Agenda item

To examine the process, methodology and criteria for undertaking road safety audits in relation to planning applications.

The Lead Member for Public Realm introduced the report and appendices (previously circulated) and the Traffic, Parking and Road Safety Manager detailed the process and methodology utilised for undertaking road safety audits in relation to planning applications, including the criteria which merited the requirements for a road safety audit.  Responding to members’ questions the Lead Member, Head of Service and the Traffic, Parking and Road Safety Manager advised:

·         that a developer applying for planning permission would appoint a design a consultant for the proposed development.  As part of the early design process a preliminary road safety audit would be undertaken.  This preliminary audit would consider matters such as visibility at road junctions etc.;

·         all road safety points raised by planning officers during the application process would require to be documented in the final planning application, including the measures that would be incorporated into the development plans to mitigate any identified risks;

·         the ‘Design Manual for Roads and Bridges’ guidance, a copy of which was attached to the report, was the technical document adhered to when undertaking road safety audits.  This document specified that at least one person undertaking the audit had to hold a ‘Certificate of Competency’.  Upon receipt of the audit report one of the Council’s qualified road safety engineers would  quality assure the assessment, and if necessary refer it back to the developer with a request that any queries be addressed prior to the application moving forward to the next stage;

·         any proposed road markings or drainage plans included in planning applications would be quality assured by qualified engineers employed by the Council;

·         once planning permission was granted, and if work on the highways was one of the stipulated conditions for the granting of the permission,  the road safety audit process would proceed to Stage 2.  At this stage the developer would need to seek highway approval for changes to the highway e.g. the building of a roundabout, line painting etc.;

Councillor Alice Jones advised the Committee that, despite assurances given by officers of the robustness and independence of the road safety audits, she was firmly of the view that the process had failed residents of Bodelwyddan during a recent planning application in the centre of the village.  She detailed to the Committee the circumstances relating to this particular planning application, emphasising that in her view the Road Safety Audit prepared for this application had not conformed to all the suggested criteria listed in the section on ‘Road Safety Audit Brief’ in the ‘Design Manual for Roads and Bridges’ document.  Councillor Jones felt that a number of important factors had been omitted or overlooked in the road safety audit for this particular application e.g. disabled access, safe route to school etc.

Following an in-depth discussion a consensus was reached that it would be useful if a training workshop could be arranged for all Planning Committee members in order to clarify the process, methodology and criteria for the road safety audit process and its application in relation to planning applications.  The workshop should be a half-day session and be chaired by the Lead Member for Public Realm and the Bodelwyddan example cited by Councillor Alice Jones should be used as one of the examples at the workshop.  Any recommendations emanating from the workshop that required formal elected member approval should be submitted to the Planning Committee for approval in due course.

The Committee therefore:

RESOLVED -

(i)            subject to the above observations, to receive the report and the information imparted; and

(ii)          to request the Head of Planning and Public Protection to arrange a half-day training workshop, to be chaired by the Lead Member for Public Realm, for all members of the Council’s Planning Committee on the process, methodology and criteria for the road safety audit process and its application in relation to planning applications