Planning – Application Comments

Consultation Date: Mon 17 Feb 2025

Consultation Date: Fri 14 Mar 2025

Comment Date: Thu 02 Jan 2025

Plymouth City Council
Strategic Planning & Infrastructure

Transport Planning Team
Ext: 01752 307813
Date: 20th December 2024
Amy Thompson
Development Management
Strategic Planning & Infrastructure
Floor 2
Ballard House

Dear Amy

Highway Authority Consultation Response to a Planning Application


APPLICATION NO: 24/01576/S73

SITE: GREENBANK COTTAGES, GREENBANK ROAD, PLYMOUTH

DEVELOPMENT: Variation of Condition 1 (Approved Plans) of application 21/00055/FUL to include changes to the size and scale of the dwellings, larger lower ground floor, changes to the parking and turning areas, new and amended windows and doors.


Observations:

Following the granting of approval of the original application (21/00055/FUL), there have been changes to the layout of the site which have had a detrimental impact upon on-site turning provision along with the layout of car parking.

Whilst it was acknowledged by the LHA when commenting upon the original application that the on-site turning provision was well below standard, the removal of the small area in the north eastern corner of the site (opposite plot 2) has reduced the amount of space for turning even further from what was previously proposed. This has led to the LHA undertaking their own detailed assessment of the on-site turning provision provided.

PCC's own assessment of the revised on-site turning provision has revealed that it would be impossible for vehicles using the turning area at the northern end of the site (those vehicles associated with Plot 2) to be able to turn using a traditional 3-point turn. There is however the potential for vehicles to turn around using a 4 or 5 point turn but this is far from ideal and requires a very high level of driver skill (there is very little room for error).

With the car parking serving both Plots 1 and 2 moving to the front of the units on the access route itself, this presents an issue for turning if vehicles are not precisely parked within the marked boundaries of these spaces as shown on the drawings. Were vehicles to be parked just 1m beyond the boundary of these spaces (or a larger vehicle such as an estate car was to be parked in either of these spaces), then on-site turning would be restricted even further.

It is also worth noting that the relocation of the car parking spaces serving both Plots 1 and 2 from the side to the front of the properties means it is virtually impossible for the vehicles using these spaces to turn around if vehicles are occupying the remaining spaces located along the sides of the properties.

Without the ability to turn around on-site, there is a greater likelihood of vehicles of occupiers or visitors to the units reversing down the access road and out onto the busy, heavily-trafficked classified road (Greenbank Road). For this reason, the LHA is not able to recommend in support of these proposed changes to the approved scheme and would recommend refusal on the basis of the reason stated below.

With regards to the level of car parking proposed, the provision of 2 spaces per unit was considered necessary by the applicant to serve the development when they submitted the original application. Such a level of car parking was considered acceptable to the LHA and consequently in their opinion nothing has changed which would now lead to a lesser standard of car parking now being acceptable. In reality, if each dwelling was only allocated one space then vehicles would still end up parking on the access road serving the site and consequently the lack of on-site turning provision would still be an issue.

Recommendation:

The Highway Authority recommends that planning permission should be refused for the following reason:-

INADEQUATE ON-SITE TURNING PROVISION
Inadequate provision has been made within the boundary of the site in order to allow vehicles to turn so that they can enter and exit the public highway in a forward gear. The lack of such turning provision is likely to result in vehicles reversing back out onto a busy classified road (Greenbank Road) which would give rise to conditions likely to cause:
(a) Prejudice to public safety;
(b) Interference with the free flow of traffic on the highway;
(c) Unwarranted hazard to vehicular traffic
which is contrary to adopted guidance included within the Supplementary Planning Document (July 2019), Policy DEV29 of the Plymouth and South West Devon JLP (March 2019) and Paragraph 116 of the NPPF Dec 2024.



Scott Smy
Transport Development Coordinator

Officer authorised to sign on behalf of the Service
Director for Strategic Planning & Infrastructure