Planning – Application Comments

Comment Date: Fri 24 Jan 2025

PLYMOUTH CITY COUNCIL CONSULTEE COMMENTS FOR A PLANNING APPLICATION.

APPLICATION SUMMARY
PLANNING APPLICATION: 24/01665/CDM
ADDRESS: Marine Academy Plymouth Trevithick Road Plymouth PL5 2AF
DESCRIPTION: Application to discharge condition 5 (updated travel plan) of planning decision 22/02024/FUL.

CASE OFFICER: Jon Fox (Planning Officer)
Development Management, PCC Strategic Planning & Infrastructure, Floor 2 Ballard House PL1 3BJ

CONSULTEE: Gary Lester (Transport Officer)
PCC Strategic Planning & Infrastructure, Transport Planning Team, Floor 2 Ballard House PL1 3BJ

Date: 23rd January 2025

COMMENTS:
The Local Highway Authority (LHA) is currently unable to support and would object to the discharge of the School Travel Plan (TP), condition 5 of planning decision 22/02024/FUL, due to insufficient information.

Whilst it is acknowledged that the core function of the schools is that of education, none the less, it is important that schools actively encourage sustainable travel to help reduce the associated carbon footprint of the school where there are large numbers of people and vehicles moving around daily, particularly weekdays. While the submitted TP provides a framework that includes good information regarding the school and the surrounding transport links, the focus of the TP is to encourage active travel and reduce car borne journeys including for staff for which further details are needed.

The TP further details need to include the following information: -

A named person is required as the designated TP Co-ordinator, to oversee and maintain the TP, and liaise with PCC officers.

The TP its actions and targets need to cover a minimum of 3 years, whereas it apparently only covers the period 2024/2025, and is already running out of date.

Instead of ongoing, put a date in the TP over the 3-year period.

The TP Surveys need to be dated with the date they were carried out.

TP Targets, there is only 1 SMART target to increase car share for staff but this needs to be more robust, 1% over 3 years is not specific enough or going to make much of a difference.

It should have for example to reduce cars journeys by 1 or 2% over each year 2025 2026 and 2027.

Also, it should measure active journeys likely to increase walking/cycling to school by 2% over 3 years.


The Travel Plan informs there are currently two bicycle lockers available for staff or student use, which are to be relocated within the site, apparently because of landscaping works at the school. It is important the bicycle lockers are repositioned in an appropriate position convenient for use, highly visible, and well overlooked, to help security and discourage anti-social behaviour. For which further details should be submitted for approval as part of the School Travel Plan. Whilst it is noted that, additional provision is made for children's scooters near the entrance of the Primary School.

Moreover, there are significant concerns over pedestrian safety, to be shared with MAP school for further collaboration, over the on-going situation at the entrances to the school grounds from Flamstead Crescent.

More importantly there is nothing about the entrances leading from Flamstead Crescent where this is a main concern for road safety, the entrance/s leading from Flamstead Cresent it states 46.8% of students use this entrance but only the counting of pedestrians was done, and not the number of parents driving and parking, it is extremely busy with parental parking where the students walk to the school entrances.

From recent experience the back of MAP which includes MAP 2, and in particular the garage area, is not fit for this many cars being used to drop off at this location, with this road being grid locked at times with between 70 ' 80 cars driving or parking along it at peak travel times on Flamstead.

With parents parking on the footway blocking the whole of the footway causing major pedestrian / vehicle conflict and visibility issues. Reversing and turning in by the garages. It's appreciated its more the primary school parents but the entrance leading onto Flamstead was not for most students to enter or leave MAP school.

At present Flamstead Crescent is like an extension of the school car park. PCC have recently installed parking restrictions to stop parking near footway links or at the junction mouth, to allow better visibility for car drivers and pedestrians, but daily conflict is an issue. Therefore, as part of the school travel plan 'why' are so many parents driving to school?

SUMMARY:
The LHA is therefore currently unable to support and would object to the discharge of the associated School Travel Plan (TP) Planning Condition due to insufficient information.

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