Planning Applications : W/14/01101/PN & W/14/01099/CU
Land off Brook Lane, Cropthorne
Response to Highways Authority comments
Relevant Background
 Planning applications relating to one 3-bed residential unit and 2x2
person holiday lodges have been submitted.
 The house and the lodges are to be accessed by a private stone track
(relevant total length 241m, avge width 3.2m) down to a short, private
tarmac drive (relevant total length 22m, avge width 7m) that leads via a
16m wide visibility splay onto the public highway at Brook Lane,
Cropthorne. The house and lodges will benefit from off-track parking
spaces and turning points - all to meet current planning standards.
 In addition to its occasional agricultural use, the private track currently
serves one residential property at its furthest point from the drive and a
further two residential properties and a residential outbuilding (gym) at
53m, 45m and 22m respectively from the drive – all with off-track
parking.
 The private track is bounded on its southern side by orchard land - for
62% of its relevant length this verge is of an easily mountable height
(less than 10cm) currently allowing oncoming vehicles to pass safely.
This verge rises to 30cm above the track in the area opposite the
development site. The track widens significantly at two points adjoining
the existing residential properties allowing oncoming vehicles to pass
safely at these points.
 The private track is bounded, for the length of land in the ownership of
the applicants, on its northern side by a grass verge averaging 1m in
width.
 The private tarmac drive at the end of the track serves two additional
properties – both with off-drive parking.
 At a slow, careful pace a car journey along the full, relevant length of the
track and drive down to the public highway takes:55 seconds for the existing house at the furthest end of the track
(under 55 seconds for the two proposed new lodges)
(38 seconds for the proposed new house)
28 seconds for each of two existing residential properties and 20
seconds from the outbuilding of the third.
 In calculating the probability of vehicles meeting head on as they travel
up and down the track, we have used the following assumptions.
-
Peak journey times 0600-1000 and 1600-2000,
Off-peak all other times
Avge of 3.0 peak-time, one-way runs per household/day.
Avge of 2.0 off-peak, one-way runs per household/day.
It is assumed that half the simultaneous journeys will involve
vehicles travelling the same way i.e. they will not need to pass
each other.
The journey down the track to the public highway.
(Refer to attached and marked OS map of relevant area.)
Point A – Location of proposed lodge parking, track access and passing bay.
Distance from public highway – 246m
Safe one-way journey time to public highway – under 55 seconds
Maximum possible length of 2m deep visibility splay/passing point – 12m
Properties to be served at this point – 3 plus occasional agricultural use.
Probability of these users meeting head on at peak times between A and C
-
8 peak hours
No of peak journeys/day
Journey time between A&C
No of 17 second periods
Probability
= 480 minutes
= 3 properties x 4 journeys = 12
= 17 seconds
= 480*60/17 = 1694
= 12/1694 = 0.71% x ½ = 0.36%
Probability of these users meeting head on at off-peak times
-
16 off peak hours
= 960 minutes
No of off-peak journeys/day= 3 propertiesx2 journeys = 6
Journey time between A&C = 17 seconds
No of 17 second periods
= 960*60/17 = 3388
Probability
= 6/3388 = 0.18% x ½ = 0.09%
Point B – OPTIONAL location of house parking, track access and passing bay
Distance from public highway – 212m
Safe one-way journey time to public highway – 48 seconds
Maximum possible length of 2m deep visibility splay/passing point – 13m
Properties to be served at this point – 4 plus occasional agricultural use
Point C – Proposed location of house parking, track access and passing bay
Distance from public highway – 155m
Safe one-way journey time to public highway – 38 seconds
Maximum possible length of 2m deep visibility splay/passing point – 12m
Properties to be served at this point – 4 plus occasional agricultural use.
