Quantock Road, Bridgwater
Project: Quantock Road, Bridgwater
Categories: Transport Assessment, Environmental Statement, Travel Plan
Client: Persimmon Homes Severn Valley
Project Date: 2016 - 2019
Contact: Matt Jewell
Location: Land to the South of Quantock Road, Bridgwater, Somerset
Bridgwater has experienced significant growth in recent years and continues to remain the focus of inward investment and development due to its status as the most sustainable location within Sedgemoor in which to locate further residential development.
The ‘Land to the west of Bridgwater’ Local Plan allocation comprises two distinct areas: land at Cokerhurst Farm (located to the north of Quantock Road) and Land to the South of Quantock Road (i.e. this development site) as shown below. This allocation is expected to provide 1,200 residential dwellings, plus schools, local shops and various infrastructure to create a sustainable urban extension.
KTC worked closely with the transport consultants on the adjoining Cokerhurst Farm site to provide an integrated, holistic approach to transport planning and management associated with the proposed West of Bridgwater Urban Extension.
The Persimmon planning application for about 375 dwellings includes a Transport Assessment, Travel Plan and transport chapter of the Environmental Statement produced by KTC. However, the traffic assessment of the site access junction and the wider highway network also needed to take into account the effects of also providing an ‘all age school’ on land to the west, which would also connect to the existing highway network at the proposed new four-way signalised site access junction on Quantock Road.
The assessment of future traffic impacts of the proposed urban extension posed some complex issues including: identifying and appropriately assigning construction and operational traffic movements associated with the development of Hinkley Point Nuclear Power Station; the review of traffic associated with over 30 committed development sites and the robust assignment of key committed traffic movements; the calculation of changes in traffic flows associated with the Colley Lane Southern Access Road, and various other proposed junction improvement works within the town.
Image: © Sedgemoor District Council