Agenda item

The Committee considered a report which appended the updated Highways Design Guide (HDG).  The guide had been developed with the intention to provide guidance to Developers, Designers and other professionals in preparing transport infrastructure and associated interventions relating to a wide range of developments in Carmarthenshire. 

The HDG would replace the existing Highway Design Guidance which dates back to 1997.  The Committee noted that the principal aim of the HDG was to encourage developers to create Highway layouts which would have a distinctive character in their built environment and landscaping, whilst applying design standards which would achieve a safe sustainable provision for all users.

In addition, the Guide sets out the Authority’s expectations for the design of highway infrastructure for developments in the County as follows:

1.    Aims and Objectives of the Design Guide

2.    The Planning Process

3.    Policy context

4.    Design Process

5.    Design Standards

6.    Construction, Maintenance and Statutory Agreements

The HDG would be used as a key policy document to be referenced by the Highways Planning Liaison officers, as well as the Local Planning Authority in the assessment and determination of planning applications.

The following questions/issues were raised on the report:-

Reference was made to the page 47 of the HDG. In relation to the adopted roads, further clarity was sought on the section 278 agreement.  The Transport Strategy and Infrastructure Manager advised that some roads on new housing developments were not being adopted by the Local Authority due to the minimum standards for adoption as set out in the HDG were not being met.  In addition, currently there were no legal powers in place to enforce developers to raise the standards of the roads to meet the required standard.

Furthermore, it was commented that the provision of parking on new housing developments was often insufficient.  The Transport Strategy and Infrastructure Manager stated that guidelines within the CSS Wales – Wales Parking Standard 2014 seeks to minimise disruption and encourages the use of sustainable transport by not overproviding.  The adoption of the revised Supplementary Planning Guidance may address these issues in the future.

In response to a concern raised regarding the ongoing maintenance of un-adopted highways and if there was anything the Council could do to improve the developer’s timescale, the Transport Strategy and Infrastructure Manager reported that the Council was unable to influence developers.  The Head of Transportation and Highways advised that the property holder, following a conveyance process, would be able to enquire for more detail from their solicitor.

Furthermore, the Committee noted that the HDG acknowledged that the maintenance of highway environment was a key aspect of safeguarding the safety and well-being of the people of Carmarthenshire and that poorly maintained highway environments had the potential to reduce the quality and ease of everyday travel.  Therefore, when designing developments there should be a presumption that they would be adopted by Carmarthenshire County Council, and as such all streets should comply with the requirements and specifications set out in the HDG.

In addition, with regard to those streets not intended to be offered for adoption, the design should still be to an adoptable standard, to safeguard the efficient future maintenance of the highway environment within the development. 

The Head of Transport and Highways emphasised that the Authority had no legal powers to enforce the adoption of a highway by a developer to ensure that street works were done to an acceptable and adoptable standard and that residents should refer this matter with their conveyancing solicitor.

The Committee, having been advised that elements of the Section 38 Agreement of the Highways Act was currently under review by the Welsh Government proposed, that in order to safeguard property owners on new housing developments from being left with un-adopted roads, the Assembly Member for each party be written to requesting to pursue that, as part of the Section 38 Agreement review, developers be legally required to ensure streets are developed to the required standard for adoption.

RESOLVED that: