Dynamic Transport Planning have successfully supported a planning appeal for the development of a new Roadside Service Area off the A14 between Elmswell and Woolpit, Suffolk. The development has now been granted planning approval following the decision by the Planning Inspectorate to uphold the appeal by EG Group Ltd against the decision of Mid-Suffolk Council.
The refusal of permission by the planning authority was based on a single reason, related to highways matters, and DTP provided expert witness evidence in support of the appeal. A part-award of costs was also awarded to the appellant in relation to the appeal.
DTP had been appointed to assist with the proposals for the site, picking up from an earlier refusal for a similar development, and whilst the application had received a recommendation for approval by planning officers, and also had the support of the Local Highway Authority and National Highways, the scheme had been refused by the planning committee.
In support of the planning appeal DTP were able to successfully respond third-party comments provide on behalf of the planning authority, while also retaining the support of the LHA and National Highways, with the appeal including the agreement of a unilateral undertaking to provide non-car access improvements.
Gavin Snowball, Director at DTP, said “I am very pleased to see a positive outcome for this development. This is a site that is well located at an existing trunk road junction to provide amenity and associated safety benefits for passing motorists on this section of the strategic highway network.”
Alex Kenwright, Development Director at EG Group Ltd said “we are delighted to finally receive planning consent for this site after a number of years and now look forward to delivering the scheme. I would like to thank Gavin and the team at DTP for their invaluable expertise & support in achieving a positive outcome for this site. DTP were key to unlocking this tricky site.”
The planning team for the appeal included Montagu Evans as planning agent and ADS Design as scheme architects.
June saw the return of Traffex at Birmingham NEC and a chance for the senior team to take a couple of days out of the office and find out what was new in the world of traffic and parking. After a good laugh/despair at the cost of parking in substandard sized spaces, the struggle of the M42 and the lack of available trains from the North East that week…… we noted the big focus on EV charging and emphasis on parking compared to previous years.
Our team attended a session about ‘Futureproofing our EV charging infrastructure’ led by Jon McCardle of BPA. The session was really informative and did keep coming back to the notion that we don’t have a ‘crystal ball’ to plan for the future but that humans are creatures of habit and EV needed to come to them rather than expecting them to seek it out. This was seen extensively in the examples in and around the M25 where the streets of Westminster are lined with chargers and with more chargers planned.
One of the standout moments for us was a discussion around barriers to installing EV Infrastructure. A lady mentioned that she was working with farmers to apply for charging points in their yards that the public could utilise and the need for Local Authorities to have a positive outlook with regards to EV. The discussion sparked discussions on LHA barriers such as access to the farms and our Director, Gavin Snowball, made an observation that LHA parking standards were set long before the current level of EV cars were on the ground. Perhaps a more periodic review of these would help to ensure provision was provided.
The discussion centred mostly around residential infrastructure with a need to revisit the commercial aspect in a future session.
The team took the session back to the office and posed a very open question to the team:
How could EV Infrastructure be increased in the UK?
Here are five of the ideas that the team came up with:
Idea 1: Swappable batteries
Turning service station into car battery shops/suppliers where batteries can also be readily swapped for fully-charged version, eliminating the charging aspect of longer journeys.
Blocker: May not be the technology direction that automotive industry invests in. Ultimately interested in solutions that are most profitable/cost-saving
Idea 2: Making use of existing parking areas / large areas of land dedicated to clean energy.
If places like Royal Mail are replacing their fleet with EV vans that are charged overnight, during the day car park is empty and as they are often located by business parks/shops, the bays could be rented during the day and also provide an extra income stream. The same idea was also applied to wind farms and solar panel farms that could provide car parks for charging vehicles and farm shops following on from the farmyard idea.
Blocker: Not all yards are located within walking distance of workplaces and the yards need to ensure that the post lorries can still access. The fleet also tend to work shifts so may only be a 4 hour window available.
Idea 3: Solar Powered Batteries
Not the craziest idea, what if the sunroof of a car was replaced with a solar panel that would provide a backup amount of power to the battery if it ran low on charge?
