HIGHWAYS AND PARKING FAQs

 

1. How would the impact of additional traffic be considered? 

A full Transport Assessment will be commissioned to robustly assess the transport impacts of the development. The extent of this assessment and associated surveys will be agreed with the Local Planning Authority and the GLA and will reflect the feedback from residents to date.

 

A baseline assessment was carried out before the summer in 2016 to provide information on the existing levels of traffic generated by residents living at Ham Close and the parking capacity of the roads in the immediate vicinity of the Close. If you would like to read the Transport Feasibility Report, please click here. 

Appendices to the report can be found here.

 

Following residents feedback we commissioned specialist transport surveyors to complete a number of preliminary traffic surveys and a modelling exercise in September 2016, testing the impact of the potential future proposals at Ham Close on key junctions surrounding the site, including the A307 Petersham Road. The technical note for this can be found here.

 

The results of these surveys have been subjected to a preliminary capacity assessment which indicates that the 4 junctions assessed (the A307 Petersham Road / Sandy Lane roundabout; the Ham Street / Sandy Lane junction; the Ham Street / Ashburnham Road junction; and A307 Petersham Road / A307 Upper Ham Road / Ham Common (South) junction) operate within their theoretical capacity in the weekday AM and PM peak periods.

 

The potential future development of Ham Close is shown to have a negligible impact on the operation of these junctions.  However, the surveys do highlight that the A307 Petersham Road (South) / Sandy Lane roundabout currently operates close to capacity on the A307 Petersham Road (South) arm; with development the junction would continue to operate close to capacity on the same arm.

 

As above the full impact of the proposals will need to be considered further, as part of a detailed Transport Assessment.

 

2. How many parking spaces would be provided?

The Council’s planning policy requires 1 space per home provided by RHP. For private housing, the requirements are 1 space for 1-2 bedrooms, 1.5 spaces for 3 bedrooms and 2 spaces for 4+ bedrooms.

 

The current redevelopment proposal provides just over one space per home overall and therefore is likely to be just below the planning policy requirements. We would look to continue to develop the parking strategy for the Close as part of the detailed design development, but if parking standards cannot be met, the proposal would need to demonstrate that it will not cause any adverse impacts (in terms of street scene, on-street parking etc.). This may include considering:

 

• A car parking survey

• Levels of car ownership locally

• Existing compared to proposed levels of off-street parking

• Measures to reduce the reliance on private cars and encourage more sustainable modes of transport (such as car club provision and membership, electric charging points etc.)

 

3. Will there be a CPZ on Ham Close / imposed on the surrounding area?

At present there are no plans for a Controlled Parking Zone on Ham Close or in the surrounding area. Please note a CPZ would not be imposed on an area.

 

If residents wish to make a request for a CPZ, this should normally be made on behalf of at least 51% if residents in the road / area for it to be investigated. This should be based on the total number of properties in the road / area and not simply of those that have completed / returned a survey form. It needs to be demonstrated to Richmond Council that over 50% of the total households in an area of not less than two roads are requesting parking controls. The more roads included, the stronger the case put to Richmond Council for consideration.

​

4. Would bus services be enhanced?

As part of the transport survey, we would look at public transport options and liaise with relevant organisations e.g. Transport for London. We are already exploring the possibility of increasing the capacity / frequency of the 371 bus route and extending the K5 bus route to Ham Close.