Transport Study for Western Way Masterplan Update Masterplan for West Suffolk
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Transport Study for Western Way Masterplan Update Masterplan for West Suffolk 02 21th January 2016 Document History Issue Date Comment Author Chk’d 01 24/12/2015 Draft VRM MPC 02 21/01/16 First issue VRM M-LH Transport Study for Western Way Masterplan Update MC/MPC/VRM/141202/17-2/R001 - 01 Contents 1.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1 2.0 Scope of Transport Study .................................................................................... 1 3.0 Site Location ......................................................................................................... 2 4.0 Current Site Status ............................................................................................... 2 5.0 Masterplan Proposals ........................................................................................... 3 6.0 Site Accessibility ................................................................................................... 5 6.1 Motor Vehicle Access 5 6.2 Public Transport 5 6.3 Walking 11 6.4 Cycling 12 7.0 Existing Car Park Assessment ........................................................................... 13 8.0 Traffic Generation .............................................................................................. 13 9.0 Junction Modelling .............................................................................................. 14 9.1 Traffic Surveys 14 9.2 Site Observations 14 9.3 Traffic Assignment for Phases 14 9.4 Junctions Capacities 30 10.0 Recommendations .............................................................................................. 35 10.1 Analytical considerations 35 10.2 Travel Plan 35 10.3 Highway Infrastructure Improvements 35 10.4 Junction Improvements 36 Appendix A 37 Phasing Plan 37 Appendix B 38 Bus Service Information 38 Appendix C 39 Cycle Plan 39 Appendix D 40 Junction 9 output files 40 Transport Study for Western Way Masterplan Update MC/MPC/VRM/141202/17-2/R001 - 01 1.0 Introduction The concept of the Public Service Village (PSV) in Bury St. Edmunds is to improve an area to accommodate a variety of public service offices on a single site located on Western Way, relocating the existing depot services to alternative sites. The previous Masterplan for the PSV was completed in 2007 but development of the Western Way site and the surrounding area has not progressed as anticipated. Consequently it is now required to review the Masterplan and update it so that it can be positively taken forward with the intention that it will be adopted as part of the Local Plan. The revised Masterplan, to be known as the Western Way Masterplan, will consider a slightly wider site area than the original PSV Masterplan, and will include some development in addition to the PSV. Pick Everard has been appointed to review and update the Masterplan accordingly. In particular this document has been produced by Pick Everard’s Transportation Engineers with the aim of updating elements of the transport assessment work that had previously been carried out for the original Masterplan. It concentrates on those elements of work that require updating due to highway changes in the local area, changes that are likely to have occurred over time in terms of traffic flows and access to sustainable transport options, changes in the extent of the Western Way site area, and the following through of recommendations made in the original transport assessment. 2.0 Scope of Transport Study In order to fulfil the purpose of updating the appropriate transport elements of the Masterplan the scope of this transport study is as follows: 1. Carry out an up-to-date assessment of access to the site by all sustainable modes of transport i.e. public transport, cycling and walking. 2. Model the following junctions (see Figure 4.1 Page 2)1: i. Western Way/Beetons Way 3-arm mini-roundabout ii. Western Way/Olding Road priority junction iii. Western Way/Asda supermarket access 3 arm roundabout for the following scenarios which model the 4 phases at peak hours as outlined in the Phasing Opportunities Plan shown in Appendix A2: i. Existing operation (2015) ii. Scenario 1; Existing factored to 2018, minus Olding Road traffic except for the Anderson Centre and Kingfisher Court. iii. Scenario 2; scenario 1 and the Phase 1 car parks. iv. Scenario 3; scenario 1 factored to 2019 plus committed development only. v. Scenario 4; scenario 3 plus Phase 2 car parks. vi. Scenario 5; scenario 3 factored to 2021 plus Phase 3 car parks vii. Scenario 6; scenario 3 factored to 2021 plus Phase 4 car parks 3. Analysis of the junctions and recommendations 1 Note that it was determined that the junctions of Western Way/Newmarket Road and the Tollgate junction do not require further modelling as they have been recently assessed as a result of other schemes in the area. Consequently plans are already in place to improve these junctions as necessary and these improvements will accommodate any traffic generated by the Western Way development. 