Lawrenc e Wa lke r Limited Churc h Farm House Lea ming to n Hasting s Wa rwic kshire CV23 8DZ WALKER ENGINEERING Tel : 01926 632111 Co nsulta nts in Highwa ys, Railwa ys Fax : 01926 632340 Bridg e s a nd Und e rwa te r Eng ine e ring Mobile : 07774 839181 E-Mail : LWLtd@bto pe nwo rld.c o m The Palmer–Tomkinson Trust The Cooper Family Broadnook Garden Suburb (North of Birstall) TECHNICAL NOTE 8 Public Transport Strategy May 2017 Lawrenc e Wa lke r Limite d Re g iste red Offic e a s a b o ve Re giste red in England No . 3001314 Broadnook Garden Suburb – North of Birstall Technical Note 8 Public Transport Strategy May 2017 Contents Page No. 1.0 Introduction 1 2.0 Existing Provision 2 3.0 Site Access Strategy 4 4.0 Economic Viability & Deliverability 6 5.0 Proposed Bus Priority Measures 7 6.0 Summary & Conclusions 10 Figures Figure 3 - Local Bus Network (Rev D) Figure 6 - Site Access Proposals Schematic (Rev D) Appendices A Proposed Bus Provisions B Response from Bus Operators C Site Access Proposals (Rev D22) D Emergency Services Response E Public Transport Data C:\LAWRENCE WALKER LIMITED\LWL Projects\Miscellaneous\Broadnook (21)\Reports\TN8\REPORT - TN8 - Contents Page.doc BROADNOOK GARDEN SUBURB – NORTH OF BIRSTALL Technical Note 8 Public Transport Strategy 1.0 Introduction General 1.01 This Technical Note (TN8) has been prepared by Lawrence Walker Limited (LWL) in response to a request by Leicester County Council (LCC) with respect to the Broadnook Garden Suburb, to the north of Birstall. The request relates to a requirement to update the Public Transport (PT) section of theTravel Plan (TP) dated April 2016 due to the age of the document; the availability of a further information and the subsequent evolution of the development Masterplan. 1.02 Technical Note TN8 relates only to physical PT provisionsassociated with the scheme and does not deal with “soft” measures such as introductory bus passes. Purpose of Report 1.03 The purpose of the report is to provide supporting data for LCC to enable them to evaluate and approve the Public Transport proposals at Broadnook. 1.04 In so doing, the report is structured as follows:- i) A brief appraisal of the existing situation regarding bus services is provided; ii) A summary of the Public Transport proposal is described, including on-site stopping points and associated walking distances; iii) An assessment of the economic viability of the proposal is outlined and confirmation that the existing bus operators are supportive of the proposals is provided, iv) An assessment of the like impacts of the proposed bus priority measures at the A6/A46 Birstall Interchange is then made, and; v) A summary of the report findings is presented. Report Conclusions 1.05 The report concludes that:- i) The proposed Public Transport measures are confirmed as being deliverable and affordable and if implemented, would provide an exemplar non-car transport offer at Broadnook, and; ii) The proposed bus priority measures will not adversely impact upon the A6/A46 Birstall Interchange; C:\LAWRENCE WALKER LIMITED\LWL Projects\Miscellaneous\Broadnook (22)\Reports\TN8\REPORT - TN8 - May 2017.doc - 1 - 2.0 Existing Provision Background 2.01 The Broadnook site lies adjacent to the pre-eminent transport choice corridor in Leicestershire. The Leicester-Loughborough Corridor (and its extension northwards to East Midlands Airport, Coalville and Derby) joins the County’s two major settlements and is served by high quality and high frequency bus services. The site is also close to the Birstall Park & Ride and existing Services 22A & 22B which currently terminate in north Birstall and to the south of the A46. 2.02 Figure 3 and Table 1 below show the existing services which pass alongside the site on the A6. Reference should also be made to Figure 2 of the DAS that appears on page 75 of the document and also Appendix E of this TN8. Table 1: Local Bus Services Monday to Saturday Sunday Service and Operator Frequency Frequency Key Destinations Daytime Evening Daytime Kinchbus Service 2 30 minutes 60 minutes 60 minutes Leicester via Birstall, Cossington, Sileby Barrow upon Soar, Quorn and Loughborough Arriva Service 126/127 10 – 15 30 minutes 30 minutes Midlands Leicester minutes Loughborough Shepshed & Coalville via Rothley, Mt’Sorrel and Quorn Kinchbus Skylink 30 minutes 60 minutes 30 minutes Leicester Loughborough EM Airport Paul S Service X27E Twice - - Winson Leicester Birstall Loughborough 2.03 Clearly there is excellent potential for bus service provision to serve Broadnook. The existing services however require alteration as part of the development proposals. 