Planning consent was granted in January 2006 for an extension to the existing business park covering 80 acres and delivering over 1 million sq.ft of flexible commercial space.

Sanderson Associates followed up earlier transport assessment work by preparing the Transport Assessment and Travel Plan Framework to support the planning application. As the A64 is part of the trunk road network, negotiations with the Highways Agency were required which led to its approval of the Transport Assessment and mitigation measures proposed to the trunk road.

Sanderson Associates are now carrying out the detailed design of the on and off site highway infrastructure and the surface and foul water drainage systems.

This major employment site is located close to the Tyne Tunnel in Newcastle. Between 2000 and 2002 Sanderson Associates undertook a wide scale traffic impact modeling exercise, which obtained Highways Agency and Local Authority approval.

The scheme included over 500,000 sq.ft of industry, 73,000 sq.ft of office space plus a car showroom and trade centre.

Approximately half the site is now completed or under construction, and further transportation studies are being undertaken to provide further development on the site, this requires close liaison with the Highways Agency and their own consultants

Sanderson Associates undertook the detailed design of a new major access to a commercial development on the site of the former De-la-pole Hospital, adjacent to the A164, the main route between Hull and Beverley.

The access took the form of a roundabout constructed on the line of the existing road. The high traffic volumes along the A164 meant that the layout of the roundabout had to be designed so that construction work could be phased to minimise disruption to traffic flow. Additionally the alignment of the access into the development was designed to be sympathetic with the existing landscape and, as far as possible, avoid the removal of mature trees. This roundabout is now complete and operational.

We have undertaken the design of a 60 space overflow car park on a greenfield site.

In addition to the design of the parking layout and access arrangements, the project necessitated the design of a storm water retention system and determining an appropriate method of accommodating storm water run-off.

A series of percolation tests revealed that ground conditions over only part of the site were suitable for ground infiltration. A system of porous surfacing with cellular storm water storage beneath was designed to discharge to a single soak away location at the lowest point of the site.

Sanderson Associates were instructed by a major food store organisation to undertake a detailed Transport Assessment (TA) of their development proposals for a 949m² discount food store.

The TA included access solutions to overcome restricted visibility along the site frontage in the form of a mini roundabout junction. A capacity assessment of the proposed mini roundabout was undertaken using the ARCADY computer programme for the respective 2006 and 2016 opening and design years.

Advice on car parking and the internal layout was also given using Auto TRACK vehicle swept path analysis software to ensure efficient operation of the internal layout.

Following the granting of planning permission we have been retained to produce the detailed highway design of the approved mini roundabout junction for construction purposes.

The site of a garden centre and associated nurseries was identified for redevelopment by a developer and subsequently obtained by another major food store organisation for a 1286m² discount food store.

Sanderson Associates were instructed to undertake a Transport Assessment to ascertain the relative impact of the proposed development over the existing land use on the highway network.

A new major/minor priority junction was designed to avoid major British Telecom plant and equipment and incorporated the existing cycle lanes on Carr House Road and catered for heavy good vehicles whilst achieving a new right turn ghost island design for vehicles into the site.

A vehicle speed survey was undertaken on Carr House Road to establish the required visibility from the site access for the speed of traffic on the main road.

A capacity assessment of the proposed major/minor priority site access junction was undertaken, which included the increase in vehicle activity associated with the discount food store above the existing land use, using the PICADY computer program which assesses capacity, queuing and delay at highway junctions.

The Transport Assessment demonstrated that there would be negligible impact at the site access junction should the proposals be implemented. The TA was then submitted to the Local Planning Authority as part of the planning application and received approval.

Sanderson Associates are now retained by the proposed occupiers to design the site access and off-site works with Calderdale Council.

Sanderson Associates have been commissioned by Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust to assess the impact of development traffic on the local highway network for the redevelopment of the Acre Mills site in Lindley an area of Huddersfield. Also to be assessed were the implications for car parking, the accessibility of the site for vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and by means of public transport.

The Acre Mills site was acquired by Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust for redevelopment with hospital related uses. The site is situated on Acre Street opposite the Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and encompasses approximately 8 acres.

The current Huddersfield Royal Infirmary site was, and is, suffering by a severe lack of off-street parking provision. The report involved a detailed assessment of traffic movements and car parking surveys, traffic generation surveys of the existing situation and subsequently a detailed Transport Assessment report considering the impact of the proposals. The proposals considered, involved a new Laundry, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Unit, Learning Centre, Super Surgery, Allied Health Use Facilities, Corporate Offices for the Trust, Hospital Worker Apartments and two large Multi Storey Car Parks.

The Transport Assessment (TA), the Base Highway Vehicular and Pedestrian Information Surveys and a TA Addendum were submitted to Kirklees Metropolitan Council and planning approval has now been granted.

