PHASE 6 TRANSPORT STATEMENT AND TRAVEL PLAN FEBRUARY 2021 CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. SITE AND LOCAL TRANSPORT NETWORK 2 3. DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS 7 4. TRAVEL PLAN 12 5. TRANSPORT POLICY CONTEXT 15 6. ACCESSIBILITY 21 7. PARKING 24 8. CONCLUSIONS 26 FIGURES 1 SITE LOCATION PLAN AND LOCAL HIGHWAY NETWORK 2 LOCAL HIGHWAY NETWORK AND FACILITIES APPENDICES A NORTH SOMERSET COUNCIL ‘A MAP FOR CYCLISTS’ EXTRACT B PROPOSED SITE LAYOUT C TRICS OUTPUT – B2 LAND USE D TRAVELWEST ISOCHRONE PLOTS © Key Transport Consultants www.key-transport.com 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Key Transport Consultants Ltd is retained by Smart Systems Ltd (SSL) to provide professional transport advice in respect of a proposed expansion of their existing aluminium manufacturing plant on Arnold’s Way, Yatton in North Somerset, subsequently referred to as the Phase 6 extension. This Transport Statement (TS) has been prepared to support a planning application for the proposed development. 1.2 This report continues in Section 2 with a description of the site and local transport network whilst Section 3 describes the development proposals along with associated vehicular trips. The Travel Plan for the entire site is discussed in Section 4 and Section 5 identifies the transport policy framework. 1.3 Section 6 identifies the accessibility of the site by all transport modes while the parking provision is described in Section 7. Conclusions are set out in Section 8. F:\DATA\Jobs\0793 Smart Systems - Phase 5\Phase 6\Transport Statement 2.0.docx 1 2. SITE AND LOCAL TRANSPORT NETWORK Site Location and Strategic Road Network 2.1 The proposals represent a further expansion of the existing SSL aluminium manufacturing plant, which is located at the northern end of Yatton in North Somerset as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The site lies at the western end of Arnold’s Way. 2.2 The site lies close to the M5 motorway which can be accessed at Junction 20 (Clevedon) to the north via the B3133, or at Junction 21 (Weston-super-Mare) to the south via the B3133 and the A370. Site Access 2.3 The SSL site currently has two vehicular access points, both taken from the north side of Arnold’s Way. The access to the east currently provides access to a parking area for 73 cars including two disabled parking bays and an area for motorcycle parking. This access is typically used by office-based employees such as those working in management, sales and administration. The access junction is a wide priority junction. 2.4 Pedestrian access to the site is via a footway link alongside the eastern access. The short length of footway runs from Arnold’s Way back to the site boundary fence, the footway has tactile paving and dropped kerbs at each end and on the opposite side of Arnold’s Way. Beyond the end of the footway pedestrians are required to walk across the car park to access the main entrance. 2.5 The second access is located approximately 120m to the west of the main site access. This access is the main access used by employees working in the Phase 1 to 5 buildings and is also used by HGVs for delivery of materials and collection of finished items and items to be sent for painting. Local Road Network 2.6 Arnold’s Way is a local distributor road, typically 7.3m wide which provides access to industrial uses including the existing SSL plant and Stowell Concrete. A ghost island priority junction on Arnold’s Way approximately 300m east of the SSL existing main site access serves residential developments on the northern edge of Yatton via Brunel Way and Meadowland. Arnold’s Way also provides access to a farm and an agricultural vehicle repair and sales centre. A new development of seven industrial units has recently been completed F:\DATA\Jobs\0793 Smart Systems - Phase 5\Phase 6\Transport Statement 2.0.docx 2 under application ref 18/P/4210/FUL to the north-east of the site, with access from Arnold’s Way. 2.7 450m northeast of the SSL existing main entrance, Arnold’s Way meets the B3133 North End Road at a standard roundabout junction. The roundabout is estimated to have an Inscribed Circle Diameter of approximately 36m and has five arms, two of which carry through traffic on the B3133 which passes through the junction from northwest to southeast. A third arm is Arnold’s Way which approaches from the southwest, and the fourth arm serves a residential development that is still being built out. The fifth arm, opposite Arnold’s Way is a recently constructed access to a new residential development. 