Probability of these users meeting head on at peak times between C and D
-
8 peak hours
No of peak journeys/day
Journey time between C&D
No of 18 second periods
Probability
= 480 minutes
= 4 properties x 4 journeys = 16
= 18 seconds
= 480*60/18 = 1600
= 16/1600 =1.00% x ½ = 0.50%
Probability of these users meeting head on at off-peak times
-
16 off peak hours
= 960 minutes
No of off-peak journeys/day= 4 propertiesx2 journeys = 8
Journey time between C&D = 18 seconds
No of 18 second periods
= 960*60/18 = 3200
Probability
= 8/3200 = 0.25% x ½ = 0.13%
Point D – Location of existing passing place (and existing properties)
Distance from public highway – 75m
Safe one-way journey time to public highway – 28 seconds
Length of existing 2m+, tarmaced wide visibility splay/passing point – 18m
Properties to be served at this point – 6 plus occasional agricultural use
Probability of these users meeting head on at peak times between D and F
-
8 peak hours
No of peak journeys/day
Journey time between D&F
No of 18 second periods
Probability
= 480 minutes
= 6 properties x 4 journeys = 24
= 18 seconds
= 480*60/18 = 1600
= 24/1600 =1.50% x ½ = 0.75%
Probability of these users meeting head on at off-peak times
-
16 off peak hours
= 960 minutes
No of off-peak journeys/day= 6 properties x 2 journeys = 12
Journey time between D&F = 18 seconds
No of 18 second periods
= 960*60/18 = 3200
Probability
= 12/3200 = 0.38% x ½ = 0.19%
Point E – Location of existing passing space opposite outbuilding
Properties served at this point – 6 plus outbuilding of a seventh and occasional
agricultural use.
Overarching peak-time probability of two vehicles meeting head on along the
entire track = 1.6% of journeys.
Overarching off-peak probability of two vehicles meeting head on along the
entire track = 0.4% of journeys.
Point F – Gateway from private track
Distance to public highway – 22m
Safe one-way journey time to public highway – 10 seconds
Point G – Private Tarmaced Driveway and Public Footpath
Relevant length - 22m
Relevant width – 7m
Splay width to highway – 16m
Point H – Visibility splay from driveway to public highway.
Highways Authority Concerns
1. Safe pedestrian access down the track from all served properties.
2. Safe pedestrian use of public footpath adjoining the private drive.
3. Safe passing of cars on the track.
4. Unconsolidated track surface.
Proposed Mitigation
1. On approval, the applicants will continue to maintain a 1m-wide grass
verge along the length of their property adjoining the track. This will
provide safe pedestrian step-off if needed.
2. The public footpath criss-crosses Brook Lane before arriving at the
visibility splay and private drive – this is of much more significant safety
concern than that posed by increased vehicle movements on the 7m
wide private drive. However, on approval, the applicants will offer the
owner of the drive sufficient funds to permit a visual separation of the
public footpath from the drive. It should be noted that this drive is
referred to as “narrow” in the Highways Authority submission – it is in
fact 2m wider than most of the country lanes in Worcestershire.
3. As can be seen above, we have calculated the increased probability of
vehicles meeting each other head on contiguous sections of the track.
We have applied realistic assumptions that err on the side of caution –
agricultural use is reported by near neighbours to be infrequent and
insignificant. The overall probability of peak-time vehicle conflict is less
than 1 in 70 journeys, for off-peak its less than 1 in 200 journeys. Given
track journey speeds of less than 10mph and clear forward visibility for
virtually the entire length of the track, Highways concerns in this matter
seem un-justified. However, the applicants are prepared to fund a
widening of the site entry points to provide two further passing points at
points A and C outlined above. This will supplement the two existing
passing points.
4. The track is referred to us “unconsolidated” in the Highways Authority’s
submission. As can be seen from the pictures, the track is more
accurately described as “twin track and un-metalled but well
consolidated – having served its agricultural purpose and a residential
property for more than 50 years”. Along with other property owners
using the track and drive, the applicants are legally obliged to pay for
and play their part in maintaining both the track and the drive in good
and safe condition. As a gesture of neighbourly goodwill, and subject to
planning consent, we have already offered the owners of both the track
and the drive funds sufficient to further improve the surfaces postconstruction.
Prepared on September 29, 2014 by :Mike Simpson
Mill Barn
Sheriffs Lench
WORCS WR11 4SN
Attachment : Marked OS Map