Sanderson Associates were appointed by Jones Homes (Northern) Limited in January 2003 to provide highways advice for a mixed residential and industrial development in Skelmanthorpe, Huddersfield.

Jones Homes (Northern) Limited had land ownership concerns with the approved priority junction arrangement for the site. Sanderson Associates successfully agreed an alternative mini roundabout arrangement for the site access with the Local Highway Authority, which removed any potential impact on third party land. A Safety Audit was also undertaken by Sanderson Associates, independent of the design team, to assess the safety implications of the proposed mini roundabout, which included assessment of the nonstandard features of the design, inclusion of splitter islands, large ICD and physical deflection on approaches, requested by the Local Highway Authority.

The development is now nearing completion.

Before and after photographs are shown below of the mini roundabout access.

Before Image One - Skelmanthorpe, Huddersfield	After Image One - Skelmanthorpe, Huddersfield
Before Image Two - Skelmanthorpe, Huddersfield	After Image Two - Skelmanthorpe, Huddersfield

Business Homes of Leeds develop sites providing groups of small offices of 5-6000 sq.ft per unit all over the UK. In the last 12 months we have assisted them in developing 14 sites in the following locations

• Two in Aberdeen, one in Glasgow and two near Edinburgh
• Gateshead and Manchester
• Five in The Midlands and M4/M40 corridors
• London and Southampton

In most cases we have acted for our client in preparing Transport Assessments and Travel Plans in support of their planning applications and the provision of highway advice with respect to parking layouts and access for deliveries and parking management plans. This support continued during the planning application process in order to obtain permission for the developments to proceed.

Several of the sites have been located near to major motorway/trunk road junctions and so we have had to negotiate with both the Local Highway Authority and the Highways Agency/Scottish Office to achieve an acceptable solution to all sides.

Sanderson Associates were appointed by the Department of Transport from the Government of the Isle of Man to produce a Transport Assessment (TA) to consider the location, design and construction costs of a proposed Eastern Relief Road around the town of Ballasalla.

The TA considered the benefits to traffic flow, capacity and safety in Ballasalla should the Eastern Relief Road be constructed.

The impact of the Eastern Relief Road was assessed in the years 2010 and 2020 accommodating traffic growth from the Isle of Man Airport and both committed and potential future developments in the south of the island.

Two signalized junctions along with a four arm roundabout were designed and assessed to the South West and North East of Ballasalla to accommodate the predicted levels of traffic.

Further work was requested by the Department of Transport to undertake additional modeling work in alternative scenarios and produce a Cost Benefit Analysis to assess the financial viability of the Eastern Relief Road.

The site at Station Road, Brimington, Chesterfield was a disused sewerage plant. The access point had major highway issues including restricted visibility.

Sanderson Associates were commissioned to consider and resolve the highways and access issues for the site to enable it to be developed as a residential site. We successfully negotiated a highways scheme which removed all highway issues including visibility by the realignment of the existing carriageway, new traffic calming measures and other benefits for existing residential properties in close proximity to the site.

A new retaining wall, sheltered parking layby for residents of Station Road along with traffic calming were designed within the existing embankment to allow the highway to be realigned improving the visibility without affecting third party land and slowed traffic speeds to the benefit of all road users.

Before Image One- Station Road, Brimington	Before Image Two - Station Road, Brimington
After Image One- Station Road, Brimington	After Image Two - Station Road, Brimington

 

A proposal by Harron Homes for 24 houses had been refused planning permission for a variety of reasons. These were mainly planning matters but also included access and sightline concerns and possible effect on the use of an adjacent industrial site.

Harron Homes decided to lodge an appeal with the Secretary of State against this decision and were able to get an unusually early Inquiry date. With only a few weeks to go before the submission of evidence deadline, they were advised they should have a highways witness to counter that part of the Council's case. At very short notice, Sanderson Associates were appointed to provide a highways witness and prepare the required evidence. We prepared our evidence and submitted it to the Planning Inspectorate within the very tight timescales.

Our pre-inquiry appraisal of the scheme resulted in a number of design changes which were put forward in our evidence. These were such that the highway reasons for refusal were withdrawn by the Council at the hearing. The Inspector subsequently allowed the appeal and the development is to commence shortly.

This regional facility provides a unique combination of Retail Factory Outlets with comprehensive formal show gardens and family attractions, located in Spalding, Lincolnshire.

Sanderson Associates have provided various transport advice for the site over a long period, some eight years, including giving evidence at the Public Inquiry, after which the scheme obtained planning permission.

We have also prepared several Transport Assessments, a Travel Plan to encourage the use of non-car modes, and highway designs for the off-site improvements.

The scheme is now open and is very successful. Sanderson Associates are continuing to advise Thornfield Properties Plc on further developments elsewhere in the UK which require highway, traffic and transportation advice.