellington Street / Abernant Road / Cwmbach Road Roundabout 4. A4059 / Abernant Road Roundabout (Ynys Roundabout) 7.3 Assessment Scenarios
7.3.1 As set out in Section 2, the peak hours on the network have been calculated based on the observed turning movements on the network. As such, assessments have been undertaken during the AM (08:00 – 09:00) and PM (17:00-18:00) peak hours. The resultant scenarios which have been assessed within this TA are summarised as follows:
• 2018 Base • 2023 Baseline • 2023 Baseline + Development (with development scenario) 7.4 Percentage Impact Assessments
7.4.1 An assessment has been carried out of the forecast percentage increase in traffic flows that would be associated with the proposed development. This compares the development traffic flow against the 2018 baseline position for a robust worst case analysis.
7.4.2 The resultant percentage increase of traffic flows through the individual junctions in the AM and PM peak periods is summarised in Table 7.1.
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 28
Table 7.1: Proposed Development Percentage Impacts on Total Traffic Flows
Junction AM Peak (0 800 – 0900 ) PM Peak (1 70 0 – 180 0) 2018 Dev Traffic Percentage 2018 Dev Traffic Percentage Baseline Flows Increase Baseline Flows Increase Flows Flows A4059 / Wellington Street 1822 14 0.8% 2039 15 0.7% Roundabout A4059 / Canal Road 2057 2 0.1% 2236 1 0.0% Roundabout Wellington Street / Abernant Road / Cwmbach Road 967 13 1.3% 1200 13 1.1% Roundabout A4059 / Abernant Road 2207 11 0.5% 2667 12 0.4% Roundabout (Ynys Roundabout)
7.4.3 Table 7.1 demonstrates that the development traffic has a minimal percentage increase in total traffic flows through a number of the junctions within the study area, even when considering against 2018 flows as a worst case.
7.4.4 All of the junctions have had more detailed operational assessments undertaken to establish more specific impacts of development generated traffic. However, the study area has not been extended further as the impacts of the development traffic outside of the junctions shown in Table 7.1: Proposed Development Percentage Impacts on Total Traffic Flows are considered to be negligible.
7.5 Operational Assessments - Overview
Introduction
7.5.1 Detailed operational assessments have been carried out to determine the potential impact of the proposed development on the capacity of the local highway network. This has been undertaken using the industry standard software package Junctions 9 as all junctions are Priority and Roundabout junctions.
The results of each junction have been set out separately and all models are considered robust due to the following:
• No reduction in trip rates has been made for travel planning measures which will be adopted at the proposed development site. The site is in a sustainable location and the vehicle trip rates are considered robust • No adjustment to growth rates to allow for the potential double counting of development traffic has been undertaken. The site forms part of a wider allocation and therefore should already be included in TEMPro future year predictions (part of the LDP Site NSA 7) Model Inputs
7.5.3 Assessment of the priority junctions and roundabouts have been undertaken using the TRL software Junctions 9. Modelling has been undertaken at these junctions using total traffic flows and HGV percentages. The HGV values have been given a PCU value of 2.3 within the Junctions 9 software.
A comparison of the 2018 base modelled queue lengths against the surveyed queue lengths has been made to assist with model validation and ensure that the model robustly represents existing conditions. It is noted that the queue lengths in both the model and from the surveys represent average conditions TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 29
on one day and that there are typical daily fluctuations in queues and flows, however it is considered that this is an appropriate and accepted method to determine the impact of the development at a junction and identify potential mitigation.
7.5.5 The modelling has been based on geometric measurements using OS map data supplemented with on- site measurements and observations, where feasible.
Model Reporting Outputs
The outputs of Junctions 9 provide a number of measurements to ascertain information of a junction’s operation. The key measurements which are considered in this assessment are:
• ‘Ratio of Flow to Capacity’ (RFC) • Maximum queue length in PCUs • Delay in seconds per vehicle • Level of Service indicated by a letter between A (well within capacity) and F (at or over capacity) The main indication of the performance of a junction is given by the RFC for each lane. The peak capacity is realised when the demand flow at the entry is great enough to cause a continuous queue of vehicles to wait on approach to the stop line. This is reached when the RFC attains a value of 1.
