Land West of Polwell Lane – A Sustainable Urban Extension to Barton Seagrave TRANSPORTATION INTRODUCTION 5.1 Brookbanks Consulting have been appointed by the Developer to assess the potential effects of the proposed development of land west of Polwell Lane, Barton Seagrave on transportation. This Chapter reports on the assessment of the transportation impact of the development proposals as set out in the Development Framework Plan. 5.2 This section discusses transportation issues in the following sequence: • Public Transport • Rights of Way • Walking • Cycling • Private Vehicles METHODOLOGY 5..3 The format of this section follows a standard pattern, by setting out an appraisal of the baseline conditions, followed by an identification of potential environmental impacts due to the proposed development. The importance of each issue and an assessment of each potential impact are then considered along with mitigation measures and recommendations for further investigations where necessary. 5.4 During the development of this report, the following statutory bodies and interested parties have been consulted regarding the proposals: • Northamptonshire County Council • Highways Agency • Kettering Borough Council 5-1 Environmental Statement Chapter 5: Transportation Land West of Polwell Lane – A Sustainable Urban Extension to Barton Seagrave 5.5 Published information has been obtained in the form of: • Guidance on Transport Assessment • Manual for Streets • Public transport routes and timetables • Rights of Way definitive map • Adopted highway boundary records • National Census BASELINE CONDITIONS 5.6 The proposed development lies in the Barton Seagrave area of Kettering approximately 3km to the south east of Kettering town centre. The land is bounded by the existing urban fringe of Barton Seagrave to the east and the River Ise corridor to the west. To the north lie fields in agricultural use. A dismantled railway line, immediately north of the A14 trunk road, bounds the site to the south. 5.7 The greater part of the land is undeveloped and is currently in arable agricultural usage. 5.8 OS mapping has been obtained for the area of transportation impact. This mapping covers the area west and south of the A6003 from A14 Junction 10 to the River Ise bridge and areas either side of Polwell Lane and St Botolph’s Road in Barton Seagrave and Burton Latimer. 5.9 The mapping shows that the site is within easy walking and cycling distance of Barton Seagrave Primary School, Latimer Community College and a day nursery. The primary school and day nursery are located on Belvoir Drive, the school being approximately 450m from the site and the day nursery 650 m from the site. The Community College is on Castle Way and is 350 m from the site. 5.10 The closest medical centre to the site is the Ise Medical Centre1.5km away in French Drive north of Barton Road, the nearest hospital is St Mary’s 2km to the 5-2 Environmental Statement Chapter 5: Transportation Land West of Polwell Lane – A Sustainable Urban Extension to Barton Seagrave northwest and the main Kettering hospital is 4km to the north west. The existing pedestrian and cycle links to the Ise medical centre are good with a Toucan crossing of Barton Road. The pedestrian and cycle route proposed from the site to Barton Road and the enhanced ‘A’ ‘express’ bus service will improve the linkages to both hospitals. 5.11 Accessibility to employment is good with the ‘A’ bus service providing ‘express’ services to the main sites of jobs in the town centre 3km from the site and in Burton Latimer 2 km from the site. The improvements proposed at Barton Road/ St Botolph’s Road and at Barton Road / Woodland Avenue will improve journey times and reliability of services to both Kettering and Burton Latimer. 5.12 The nearest local shops are the post office and general store on St Botolph’s Road 500m north of the site and a small Budgen store 600 m south of the site on the corner of Hilltop Avenue and Gotch Road. Both of these are easily accessible by bicycle or by walking. There is a wide range of shops in Kettering town centre that is 3km north west of the site and is accessible using the ‘express A’ bus service or by bicycle using the proposed link to Barton Road near the River Ise bridge. The Kettering Retail Centre is approximately 1.3km west of the site and will be accessible for pedestrians along a potential footpath link through Wicksteed Park. 5.13 Leisure centre facilities are available at the Kettering community centre and swimming pool 3km from the site on London Road south of Kettering town centre accessible either using the ‘A express bus service or by bicycle using the proposed cycle route onto Barton