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Vehicular Access I have been unable to find out where this quotation comes from- parish council response or planning department? Important: There is a page on this website that provides a map with hot spots to link to pages with photographs of each junction. These photographs provide documentary evidence of the nature of the roads in the parish of Freshford in 2005-2006: MAP This page gives access to video films of the Freshford road system Vehicular Access3.14 In addition to flood risk Freshford Mill is subject to severe vehicular access difficulties. The approach roads to the site are generally narrow (single carriageway width) country lanes. In particular the approach from the west along Rosemary Lane (providing the most direct and quickest route to the A36 and the strategic road network) is, in places, only 2.4 metres wide and subject to steep gradients. On all approach roads there are also a number of blind bends and extremely limited opportunities for vehicles to pass. There are no footways on these roads, nor over most of the route, any verges which pedestrians might use to avoid passing traffic. 3.15 Mixed use redevelopment of the site would lead to significant traffic generation on local narrow country lanes that are not suited to accommodate such traffic flows. It is difficult to be certain of the ‘directional split’ of traffic, however, it is likely that the majority would use Rosemary Lane to the west of the site as this represents the most direct route to the A36. Rosemary Lane is subject to an absolute weight limit meaning that it is not suitable for goods vehicles. 3.16 The nature of the local road network and Rosemary Lane in particular is such that two vehicles would not be able to pass each other. As a result of narrow road widths and a lack of inter-visibility for vehicles between passing locations it is very likely that vehicles will have to reverse significant distances in order to pass each other. 3.17 In addition the road width is such that, in places, there would be a significant risk to other road users i.e. pedestrians and cyclists. Government guidance set out in Design Bulletin 32 “Residential Roads and Footpaths: Layout Considerations” (extract attached as Annex 3) suggests that 3 metres should be regarded as the minimum width on a single track road system to enable a car to pass a cyclist or pedestrian with care. Stretches of the local road network are narrower than this (see para 3.14 above) and are as narrow as 2.4 metres, which is inadequate to allow cars to pass pedestrians and cyclists and even to allow some drivers to get in or out of some vehicles in the event of a breakdown. 3.18 The likelihood of these risks arising is increased by the car dependent nature of development due to the unsustainable location of the site (see paragraphs 3.20 – 3.28 below). It should also be noted that Rosemary Lane regularly floods in the vicinity of the site and therefore at such times will not be available for use by traffic. 3.19 In assessing whether a site should be designated as a MEDS there are parallels between Freshford Mill and the Polysulphin Works in Keynsham. The combination of flood risk and poor vehicular access were the main reasons why the Polysulphin Works in Keynsham (ranked as the third most substantial in terms of building mass) was not identified as a MEDS under policy GB.3.
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