Queue lengths provide an indication of how the overall junction performance may affect adjacent junctions on the highway network. The queue lengths are presented as the maximum over an hourly period. Changes in queue lengths provide a useful indicator as to the impact of development on the operation of a junction.
When considering the change in the operation of the junctions all of these factors will be considered to form a view as to whether the impact of development generated traffic would be material and require mitigation. 7.6 Operational Assessments - Results Summary
7.6.1 All junction capacity modelling reports are included as Appendix I and the results have been discussed and summarised by junction as follows.
Junction 1: A4059 / Wellington Street Roundabout
7.6.2 The results of the 2018 Base assessment are summarised in Table 7.2.
Table 7.2: A4059 / Wellington Street Roundabout Junction Analysis - 2018 Results
Arm 2018 Base AM (0 800 -0900 ) PM (1 700 -180 0) Queue Delay (s) RFC LOS Queue Delay (s) RFC LOS (Veh ) (Veh ) Arm A – A4059 (N) 1.3 5.26 0.57 A 2.0 6.39 0.67 A Arm B – Wellington Street 0.2 4.84 0.16 A 0.2 5.28 0.18 A Arm C – A4059 (S) 1.4 5.88 0.59 A 1.5 5.70 0.60 A Arm D – Merion Street 0.1 4.32 0.06 A 0.0 4.08 0.04 A
7.6.3 The queue lengths in Table 7.2 have been compared with the observed queues at the junction to assist with model validation. This comparison is shown in Table 7.3.
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 30
Table 7.3: Queue Length comparison - A4059 / Wellington Street Roundabout
Arm AM (0 800 -0900 ) PM (1 700 -180 0) Observed Model +/ - Observed Model +/ - Vehicles vehicles Vehicles vehicles (Av. m ax) (Av. max) Arm A – A4059 (N) 0.2 1.3 +1.1 0 2.0 +2 Arm B – Wellington Street 0.2 0.2 0 0.5 0.2 -0.3 Arm C – A4059 (S) 0.2 1.4 +1.2 0 1.5 +1.5 Arm D – Merion Street 0.1 0.1 0 0 0.0 0
7.6.4 The results of the queue analysis, as set out in Table 7.3, demonstrate that modelled and observed queues are within typical daily variations in queue lengths, with a maximum variation of +1.5 for Arm C in the PM peak hour when compared to observed queues.
7.6.5 There is minimal queuing across all arms of the junction and the model reflects this.
7.6.6 It is considered that the base model reflects the existing operation of the junction and is therefore valid and acceptable to assess future year conditions.
7.6.7 The results of the operational assessments for the 2023 baseline and the 2023 baseline plus development flow scenarios are summarised in Table 7.4.
Table 7.4: A4059 / Wellington Street Roundabout Junction Analysis - 2023 Results (with and without development)
Arm 20 23 Base line AM (0 800 -0900 ) PM (1 700 -180 0) Queue Delay (s) RFC LOS Queue Delay (s) RFC LOS (Veh ) (Veh ) Arm A – A4059 (N) 1.6 5.78 0.61 A 2.4 7.31 0.71 A Arm B – Wellington Street 0.2 5.12 0.17 A 0.3 5.72 0.21 A Arm C – A4059 (S) 1.7 6.57 0.63 A 1.7 6.34 0.64 A Arm D – Merion Street 0.1 4.56 0.07 A 0.0 4.27 0.04 A
Arm 20 23 Base line + Development AM (0 800 -0900 ) PM (1 700 -180 0) Queue Delay (s) RFC LOS Queue Delay (s) RFC LOS (Veh ) (Veh ) Arm A – A4059 (N) 1.6 5.86 0.62 A 2.6 7.85 0.73 A Arm B – Wellington Street 0.2 5.14 0.18 A 0.3 5.93 0.21 A Arm C – A4059 (S) 1.7 6.60 0.64 A 1.7 6.35 0.64 A Arm D – Merion Street 0.1 4.57 0.07 A 0.0 4.28 0.04 A
7.6.8 Table 7.4 demonstrates that that roundabout is forecast to operate well within its theoretical capacity (RFC of 1) in all scenarios. The RFC is a maximum of 0.73 on the A4059(N) arm.
