Highways Access Policy Paper

By definition all planning applications with a highways involvement have at heart an access onto the highway network. It is hard to think of any development in the planning sense of the word which would take place without a means for accessing the site for people and goods by road.

The nature of the access – indeed, whether it is acceptable at all – is a function of the traffic likely to be generated by the development, together with the characteristics of the highway onto which the access would be built.

The policy which establishes a hierarchy for all highways on the Island provides a ready-made range of highway types, sorted by function, which provide the basis for a policy on access to the highway in planning applications.

The nature of the traffic generated by development is dependent on the nature of the development. TRICS data produced by JMP Consultants Ltd provides reliable data on vehicle trip generation, based on UK research. This data is commonly used for small applications such as single dwellings.

For larger developments, transport assessments and safety audits are now required. A transport assessment gives the developer the opportunity to estimate and justify the traffic likely to be generated, and then to put forward a methodology for dealing with that level of traffic (be it vehicular and/or pedestrian) on the local network. The local network includes rail as well as roads and footways. For reasons of sustainability, the transport assessment should make best use of non-car modes. Significant employment centres (more than 25 employees) should include a work travel plan. Similarly, schools should include a school travel plan.

The tables below set out general advice for new development on rural and urban roads. The tables show the criteria to be used in designing the access and sight lines.

In the event that the criteria cannot be met, the applicant should be invited to submit evidence to demonstrate circumstances affecting the application and the highway network in the locality such that the development would not adversely affect road safety or highway capacity. Any agreed variance from the policy on the basis of that submission will be made at Divisional level or by a suitable alternative decision making mechanism approved by the Minister.

Towns

	Primary Route	Secondary Route	Local Road	Local Access Road	Country Lane	Country Lane < 500 VFD
	Open Road	Built up	Open Road	Built up	Open Road	Built up
Speed Limit	70(TT)	60	30	50	30	40	30	30	20	20
Major Access	Presumption against new	Restricted	Restricted	Restricted	Unrestricted	Unrestricted
Major Frontage Access	No.	Presumption against DMRB	DMRB	Presumption against DMRB	DMRB	DMRB	DMRB	DMRB or MR1	No	No
Sight Lines	-	PPG13	PPG13	PPG13	PPG13	PPG13	PPG13	PPG13, MR1 or SSD	SSD	SSD or mirror
Turning Feature on Site	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Normally No	Yes	Yes

Existing Single dueling

Rural

	Primary Distributor	District Distributor	Local Distributor	Residential Access	Rear Lane
Speed Limit	40	30	30	30	20	20
Minor Frontage Access	None	Presumption Against	Presumption Against	Restricted PPG13	MR1	Yes – if lane wide enough
Major Access	DMRB and Transport Assessment	DMRB and Transport Assessment	DMRB and Transport Assessment	DMRB or MR1 and Transport Assessment	No	No
Sight Lines	PPG13	PPG13	PPG13	PPG13	MR1/SSD	No
Turning feature on site	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No

DMR B: UK Design Manual for Roads and Bridges PPG13: Planning Policy Guidance 13 (UK DoB, DoT 1994) – see appendix 1 MR1: Manx Roads 1 (Estate Roads Design Guide 1992) – see appendix 2 SSD: Shortest Stopping Distance – see appendix 3

Existing accesses are more difficult. Frequently existing accesses are constrained by land ownerships, or adjacent structures, or may be on the inside of a bend, making sight lines very onerous. Much will depend on the nature of the application. If the development proposed amounts to an intensification of the activity (e.g. a second house on a large plot, or holiday cottages on an existing farm), or if there is demonstrably more vehicular traffic, the application should be resisted.

In the circumstances defined in the tables, a new planning application can be acceptable with sight lines based on shortest stopping distances and mirror/mirrors to provide visibility for emerging vehicles. With existing accesses the only option to improve visibility could be mirror/s, dependent on circumstances.

Provided there is no hazard to passing traffic or pedestrians, it is permissible to locate the mirror pole within the highway. For this reason care should be exercised to locate the pole out of harms way, provided the mirrors are still effective.

The cost of providing and erecting mirrors is the responsibility of the property owner requiring the mirror. As at present, the property owner needs approval of DoT (Highways) either by way of written approval, or through the planning process.

