Categories: Transport Assessment, Junction Design, Car Park Design, Swept Path Analysis, Expert Witness
Client: Capita Symonds/ Bristol Alliance
Project Date: 2005 - Ongoing
Contact: Roger Key
Location: Bristol

---

 The £500m Broadmead Expansion project has transformed Bristol’s city centre by introducing: a new department store for House of Fraser; over 100 other new shops including Harvey Nichols; a 13 screen, 3000 seat cinema; a 2600 space car park; more than 240 apartments; and a new road system requiring diversion of major city centre dual carriageways and relocation of Bristol’s busiest city centre junction.

Roger Key and David Tingay have worked on the transport aspects of the Broadmead Expansion project since the earliest planning stages in 2000. Roger led Capita Symonds’ input from 1999 until early 2005, helping to steer the scheme through the master planning phase, which required decisions on the basic road layout, public transport, walking and cycling infrastructure and the size and design of the new car park. David played a key role by analysing all the traffic signal controlled junctions and being responsible for sections of the Transport Assessments that accompanied the planning applications.

The first of several planning permissions were secured in 2003.

In 2004 Roger successfully represented both Bristol City Council and The Bristol Alliance at a conjoined compulsory purchase and road closure public inquiry, presenting all the transport related evidence in some 13 proofs of evidence. The Orders for the scheme were confirmed in the summer of 2005, by which time Roger had overseen the preparation of the detailed design for the major highway diversion before leaving to found KTC.

Since setting up KTC Roger and David have continued to be actively involved in the design and planning of the transport infrastructure, working closely with former Capita Symonds colleagues. Roger maintained a senior advisory role for the transport aspects of the project, responsible for taking an overview of all consultancy work, while providing strategic direction of the detailed design and planning work. Roger has also obtained a new road closure Order for part of the scheme and developed the strategy to enable service vehicles to reach the Quakers Friars area of the scheme, using otherwise pedestrianised streets during restricted hours.

David concluded the design of the new gyratory highway system, which lies at the heart of the development, and undertook all detailed analysis for the alterations to the other road junctions that the scheme requires.

KTC also prepared a scheme for strategic signing to the development on Bristol’s wider road network.

Roger was particularly pleased to introduce a Park and Ride bus service which was operated at weekends and for a period either side of Christmas 2005 from a University of the West of England Car Park near the M32 corridor into the city. 

The scheme was made possible by a partnership of the Bristol Alliance, UWE, First Bristol Bus company and Bristol City and South Gloucestershire Councils, all of whom contributed in one way or another to make the service possible. The service was operated again in 2006 to 2008 when there were 2200 fewer parking spaces in Bristol City Centre following the demolition of the Tollgate car park. 

Cabot Circus opened in 2008 and KTC has since been appointed by The Bristol Alliance to advise on related strategic transport issues, including further pedestrianisation within Broadmead, and to advise on an adjacent major retail led mixed-use redevelopment known as Callowhill Court.