7.6.9 The inclusion of the development traffic causes a minimal change to the operation and queuing. It is forecast to operate well within theoretical capacity in all scenarios. The development would not have a material impact at this junction and no mitigation is required.
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 31
Junction 2: A4059 / Canal Road Roundabout
7.6.10 The results of the 2018 Base assessment are summarised in Table 7.5.
Table 7.5: A4059 / Canal Road Roundabout Junction Analysis - 2018 Results
Arm 2018 Base AM (0 800 -0900 ) PM (1 700 -180 0) Queue Delay (s) RFC LOS Queue Delay (s) RFC LOS (Veh ) (Veh ) Arm A – Canal Road 1.1 6.72 0.52 A 0.6 4.48 0.38 A Arm B – A4059 (S) 1.4 6.62 0.59 A 4.2 13.25 0.81 B Arm C – A4059 (W) 1.4 5.48 0.58 A 1.3 5.58 0.56 A
7.6.11 The queue lengths in Table 7.5 have been compared with the observed queues at the junction to assist with model validation. This comparison is shown in Table 7.6.
Table 7.6: Queue Length comparison - A4059 / Canal Road Roundabout
Arm AM (0 800 -0900 ) PM (1 700 -180 0) Observed Model +/ - Observed Model +/ - Vehicles vehicles Vehicles vehicles (Av. max) (Av. max) Arm A – Canal Road 0.5 1.1 +0.6 0.3 0.6 +0.3 Arm B – A4059 (S) 0 1.4 +1.4 0.2 4.2 +4.0 Arm C – A4059 (W) 0.4 1.4 +1.0 0.6 1.3 +0.7
7.6.12 The results of the queue analysis, as set out in Table 7.6, demonstrate that modelled and observed queues are within typical daily variations in queue lengths on the majority of the arms. The A4059(S) arm has a significantly higher queue in the model than in the observations during the PM peak hour as there was minimal observed queuing but the model shows a queue in the baseline of 4.2 vehicles. As such, the modelling on this arm is considered a robust worst case.
7.6.13 There is minimal queuing across all arms of the junction and the model broadly reflects this.
7.6.14 It is considered that the base model reflects the existing operation of the junction and is therefore valid and acceptable to assess future year conditions.
7.6.15 The results of the operational assessments for the 2023 baseline and the 2023 baseline plus development flow scenarios are summarised in Table 7.7.
Table 7.7: A4059 / Canal Road Roundabout Junction Analysis - 2023 Results (with and without development)
Arm 20 23 Base line AM (0 800 -0900 ) PM (1 700 -180 0) Queue Delay (s) RFC LOS Queue Delay (s) RFC LOS (Veh ) (Veh ) Arm A – Canal Road 1.3 7.72 0.57 A 0.7 4.80 0.41 A Arm B – A4059 (S) 1.7 7.44 0.63 A 6.2 18.91 0.87 C Arm C – A4059 (W) 1.6 6.12 0.62 A 1.5 6.25 0.60 A
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 32
Arm 20 23 Base line + Development AM (0 800 -0900 ) PM (1 700 -180 0) Queue Delay (s) RFC LOS Queue Delay (s) RFC LOS (Veh ) (Veh ) Arm A – Canal Road 1.3 7.78 0.57 A 0.7 4.81 0.41 A Arm B – A4059 (S) 1.7 7.44 0.63 A 6.2 18.98 0.87 C Arm C – A4059 (W) 1.6 6.14 0.62 A 1.5 6.25 0.60 A
7.6.16 Table 7.7 demonstrates that that roundabout is forecast to operate well within its theoretical capacity (RFC of 1) in all scenarios. The RFC exceeds 0.85 on the A4059 (S) with a maximum of 0.87 on this arm, however queueing is only 6 vehicles (an increase of just 2 vehicles from the 2018 baseline). In addition, the development does not have a material impact on this arm and does not increase the RFC in the AM or PM peak hours.