Conclusion

Currently policy in this area is administered in ad hoc fashion using UK data, modified as thought appropriate to Island conditions, using judgement.

This leaves the Department in a position of weakness at appeal. Using judgement in road safety situations is undesirable.

If DoT Highways is to operate effectively, a well-reasoned policy in this area is needed.

It is recommended that:

1. This paper be accepted as policy for DoT Highways, and
2. Staff be instructed to use the policy in responding to planning applications and other planning issues, and
3. The operation of the policy is monitored in use, and any changes submitted for approval.

Table B:

Table A:
Major road speed (kph)	120	100	85	70	60	50	40	30
Major road distance (metres)	295	215	160	120	90	70	45	33

• Includes an allowance for motists travelling at 10kph above the speed limit

Speed limit (mph)	70	60	50	40	30	20
Major road distance (metres)	295	215	160	120	90*	45*

1. New accesses on to roads should wherever possible be on level ground or in hollows where there is good visibility. They should not be near the crest of a hill, near a sharp bend or where there are double white lines (indicating restricted forward visibility). At eye level (defined as 1.05m above road level) there should be a clear view over the whole area shaded in Figure 1 below.

1. A “minor road distance” of 9m is the normal requirement for new junctions and for the improvement of existing junctions between access roads and district or local distributor roads. The provision will be required where the “minor road” is busy (for example where it serves as a main connection between the public road system and a housing estate development or an industrial estate) but would not apply at junctions or accesses within estates. For less busy, simple and very minor junctions and busy private accesses (for example those serving a factory, a free standing shop or a petrol filling station) a minor road distance of 4.5m will normally be the acceptable minimum. For other types of access serving single dwellings or a small cul-de-sac of a half dozen dwellings, the minimum acceptable minor road distance is 2.0m. Only in exceptional circumstances should a distance of less than 2.0m be considered.

1. The “major road distance” will depend on the speed of traffic on the major road: the appropriate distance can be read off Table A or B overleaf. If the highest traffic speed on the road in wet weather (excluding the fastest 15% of vehicles) is known⁶ then this speed – or the next highest speed which appears on the table, – should be used as the major road speed in Table A to arrive at the appropriate “major road distance”. Where there is a speed limit and the actual speed of traffic on the major road is not known it will normally be necessary to provide for “major road distances” as shown in Table B.

1. If the major road is a one-way road, a single splay in the direction of approaching traffic will normally suffice, subject to paragraph 5 below. If the minor road or access serves as a one way exit from the major road the standard visibility splays will not be required, provided that forward visibility is adequate for turning vehicles.

1. Where an emerging vehicle crosses a footway at a lightly used access – for example, from the driveway of a proposed dwelling – pedestrians will not have sufficient warning of its approach. A splayed opening will normally be needed for this purpose. Unless a suitable alternative standard has been

⁶ Advice on measurements for this purpose is given in DOT Advice Note TA TA/81.

should extend from the back of the footway for a “minor road distance” of 2.0m and for a similar “major road distance” along the back of the footway. Where the footway is likely to be used by small children, there should be clear visibility at a level of 0.6m above road level, in addition to visibility at the 1.05m level.

1. It is not always practicable to comply fully with visibility standards. Such standards, like all other material considerations in development control, need to be assessed in the light of all the circumstances of each case. However, visibility should not be reduced to such a level that danger is likely to be caused.

Major Road

MAJOR ROAD	MAIN DISTRIBUTOR	INTERMEDIATE DISTRIBUTOR	MINOR DISTRIBUTOR	MAJOR ROAD	MINOR ROAD	STREET URBAN LANE COUNTRY LANE
4.5	H.A	4.5	70	4.5	60	2.4
10	10	10	6	6	2.4	6
50	H.A.	4.5	70	4.5	70	2.4
4.5	10	2.4	6	2.4	6	6
25	H.A	4.5	70	4.5	60	2.4
50	10	2.4	6	2.4	6	2.4
25	4.5	70	4.5	60	2.4	2.4
COURT	50	4.5	70	4.5	60	2.4
25	2.4	6	2.4	6	2.4	2.5