2.04 To this end and as explained later in this TN8 Report, it is proposed to divert one service – the Arriva 126/127 and to extend another – the Centrebus 22A/22B service (which has the added advantage of providing a service to the residents of Wanlip) as the basis of high quality bus services to Broadnook. C:\LAWRENCE WALKER LIMITED\LWL Projects\Miscellaneous\Broadnook (22)\Reports\TN8\REPORT - TN8 - May 2017.doc - 2 - Masterplanning at Broadnook 2.05 The layout and street hierarchy for the Broadnook Garden Suburb has been considered and determined mindful of the provision of appropriate bus services a shown on the Movement Parameter Plan – Ref DE096-002F at Appendix A. 2.06 The Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation’s (CIHT) document “Planning for Public Transport in Development” states that, in general terms:- “… new developments should be located so that public transport trips involve a walking distance of less than 400m from the nearest bus stop” a principle which is taken up in locally based guidance such as the 6C’s Design Guide. The CIHT document points out too that the recommended 400mest t is to be “treated as guidance” and that it is; “… more important to provide services that are easy for passengers to understand and attractive to use than to achieve slavish adherence to some arbitrary criteria for walking distance” 2.08 Manual for Streets (2007) describes a walkable neighbourhood as one that is typically characterised by having a range of facilities withinten minutes walking distance (up to about 800 metres) so that residents can comfortably access them on foot. In promoting sustainable transport theNational Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) at Paragraph 38 says that key facilities such yas primar schools and local shops should be located within walkingce distanof most properties. The Broadnook proposal achieves these objectivess discussed a later in this TN8 Report. C:\LAWRENCE WALKER LIMITED\LWL Projects\Miscellaneous\Broadnook (22)\Reports\TN8\REPORT - TN8 - May 2017.doc - 3 - 3.0 Site Access Strategy Bus Service & Facilities: Proposed Improvements 3.01 The nearest bus stops are located on the A6 Loughborough Road, adjacent to Birstall Meadow Road by Birstall Fire Station, approximately 0.5 miles from the development site. These stops are served mainly by the Kinchbus 2 Service between Leicester and Loughborough and Arriva Midlands 126/127 Service between Leicester and Coalville and whilst both are useful, neither would be easily accessible from the development due to their distance from the greater part of the Broadnook site (Appendix E). 3.02 As a result, the proposals involve the diversion and extension of two of the existing routes. This strategy is shown on Figure 3 (as well as on the Movement and Parameters Plan) and has been designed to cater for at least 5% of employee and residential peak hour movements to and from Broadnook in accordance with Policy CS20 of the Chanwood Local Plan Core Strategy. It states that “Bus service enhancements connecting the community with local employment opportunities and Birstall, Leicester City and Loughborough…” should be provided as part of the development. 3.03 In order to meet this objective, two new or diverted bus routes will be provided as noted below. They will be augmented by improved cycling and walking connections to the Birstall Park & Ride, where Service 303 is available on a frequent basis to and from the City Centre. Clearly easy car access to the latter is also possible. 3.04 For reference, the proposed two new or diverted services will comprise:- Diversion of the existing Route 126/127 through the site in two phases, and; Creation of a new “Broadnook Shuttle” based around an extension of the Route 22A/22B service. Route 126/127 3.05 Two-phase diversion of the existing Route 126/127 Service (one of the best current services in Leicestershire, being a 10-15 minute service on the key Leicester – Loughborough – Coalville corridor) is supported in principle by the current operator and would form the backbone of PT services for the site. Any loss in headway attributable to either diversion would be more than off-set by the proposed prioritization at the A46/A6 Birstall Interchange and improved access to and from Loughborough Road. Both aspects are discussed later in this TN8 Report. 3.06 It is intended that the Phase 1 diversion of the Route 126/127 Service will be a “day-one” provision and it will operate once the pre-requisite Phase 1 infrastructure has been delivered. Diversion on a linear basis does not involve any additional cost to the operator (since any increases in journey times is fully mitigated by the Bus Gate) and as such, this service does not impact upon the viability of the service itself. Early diversion is not dependant therefore upon a specific number of dwellings being occupied. C:\LAWRENCE WALKER LIMITED\LWL Projects\Miscellaneous\Broadnook (22)\Reports\TN8\REPORT - TN8 - May 2017.doc - 4 - 3.07 Both proposed diversion routes for the 126/127 Service are shown in outline at Appendix A, together with the associated Bus Stops.