2 The phases shown in the Phasing Opportunities Plan in Appendix A, and referred to throughout this report, are identified as Phases 1 to 4. It should be noted that these phases have since been re-identified as Phases 2 to 5 in the updated Masterplan. Transport Study for Western Way Masterplan Update 1 MC/MPC/VRM/141202/17-2/R001 - 01 3.0 Site Location The Western Way site is located approximately 1km to the west of the town centre of Bury St Edmunds and in close proximity to the A14. The site is bounded by Western Way to the north, Beetons Way to the east, and an area of residential development to the south and Olding Road to the west. The site is currently an employment site within, what is primarily, an industrial area between the Howard Estate to the North and The Westley Estate to the South. Immediate site surroundings have an industrial or commercial bias with the exception of West Suffolk College and the leisure centre on the eastern boundary and residential properties on the southern boundary. Adjacent to the site, sharing an access with Olding Road is the Anderson Centre, a small area of office and business units. Adjacent to which is a redundant depot, and another small business unit, Kingfisher Court. All vehicular access is via Olding Road accessible from Western Way, and Beetons Way. Western Way links Beetons Way and a large residential area north of the A14 to Newmarket Road which links to the town centre and the A14. 4.0 Current Site Status The Western Way site boundary is shown in Figure 4.1. The site currently accommodates West Suffolk House, a local authority vehicle depot, a large NHS/DHL warehouse/depot, a skate/BMX park and a large car park providing 350 spaces for staff and visitors of West Suffolk House. Figure 4.1 Site location Western Way A134 N Junction 2: Olding Road Beetons Way Priority junction Junction 1: Beetons Way Junction 3: ASDA Mini-roundabout A14 Roundabout A14 Olding Road Contains Ordnance Survey Data © Crown Copyright Database Right 2015 Key: Site Location West Suffolk House As part of the first phase of the PSV development West Suffolk House was built, indicated in Figure 4.1. West Suffolk House is a purpose built office building housing numerous local authority services. The building is occupied by employees of three local authorities; Suffolk Transport Study for Western Way Masterplan Update 2 MC/MPC/VRM/141202/17-2/R001 - 01 County Council, St. Edmundsbury Borough Council and Forest Heath District Council (collectively known as West Suffolk). A small amount of office space within the building is rented to other occupiers. Since the occupation of West Suffolk House in 2009 and the enlargement of an existing car park on the site no further development relating to the original Masterplan has been carried out on the Western Way site. At the time the original Masterplan was drawn up it was expected that the NHS depot would be remaining on the site. It was also anticipated that the priority junction of Western Way/Olding Road would require upgrading to a roundabout. However, since then a number of fundamental changes in circumstance have occurred (see Figure 4.1): The NHS/DHL warehouse/depot is now expected to become available to become incorporated into the Western Way development, thus opening up the site and offering alternative access opportunities. A new Asda supermarket has been opened on the opposite side of Western Way to the Western Way site, close to the junction with Olding Road, resulting in the installation of a new roundabout on Western Way to accommodate the access road into the supermarket. The skate/BMX park has been extended in the area that would otherwise have accommodated the originally planned roundabout at the junction of Western Way and Olding Road. Planning permission has been granted for a new superstore/retail unit, on a site located on the south-side of Western Way directly opposite ASDA with an access via Olding Road. This is due to become operational in 2019. 5.0 Masterplan Proposals The Western Way development is a linked cluster of buildings to accommodate a number of mixed uses including Public Service uses on a single site. Adjacent to the site are other public service buildings, these include the existing West Suffolk House government offices, and on the east of Beetons Way is West Suffolk College and the Leisure Centre. According to the original Masterplan, it has been identified that the current car parking provision is not adequate and therefore it is proposed to construct the first section of a new multi- storey car park, to provide approximately 850 spaces. As the site develops the provision of car parking is set to increase up to 1900 spaces in Phase 4 (1800 multi-storey car parking spaces and 100 surface car parking spaces). As part of the new Masterplan proposals, a 4 phase programme has been developed to manage the build, occupation and car parking provision which is predominantly provided by a multi-storey car park shown as building 9 on plan (see Appendix A Phasing Plan). The phasing of works is as follows. Phase 1: Existing depot demolished and temporary car park set up on hardstanding, provision of approximately 230 spaces.