Road Safety

Road Safety A. Requirements 1. Proposals will be supported where it can be demonstrated that they will not compromise highway safety, including during construction. Where residual impacts on the capacity and operation of the highway network are identified, these must be appropriately mitigated to acceptable levels in accordance with the highways authority’s operational standards. 2. For proposals that would generate significant travel in a sensitive location, or where crash data indicates existing safety concerns, development proposals must: i. Be designed in accordance with the ‘Safe System Approach’ principles, incorporating safe road design, appropriate speed management, and infrastructure that supports safe road user behaviour, contributing to Warwickshire County Council’s Vision Zero ambition. ii. Adhere to the hierarchy of road users through prioritizing safety, accessibility and convenience of pedestrians, cyclists, public transport users, and other vulnerable road users in accordance with the user hierarchy established in LTN 1/20 and Manual for Streets. Cycleways would normally be expected to have priority across side roads. 3. Where appropriate development proposals must be subject to independent Road Safety Audits, undertaken in accordance with GG119 (or successor standards), with identified issues addressed and agreed with the local Highways Authority. For major development, the Local Planning Authority may require post-implementation monitoring of road safety outcomes with further mitigation to be delivered where necessary. 4. Safety measures and infrastructure must be capable of being maintained for the lifetime of the development, with arrangements for adoption or ongoing management clearly set out. B. Urban Environments 1. In accordance with WCC's Design Guide, 20mph compliant horizontal designs should be delivered as part of residential design proposals for non-spine roads. A 20mph limit will normally be appropriate and the development shall contribute to the necessary costs of any Traffic Regulation Order. 2. Proposals must integrate continuous footpaths/cycleways to maintain network connectivity with the surrounding area at all junctions where these connect with the existing road network. 3. Development should provide safe pedestrian and cycle routes to nearby services and facilities. C. Rural Environments 1. Proposals must ensure that new site access on rural roads provides appropriate visibility splays and are well designed for existing road characteristics. Speed reduction measures must be implemented where necessary to ensure safe access. 2. Where crash data or safety audits identify collision risks or roadside hazards in the vicinity of the development, appropriate mitigation measures must be implemented. 3. Development should provide safe pedestrian and cycle routes to nearby services and facilities, recognizing the constraints of rural settings. Development proposals must also consider the needs of horse riders, agricultural vehicles and other rural road users, providing mitigation where conflict or safety risk is identified. Policy Justification 7.5.7 A key requirement for development proposals under the National Planning Policy Framework is to ensure that safe and suitable access to sites is provided for all users. In addition, Warwickshire County Council have set out in their Local Transport Plan 4 (2024-2050) the ambitious goal of reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on Warwickshire’s roads by 50% by 2030. With further ambition to work towards zero serious casualties or deaths on Warwickshire’s roads by 2050. 7.5.8 To achieve this, all developments must contribute positively to road safety through ensuring safe access, implementing internal traffic calming measures, and mitigating the impacts of additional vehicle movements in the surrounding area. South Warwickshire encompasses both heavily urbanized areas within the Warwick conurbation and South of Coventry, and more rural areas elsewhere, particularly in the countryside of the Stratford-upon-Avon District. Given this diverse range of settings, the policy tailors requirements reflect local context and characteristics. 7.5 .9 SWLP Policy ID.5 requires Travel Plans and Transport Assessments for appropriate scale of development. These documents must demonstrate how the development will achieve safe access and movement for all users during both construction and operation stages. The approach to highway safety should be clearly set out in planning applications, and agreed with Warwickshire County Council, to ensure schemes are designed to eliminate or minimize road safety risks. 7.5.10 All major developments are required to incorporate a ‘Safe System’ approach to support Warwickshire County Council’s vision zero goals. The safe system approach recognizes that humans make mistakes and seek to create a transport system that protects people when errors occur. Whilst some elements of the Safe system are outside the scope of land use planning, development proposals must demonstrate how they will deliver: Safe Roads: Infrastructure designed to prevent crashes and minimize harm when collisions occur, through visibility and street design. Safe Speeds: Speed environments appropriate to the road function, achieved through good design rather than enforcement alone. Safe Road Users: Ensuring that infrastructure supports safe behaviours, including clear sightlines, legible street layouts, accessible crossing and separation of vulnerable users from motor traffic where appropriate. 7.5.11 This approach requires adherence to the hierarchy of road users a principle embedded in national guidance including the Manual for Streets and Local Transport Note 1/20. This hierarchy mandates that design decisions must first and foremost protect the safety, accessibility, and convenience of pedestrians and cyclists, aligning with the design response to the lowest risk modes of transport. 7.5.12 In urban environments, 20mph speed limits in residential areas play a crucial role in protecting vulnerable road users. Evidence demonstrates that reducing speeds from 30mph to 20mph reduces the risk of pedestrian casualties, whilst also encouraging modal shift to active transport, due to associated increases in highway safety1. To be effective, these limits must be provided alongside physical street design that creates physical priority for pedestrians and safety. This is to ensure that driver behaviour aligns with safe speeds without solely relying on fear of enforcement to prompt change. In rural environments, existing roads often operate at higher speeds (typically national speed limit of 60mph). The safe system principle of a forgiving roadside, one that minimizes injury severity when vehicles leave the carriageway, is therefore particularly important. Development proposals must include proactive road safety assessments of site access points, and the immediate highway approaches. Where risks are identified, appropriate mitigation must be implemented which may include hazard removal or protection, improved visibility splays or measures to reduce approach speeds. This approach recognizes that while eliminat