Road near the River Ise bridge. Wicksteed Park is an important leisure attraction located 600 m west of the site and is accessible either along the proposed right of way through Wicksteed Park or by the pedestrian and cycle route onto Barton Road and along Barton Road to the main entrance. There is also a fitness centre at Kettering Business Park 2km to the east of the site that is accessible using the proposed pedestrian right of way across Wicksteed Park. 5-3 Environmental Statement Chapter 5: Transportation Land West of Polwell Lane – A Sustainable Urban Extension to Barton Seagrave PUBLIC TRANSPORT Buses 5.14 The existing bus service that is convenient for the site, Stagecoach service A, runs at 10 minutes frequency each way along Polwell Lane and Grosvenor Road/ Woodland Avenue on route between Kettering town centre and Burton Latimer between 06.30 and 19.00 and at 20 minute frequency between 05.50 and 06.30 and between 19.00 and 20.30 Monday to Saturday. The Kettering bus route map and service details are at Appendix E of Appendix 5A. 5.15 The locations of the three bus stops on each side of Polwell Lane that would serve the development are shown on the drawing at Appendix C of Appendix 5A. 5.16 The buses and bus stops are well used in peak hours particularly those bus stops that serve the Latimer Community College on the east side of Polwell Lane. 5.17 The infrastructure at the bus stops on Polwell Lane includes raised footways and kerbs to ensure ease of access for passengers. Rail 5.18 Rail services are available from Kettering station to London and Leicester with a peak hour frequency of 15 minutes and an off peak frequency of 30 minutes each way and with travel times of 60 minutes and 25 minutes to/from London and Leicester respectively. Kettering railway station is located close to the town centre and can easily be reached by bus service A or by bicycle. RIGHTS OF WAY 5.19 There are existing public footpaths (Rights of Way) in the vicinity of the site as indicated at Appendix F of Appendix 5A and as follows: 5-4 Environmental Statement Chapter 5: Transportation Land West of Polwell Lane – A Sustainable Urban Extension to Barton Seagrave • Along a former railway line on the south edge of the site (HL10) and then to the south (VD44). • Along a former railway line from Polwell Lane to the south of the existing residential area along Gotch Road then northwards along the east edge of the site for 150 m with connections to Gotch Road and Brington Drive in the existing residential area (HL9). • From Sherwood Drive in the existing residential area, northwards through the site, then along the west edge of the allotments and north onto Barton Road (HL4). • From Polwell Lane to the north of the site along the south edge of the allotments (HL5). Walking 5.20 Existing pedestrian desire lines in the vicinity of the site have been identified as: • Between the Gotch Road residential area to the west of Polwell Lane and the community college and primary school to the east of Polwell Lane using Hilltop Avenue and an existing pedestrian link from Henley Close to Polwell Lane that is adopted highway. • Between the residential areas on either side of Polwell Lane and the shop in Gotch Road near to Hilltop Avenue. • Between the residential areas on either side of Polwell Lane and the bus stops on Polwell Lane. 5.21 The existing pedestrian footway facilities on Polwell Lane and within the residential areas off Polwell Lane are generally 1.8m wide on both sides of the carriageway. There is a section of Barton Road at the River Ise bridge on the route from the site to Kettering town centre where there is no footway on the south side of the road. 5.22 There is an existing zebra crossing of Polwell Lane near the pedestrian link to Henley Close. 5-5 Environmental Statement Chapter 5: Transportation Land West of Polwell Lane – A Sustainable Urban Extension to Barton Seagrave 5.23 There are no local improvements to pedestrian facilities proposed by Northamptonshire County Council for the highways or public rights of way in the vicinity of the site. 5.24 The traffic counts undertaken in 2006 indicate that the pedestrian flows at the junctions counted are relatively low with the highest hourly flow being 73 at the Polwell Lane junction with Grosvenor Road and Hilltop Avenue. 5.25 There are significant flows of pedestrians along the rights of way between Polwell Lane and both the community college and primary school. Cycling 5.26 There are existing cycle route facilities close to the site on A6003 Barton Road where there is a shared use footway/ cycleway for 50 m east from the junction of with St Botolph’s Road and a Toucan crossing of Barton Road.