2.8 North End Road and its junction with Arnold’s Way is subject to a 40mph speed limit, the speed limit on Arnold’s Way reduces to 30mph immediately after its junction with the B3133. 2.9 All traffic accessing the SSL site will pass along Arnold’s Way and through the junction with the B3133. 2.10 To the southeast of the roundabout, the B3133 heads southeast and passes through the centre of Yatton, a village in North Somerset with a population of around 9,000 people. Approximately 250m south east of the roundabout the speed limit on the B3133 reduces to 30mph. The B3133 continues as North End Road through Yatton until it reaches a bridge across the Bristol to Exeter railway line, a major branch of the Great Western Main Line. To the south of the railway line, which crosses the village from east to west, the B3133 is named High Street. 2.11 At the southern end of Yatton several of the routes heading east have weight restrictions in place, including the Claverham Road, which passes through the village of Claverham, and Wood Hill. Both of these routes provide shortcuts to the A370 for vehicles heading toward Bristol. 2.12 As the B3133 leaves the south-eastern end of the village its name changes again to Frost Hill and then Smallway before meeting the A370 at a signalised crossroad junction. The A370 Bristol Road links Bristol with Weston-super-Mare and the M5 motorway at Junction 21. 2.13 To the northwest of Yatton the B3133 becomes more rural in nature, winding through a number of small settlements across North Somerset before reaching the southern edge of Clevedon. With the exception of a 750m length of road to the north of its junction with Arnold’s F:\DATA\Jobs\0793 Smart Systems - Phase 5\Phase 6\Transport Statement 2.0.docx 3 Way, there are generally no footways alongside the B3133 between Yatton and Clevedon. The road is subject to a 40mph speed limit between Yatton and Clevedon. 2.14 As the B3133 Kenn Road enters the suburban area of Clevedon, it crosses Southern Way and Central Way at a 40m ICD roundabout junction. Central Way is a wide residential distributor road which skirts around the south-eastern edge of Clevedon to a large four arm gyratory that links to M5 Junction 20. 2.15 The B3133 has a 7.5T weight restriction, apart from loading, between just north of the M5 bridge and the traffic signal junction with the A370 in Congresbury. Pedestrian and Cycle Facilities 2.16 Along the southern side of Arnold’s Way, set back from the edge of the carriageway behind a grass verge there is a good quality wide footway running along the length of Arnold’s Way. To the east, at the junction of Arnold’s Way with the B3133 the footway is signed as a shared path which follows the B3133 to the north and south. 2.17 To the north of the roundabout along the eastern side, a footway continues approximately 700m to the north and terminate opposite The Bridge Inn. 2.18 To the south the shared path continues on the western side of the B3133 for approximately 120m. 2.19 South of the Arnold’s Way roundabout the footway continues south along both sides of the B3133, with the footway on the western side of the B3133 stopping at its junction with Macquarie Farm Close, opposite the rugby ground. 2.20 The footway continues along the eastern side of the road until the mini-roundabout junction of the B3133 North End Road with Wemberham Lane and Grange Farm Road, where a footway is present on both sides of the road. This arrangement continues along the B3133 through the rest of Yatton. 2.21 Generally, the footway is well maintained but varies in width along the length of the B3133 with some sections narrow. 2.22 Alternative pedestrian and cycle routes to the centre of the village are available through the residential estates to the north of Yatton which would provide a more convenient journey. F:\DATA\Jobs\0793 Smart Systems - Phase 5\Phase 6\Transport Statement 2.0.docx 4 Opposite the SSL site the end of Horsecastle Farm Road, is closed to motorised traffic and provides a pedestrian and cycle link through to the residential areas in the north of Yatton. 2.23 Although there are no dedicated cycle facilities through the residential areas the roads are typically quieter than the B3133 with traffic speeds expected to be lower; the route is also shorter than the route along the B3133. 2.24 One of the key constraints to movement by any mode in the village is the railway line. There is only one main crossing point where the B3133 passes over the railway line. There is also a pedestrian footbridge between the platforms at the station, which could be used by pedestrians.