7.6.17 As such, the inclusion of the development traffic causes a minimal change to the operation and queuing. The development would not have a material impact at this junction and no mitigation is required.
Junction 3: Wellington Street / Abernant Road / Cwmbach Road Roundabout
7.6.18 The results of the 2018 Base assessment are summarised in Table 7.8.
Table 7.8: Wellington Street / Abernant Road / Cwmbach Road Roundabout Junction Analysis - 2018 Results
Arm 2018 Base AM (0 800 -0900 ) PM (1 700 -180 0) Queue Delay (s) RFC LOS Queue Delay (s) RFC LOS (Veh ) (Veh ) Arm A – Wellington Street 0.1 4.90 0.11 A 0.2 5.55 0.16 A Arm B – Abernant Road (N) 0.6 8.47 0.34 A 0.4 8.58 0.31 A Arm C – Cwmbach Road 0.9 7.14 0.45 A 0.9 7.09 0.48 A Arm D – Abernant Road (S) 0.6 6.51 0.38 A 1.5 9.69 0.60 A
7.6.19 The queue lengths in Table 7.8 have been compared with the observed queues at the junction to assist with model validation. This comparison is shown in Table 7.9.
Table 7.9: Queue Length comparison - Wellington Street / Abernant Road / Cwmbach Road Roundabout
Arm AM (0 800 -0900 ) PM (1 700 -180 0) Observed Model +/ - Observed Model +/ - Vehicles vehicles Vehicles vehicles (Av. max) (Av. max) Arm A – Wellington Street 0.1 0.1 0 0.0 0.2 +0.2 Arm B – Abernant Road (N) 0.1 0.6 +0.5 0.8 0.4 -0.4 Arm C – Cwmbach Road 0.0 0.9 +0.9 0.3 0.9 +0.6 Arm D – Abernant Road (S) 0.1 0.6 +0.5 0.2 1.5 +1.3
7.6.20 The results of the queue analysis, as set out in Table 7.9, demonstrate that modelled and observed queues are within typical daily variations in queue lengths, with a maximum variation of +1.5 for Arm C in the PM peak hour when compared to observed queues.
7.6.21 There is minimal queuing across all arms of the junction and the model reflects this.
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 33
7.6.22 It is considered that the base model reflects the existing operation of the junction and is therefore valid and acceptable to assess future year conditions.
7.6.23 The results of the operational assessments for the 2023 baseline and the 2023 baseline plus development flow scenarios are summarised in Table 7.10.
Table 7.10: Wellington Street / Abernant Road / Cwmbach Road Roundabout Junction Analysis - 2023 Results (with and without development)
Arm 20 23 Base line AM (0 800 -0900 ) PM (1 700 -180 0) Queue Delay (s) RFC LOS Queue Delay (s) RFC LOS (Veh ) (Veh ) Arm A – Wellington Street 0.1 4.99 0.12 A 0.2 5.79 0.17 A Arm B – Abernant Road (N) 0.6 8.89 0.37 A 0.5 9.15 0.34 A Arm C – Cwmbach Road 1.0 7.62 0.48 A 1.0 7.60 0.51 A Arm D – Abernant Road (S) 0.7 6.82 0.41 A 1.7 10.84 0.64 B
Arm 20 23 Base line + Development AM (0 800 -0900 ) PM (1 700 -180 0) Queue Delay (s) RFC LOS Queue Delay (s) RFC LOS (Veh ) (Veh ) Arm A – Wellington Street 0.2 5.08 0.12 A 0.2 5.88 0.19 A Arm B – Abernant Road (N) 0.6 8.96 0.37 A 0.5 9.27 0.34 A Arm C – Cwmbach Road 1.0 7.67 0.48 A 1.1 7.67 0.51 A Arm D – Abernant Road (S) 0.7 6.92 0.42 A 1.8 10.98 0.64 B
7.6.24 Table 7.10 demonstrates that that roundabout is forecast to operate well within its theoretical capacity (RFC of 1) in all scenarios. The RFC is a maximum of 0.64 on the Abernant Road (S) arm and the RFC does not change as a result of the development traffic.
