Agenda item

The Committee considered a proposed new Carmarthenshire Highways Design Guide as a replacement to the existing guide adopted in 1997. It was noted the new guide incorporated numerous local and national policy changes, new design templates, as set out in the Manual for Streets and Manual for Streets 2 publication. It detailed the Authority’s expectations for the design of highways infrastructure for developments in the County and was intended 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. It had also been designed to support development by ensuring the planning process was as smooth, transparent, consistent and accurate as possible by providing details of the Council’s requirements in terms of all aspects of potential highways impacts, highways design and the application of appropriate local and national policy guidance.

The following questions/issues were raised on the report.

·       The Head of Planning confirmed the Guide would be implemented immediately following its adoption by the Council. Thereafter, it was intended to be progressed as Supplementary Planning Guidance commencing with a consultation in spring 2019 with adoption in the autumn of 2019 for subsequent inclusion within the revised Local Development Plan 2018-2033.

·       As part of the discussion on the guide a number of references were made outside of its remit to which the Committee was advised that:

Ø  In relation to un-adopted roads within the county, there was no legislative requirement on developers to construct roads to adoption standard or to request their adoption by the Local Highway Authority. Whilst it was accepted un-adopted highways caused difficulties for homeowners, it was a civil matter for them, and their solicitors to address. It was also noted that the matter fell within the remit of the Environmental and Public Protection Scrutiny which had agreed to write to the local Assembly Members to request the Welsh Government to examine the issue of un-adopted roads and to introduce legislation to protect home owners;

Ø  In relation to the provision of public transport, and a recent announcement by a bus provider to withdraw from its contract to provide services in the county, it was confirmed the Authority had invited tenders for the service, responses to which were awaited. It was noted that whilst it was difficult to provide bus services in the rural areas for a number of reasons e.g. travel time, frequency, car ownership and the level of resources available to subsidise rural bus routes, the authority was pro-active in its approach to the provision of bus routes and did submit grant bids wherever possible, for example the Bwc-a-Bus project;

Ø  In relation to the provision of electric vehicle hook up points, a bid had been submitted with the Carmarthenshire Energy Partnership for the employment of an electric vehicle co-ordinator to prepare a strategy for their provision throughout the County, in association with public and private sector partners. That was currently in draft form, and would be published in the New Year. Funding had recently been obtained for their provision in Carmarthen and Newcastle Emlyn and shortly Llandovery. A further grant application was also being prepared for submission to the Welsh Government to fund their installation in Council Car parks.