5) Access & Parking

The application proposes to use the existing historic access off Gateacre Brow
as the ingress for residents and Lower Sandfield Road would be used as the
egress. It is considered important to retain the existing original access into the
site off Gateacre Brow given its historic and architectural importance.

The scheme provides 22 no. car parking spaces which would be located at the
rear of the site adjacent to the new apartment blocks. Current UDP policies
suggest that residential developments should provide one space per residential
unit and one space per two units for visitor parking. The level of car parking
provision proposed in this scheme equates to 1 no. space per residential unit
being created. At present, No. 42, which will be retained as a single dwelling
house, does not have any parking provision. In addition, although the applicant
controls Nos. 5-11 Sandfield Road, they do not form part of this application and
therefore their parking requirements are not being considered. However it
should be noted that these properties also currently do not have any dedicated
parking provision. The Planning Manager in conjunction with the Highways
Manager acknowledges that the proposed level of parking provision is below
the suggested level as specified in the UDP, however, in this instance bearing
in mind that the site is land locked and that the level of development proposed
is required in order to make the scheme financially viable, he considers that the
number of car parking spaces proposed is acceptable as it provides one space
per residential unit.

In general, the layout of the surface parking is satisfactory and provides
sufficient manoeuvring space within the curtilage of the site to allow vehicles to
enter and leave in a forward gear. The Highways Manager commissioned an
ATC (Automated Traffic Count) survey on Gateacre Brow and Sandfield Road
over a period of 7 days in March 2006. The Highway Manager has undertaken
an assessment of the impact of the existing traffic flows using the results of the
ATC and has interrogated the TRICS database in relation to the number of units
proposed, and is of the opinion that the impact on existing traffic as a result of
the additional traffic generation would be negligible and therefore no detrimental
impact on highway safety.

Although a visibility splay as stated in Design Bulletin 32 cannot be met, it is
considered that the egress from Lower Sandfield will operate satisfactorily due
to the relatively low level of traffic on Sandfield Road and the small number of
vehicles exiting onto Sandfield Road from the development. Sandfield Road is
a narrow road, which operates less than 30mph, therefore, the Highways
Manager considers that adequate visibility can be achieved within the required
standards for the new development.

Overall, the Planning Manager together with the Highways Manager considers
that the proposal would meet the minimum operational needs in terms of off
street parking provision for the development and would have adequate
arrangements for vehicular access without having an adverse impact on the
existing road infrastructure. As such, the proposal would not be detrimental to
highway safety.

continued . . .