7.6.25 The inclusion of the development traffic causes a minimal change to the operation and queuing. It is forecast to operate well within theoretical capacity in all scenarios. The development would not have a material impact at this junction and no mitigation is required.
Junction 4: A4059 / Abernant Road Roundabout (Ynys Roundabout)
7.6.26 As the northern arm at this junction (A4059) operates with unequal lane usage and the left turn traffic is separated from the ahead traffic movements, this arm of the junction has been modelled as a single lane with no flare and all left turning traffic removed. The queue length surveys demonstrated that there was no queuing in either lane that would block back to the flare and as such there is no interaction between left turn and ahead movements in terms of impact on queuing and capacity. As such, the removal of the left turn traffic is considered an appropriate way of modelling the offside lane on this arm, at this roundabout. This is a robust way of modelling this arm and ensures the results are appropriate and consider queuing and vehicle use across separate lanes.
7.6.27 The results of the 2018 Base assessment are summarised in Table 7.11.
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 34
Table 7.11: A4059 / Abernant Road Roundabout Junction Analysis - 2018 Results
Arm 2018 Base AM (0 800 -0900 ) PM (1 700 -180 0) Queue Delay (s) RFC LOS Queue Delay (s) RFC LOS (Veh ) (Veh ) Arm A – A4059 (N) 2.3 10.94 0.70 B 4.4 18.11 0.82 C Arm B – Abernant Road 0.9 7.47 0.48 A 1.2 8.95 0.54 A Arm C – Aberdare School 0.3 7.59 0.25 A 0.4 9.16 0.30 A Arm D – A4059 (S) 0.9 4.03 0.48 A 1.1 4.27 0.53 A
7.6.28 The queue lengths in Table 7.11 have been compared with the observed queues at the junction to assist with model validation. This comparison is shown in Table 7.12.
Table 7.12: Queue Length comparison - A4059 / Abernant Road Roundabout
Arm AM (0 800 -0900 ) PM (1 700 -180 0) Observed Model +/ - Observed Model +/ - Vehicles vehicles Vehicles vehicles (Av. max) (Av. max) Arm A – A4059 (N) 0.2 2.3 +2.1 0.6 4.4 +3.8 Arm B – Abernant Road 1.1 0.9 -0.2 1.7 1.2 -0.5 Arm C – Aberdare School 0.2 0.3 +0.1 0.9 0.4 -0.5 Arm D – A4059 (S) 0.0 0.9 +0.9 0.3 1.1 +0.8
7.6.29 The results of the queue analysis, as set out in Table 7.12, demonstrate that modelled and observed queues are within typical daily variations in queue lengths on the majority of arms. The model queue shows a higher queue on the A4059 (N) arm, particularly in the PM peak hour. However, the queue length data shows that there is a queue of 4 to 5 vehicles over the busiest 5 minute period, with no queuing during any other 5 minute period. As such, the model is considered to broadly reflect this short peak queue.
7.6.30 There is minimal queuing across most arms of the junction and the model reflects this.
7.6.31 It is considered that the base model reflects the existing operation of the junction and is therefore valid and acceptable to assess future year conditions.
7.6.32 The results of the operational assessments for the 2023 baseline and the 2023 baseline plus development flow scenarios are summarised in Table 7.13.
