Pre Planning Application - Part One

Concept and Feasibility

In the majority of planning land use proposals the Highway Engineer has an integral role in the feasibility and design process. In the Project Team for a major development the Town Planner will advise on the land use principles of the development, the Architect will advise on the design concept and the Highway Engineer the practicalities of cost effective access for all modes of travel, assessment of the suitability of the existing infrastructure, the parking and servicing arrangements and finally the detailed design of on and off site civil engineering works.

Feasibility studies start well before the planning application stage to define the most appropriate access arrangements and an initial assessment of the traffic impact of the land use proposal. This process informs the on-going design work both for on and possibly off site works and can lead to significant changes in land use proposals as the nature and volume of traffic varies significantly between land use types and scales of development. Following input from other team members as the development becomes more clearly defined the impact on the wider highway network and the suitability of local transport facilities (bus and rail), walking and cycling arrangements as well as the road traffic accident records in the locality are all briefly examined and a view formed.