Categories:         Residential Development

Client:                  Mr D Crow

Project Date:     2015 - 2019

Contact:               Stephen Le Flohic

Location:             Land Adjacent to Bleadon Hill, North Somerset

KTC were initially appointed by Mr Crow to advise on access feasibility of a site for some 70 residential dwellings on land adjacent to Bleadon Hill and A370 Bridgwater Road to the south of Weston-super-Mare.  The site is currently in agricultural use with a low standard of access onto Bleadon Hill.  Later, the advice extended to the provision of a Transport Assessment to accompany a planning application.  

Although the site was allocated for up to 70 dwellings in the North Somerset Council (NSC) Development Management Site Allocations Plan, the progress of the planning application was protracted.  NSC officers had a variety of concerns about the proposals, including highway matters, which KTC sought to alleviate.  The final issue to be addressed focused on road safety.  The site lies adjacent to the A370 route into Weston-super-Mare from the south  and pedestrian crossing facilities on the A370 are available close to the site but are of a limited standard. 

KTC investigated different options to improve on pedestrian crossing facilities on the A370, including a traffic signal controlled crossing and new central pedestrian islands in different locations.  The A370 speed limit of 40mph and visibility constraints along the road meant that improvements were not straight forward.  After KTC undertook a Pedestrian Crossing Option Assessment, NSC Highway Officers accepted the assessment conclusion that improvements to the existing pedestrian crossing facilities close to the site provided an acceptable and preferred way forward.  The planning application was considered by NSC planning committee and was granted planning permission in February 2019.