Table 7.13: A4059 / Abernant Road Roundabout Junction Analysis - 2023 Results (with and without development)
Arm 20 23 Base line AM (0 800 -0900 ) PM (1 700 -180 0) Queue Delay (s) RFC LOS Queue Delay (s) RFC LOS (Veh ) (Veh ) Arm A – A4059 (N) 2.9 13.10 0.75 B 6.6 25.97 0.88 D Arm B – Abernant Road 1.1 8.51 0.52 A 1.5 10.64 0.60 B Arm C – Aberdare School 0.4 8.42 0.29 A 0.5 10.56 0.34 B Arm D – A4059 (S) 1.1 4.39 0.52 A 1.3 4.73 0.58 A
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 35
Arm 20 23 Base line + Development AM (0 800 -0900 ) PM (1 700 -180 0) Queue Delay (s) RFC LOS Queue Delay (s) RF C LOS (Veh ) (Veh ) Arm A – A4059 (N) 2.9 13.27 0.75 B 6.7 26.39 0.88 D Arm B – Abernant Road 1.1 8.59 0.53 A 1.5 10.91 0.61 B Arm C – Aberdare School 0.4 8.47 0.29 A 0.5 10.70 0.34 B Arm D – A4059 (S) 1.1 4.42 0.52 A 1.4 4.76 0.58 A
7.6.33 Table 7.13 demonstrates that that roundabout is forecast to operate well within its theoretical capacity (RFC of 1) in all scenarios. The RFC exceeds 0.85 on the A4059 (N) with a maximum of 0.88 on this arm, however queueing is only 7 vehicles (an increase of just 3 vehicles from the 2018 baseline). In addition, the development does not have a material impact on this arm and does not increase the RFC in the AM or PM peak hours on this arm, in comparison to the without development scenario.
7.6.34 As such, the inclusion of the development traffic causes a minimal change to the operation and queuing. The development would not have a material impact at this junction and no mitigation is required. 7.7 Operational Assessments - Summary
7.7.1 As has been shown within the operational assessments, the development would not have a material impact at any junctions and no mitigation is considered to be required. All junctions on the network would operate within their theoretical capacity or where reaching or above capacity, the development traffic has a negligible impact on the operation. The level of vehicle movements generated by the proposed development is considered to be low and these vehicles would be well within daily variations of traffic.
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 36
8. TRANSPORT IMPLEMENTA TION STRATEGY 8.1 Overview
The objective of the Transport Implementation Strategy (TIS) is to promote sustainable modes including walking, cycling and public transport and set out mitigation required to accommodate the development on the highway network.
8.2 Walking
Walking has the potential of providing an alternative mode of transport to undertake shorter journeys typically under 2km in distance, although the Active Travel Act suggests journeys of up to 3.2km are acceptable.
The benefits of walking include that it is free, convenient, good for health and environmentally friendly.
The proposed development facilitates journeys on foot through its location within close proximity of a large number of surrounding residential areas as well as the Aberdare rail and bus stations.
Footways will also be provided within the site to allow for a highly permeable environment. This will reflect the user hierarchy as set out in Manual for Streets guidance.
8.3 Cycling
Cycle parking will be provided on the site in accordance with the RCTCBC guidance.
Cycling has the potential of providing an alternative mode of transport to undertaken journeys up to a distance of approximately 8km. The site has linkages to good cycling infrastructure, including NCN 478.
The Travel Plan provides measures to encourage cycling, such as information on cycling routes and cycling clubs. In addition, the Travel Plan Coordinator will seek to obtain discounts for employees for the purchase of cycling equipment from local cycling shops.
8.4 Public Transport
Public Transport provides an opportunity to replace private car trips.
Services will be fully promoted to potential future occupants. Any websites or mobile applications at the time of occupation which provide real time information will be promoted. This will ensure that the wait time at the stop will be minimised as employees can leave their house at the correct time to meet their preferred service. This will reduce the overall travel time from home to work and encourage travel by bus.
Measures have been set out within the Travel Plan to encourage travel via public transport, including seeking to obtain discounts on public transport for employees at the site. 8.5 Vehicular Access
The primary vehicular access into the site will be provided from Wellington Street. It has been demonstrated that this can be provided with appropriate visibility splays and appropriate geometry and that there is no existing accident issue on Wellington Street.
