How many residential dwellings can be served by just one access point?
As a transport planning consultancy, we're regularly asked this question by clients looking to secure planning permission for new residential development on a site constrained to just one access point.
Access plays a crucial part in planning a new development as it provides a connection between the new homes and the existing highway network, so it’s fundamental to deliverability. It’s accepted that multiple access points help provide permeable developments and increase connectivity to surrounding areas.
However, maximising the number of houses served by a single point of access for particularly constrained sites can help unlock true development potential.
As you would expect, the answer to the question varies across the country. Most Local Highway Authorities (LHAs) have their own highway design guidance with varying thresholds related to the number of homes deemed acceptable.
Hub transport planning consultancy is currently helping several clients with developments constrained to a single access point. We're positively engaging with LHAs to maximise housing numbers to as many as 750. There are examples of applications where more than 1,000 homes have been approved from a single point of access.
What guidance does and doesn’t say on housing thresholds
The overriding policy consideration is the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which says you must demonstrate:
‘safe and suitable access to the site can be achieved for all users’
But the NPPF doesn't provide rigid development thresholds for single points of access and neither does national guidance such as Manual for Streets. So, this provides your transport planning consultancy or team with the flexibility to engage with LHAs about maximising development potential even when local design thresholds are set to be exceeded.
Key aspects which will influence the suitability of single points of access include:
- Highway safety
- Junction capacity
- Residential amenity
- Access for emergency services
How to increase the number of houses served by a single access point
There are features that can be designed into your development layout to increase the number of houses that can be served from a single access point, including:
- A comprehensive sustainable transport strategy to minimise vehicular trips to and from the site
- Provision of a separate emergency access
- Wider access roads particularly for the initial section joining the existing highway network
- Reinforced footways which can be overrun by emergency vehicles if required
- Providing loops within the site to distribute traffic more evenly around the development and provide alternative routes for residents and emergency vehicles.
We've incorporated these features into clients’ planning applications with successful results and are actively engaged in consultation the Local Highway Authorities and emergency service providers.
Hub is a transport planning consultancy in Birmingham. If you would like more advice on access for your planning application, contact Hub associate director James Corbett: james.corbett@hubtransportplanning.co.uk