On-street parking will be restricted on the main access road internally within the site so parked vehicles will not block vehicle access (particularly emergency vehicle access).
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 37
The internal site layout will allow suitable access for refuse and service vehicles and vehicles will be able to enter and exit the site in forward gear.
It has been demonstrated that the proposed development would not have a material impact on the highway network. As such, no highway mitigation is required to accommodate vehicles generated by the site. 8.6 Travel Plan
To further promote sustainable means of travel a Framework Travel Plan has been prepared and submitted with the application which promotes the use of alternative modes of transport through the implementation of measures and initiatives.
This sets out measures and initiatives, monitoring, management and roles and responsibilities.
Employees will be advised of local facilities and destinations and of safe and suitable walking and cycling routes within a travel information pack which will be provided for each employee. These packs will be kept up to date by the travel plan coordinator. These packs will also include details of cycle routes and public transport timetables and any public transport or cycling vouchers or discounts, if obtained.
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 38
9. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSI ONS 9.1 Summary
This Transport Assessment (TA) accompanies a planning application for a proposed commercial development on land to the south west of Wellington Street in Robertstown, Aberdare.
The proposals are to accommodate up to 20 industrial units on-site for B1(c), B2 and / or B8 land uses. The Gross Floor Area (GFA) of all of the units on the site would be up to approximately 3,000 sqm (it is likely to be less than this, but for the purpose of a robust assessment, the analysis in this TA has been based on a development of this size).
The proposed development will be accessed from Wellington Street from two new priority junctions situated at either end of the site which would be connected via an internal access road.
The site is situated in a sustainable location, as would be expected for a site on the edge of an existing urban area within walking distance of a railway station, bus stops with frequent services, a town centre and a number of residential areas. The site benefits from good quality connections with existing and established walking, cycling and public transport routes.
The choice of travel options within the vicinity of the site offers a realistic potential for trips to and from the site to be made via non-car modes. The accessible location will encourage and promote sustainable travel behaviour and would attract occupiers who choose to travel by sustainable modes. The accessibility credentials of the site will encourage and promote sustainable travel behaviour which is fully in accordance with the aims of TAN18 and the Active Travel Act.
Obtained road safety data does not indicate an issue with the geometry or operation of the highway that would be exacerbated by the proposals.
Car parking will be provided at an appropriate level, considering the sustainable location of the site and be in accordance with the RCTCBC parking standards and would not lead to overspill parking or an overprovision which could encourage vehicle use.
The proposals are forecast to generate 27 two-way vehicle trips in the AM peak and 29 two-way vehicle trips in the PM peak. This equates to less than one vehicle every two minutes, on average, during the peak hours. The site is forecast to generate less than 2 HGV movements per hour across a daily period. The majority of these movements would use the preferred route to the south to minimise the impact on Wellington Street to the north of the site.
The analysis demonstrates that the development traffic has a minimal percentage increase in flows through the junctions within the study area. There is a 1.3% or less impact at all junctions and this is unlikely to have a material impact on operation or capacity.
Detailed junction assessments were undertaken and show there would be no material change to the operation or queuing on the highway network resulting from the proposed development. The site would not have a material impact on traffic flows or congestion at any junctions on the network and no mitigation is considered to be required.
A Framework Travel Plan has been prepared and submitted with the application which promotes the use of alternative modes of transport through the implementation of measures and initiatives. This will assist in reducing the impact of the development on the network.
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 39
9.2 Conclusions
It is considered that there are good opportunities to be able to travel by sustainable modes to the site. This will reduce the reliance on the private car for users of the site, in accordance with TAN18 and the Active Travel Act.
Robust operational assessments demonstrate that the proposed development will not have a material impact on the capacity or operation of the highway network.
It is therefore considered that there are no significant highways and transportation matters that should preclude the Local Planning Authority from approving this planning application.
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018 40
TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | Robertstown Industrial Estate | 3267-HYD-XX-XX-RP-TP-3001 | 13 August 2018