Blocker: Obviously a fully solar powered car would remove an income stream for the providers and would be difficult to achieve but the idea of a backup battery would be a selling point if it did not add significant weight.
Idea 4: One App to Charge Them All
From a general frustration in the room came a request for Apple or similar to create an app that would detect which company charger you are at and fill with your details and pay with your phone. The amount of different apps needed for different chargers up and down the country is starting to get ridiculous – with a similar issue with parking machines.
Blocker: Cost and giving away the data configuration needed and/or top slice cost to an external company isn’t looked favourably on by the operators.
Idea 5: HGV Charging Laybys
Should the EV HGV become viable, the HGV laybys and overnight parking areas would be a great spot to charge the vehicles. With rest stops mandated for the drivers this could work well with company fleets and service stations.
Blocker: The technology to have a viable HGV that can deliver weight and speed has not been seen as priority for the UK with alternative fuels providing the current enhancements in this area.
As part of the exercise, we also asked each team to come up with a Jetson Idea. This is an idea that has absolutely no barriers – just like the Jetsons flying around space.
Idea 1: A road surface that charges your car as you drive on it.
Idea 2: Kerbs or pads that a car can charge on either along roads or in car parks.
Idea 3: Plug in to lamp posts to charge your vehicle.
We are excited to see where the industry goes but the question still remains that the with no mass roll out of car battery recycling, is the UK ready and equipped for the push for EV and in doing so are we ignoring alternative travel and active travel options?
*If you are looking to get planning to install an EV hub for your commercial development DTP would be happy to help and can provide planning application support to cover your highways needs, as well as Travel Plans and Travel Packs to encourage your users to choose sustainable when it comes to travel*
Dynamic Transport Planning are delighted to be supporting the plans for a new stand and indoor training dome at AFC Fylde’s Mill Farm Sports Village.
The development would see a new North Stand addition to the stadium with a capacity of 1,850 and a club museum and fan zone incorporated into the building. Lancashire’s largest indoor 3G pitch will also be made available for use by the community as well as a being an asset for club training.
DTP have supported the application and planning team with a comprehensive Transport Assessment detailing the proposed plans and an outline submission for a housing development. In addition, DTP have worked closely with AFC Fylde to create a Travel Plan Framework and a Car Park Management Strategy to support the application and ongoing operations of the Mill Farm site.
As part of the development, plans have been submitted for a new traffic light-controlled spine road connecting Fleetwood Road to Coronation Way that will be integral to the operation of the site and provide additional benefits to the surrounding areas.
Gavin Snowball, Director of DTP, commented “it has been great to continue working alongside AFC Fylde and their commercial partners to continue to develop the site and bring further employment to the area. Hopefully they can translate this significant investment into a successful season ahead with the Football League within reach.”
Roadside developments are one of the fastest growing sectors in the UK. It may feel like we are just following the Americans but the reality is the sector has swept the globe and continues to innovate for the future. Roadside developments and drive-thru developments may feel like an emerging trend but can you name a county without one? Even places of outstanding beauty have innovated to bring the local farm shop to be a roadside service area and tourist attraction.
So why should you consider creating a roadside development?
Stood The Test of Covid
Roadside developments may have seemed like the worst hit when the cars disappeared off the roads for all but essential travel in March 2020 but they were also one fo the quickest sectors to recover. As soon as drive-thru restaurants had their covid procedures in place and their supply lines were back up and running towns, cities and retail parks were plagued with extensive queues.
This may have given drive-thru’s some bad press at the time but it actually shows how much these facilities have become part of the every day lives of families across the country. What was once considered a luxury to us ten years ago such as a burger meal or a specialist coffee now seems to be an essential part of our routines… and a pandemic wasn’t going to keep us from them.
People Want an Easy Life
We don’t present this in a bad way. There are days when time runs away from us and we just can’t fit in a meal out, or we’ve forgotten to do the shopping or maybe the home shopping delivery substituted your chicken with toilet duck? Drive-Thru lanes attract everyone from those on their way home from work, taxi service to outdoor sports and even the late night attendee happy to order from their car in the comfort of their pyjamas. At the end of the day people want easy access and all the better if you can give them the option of popping in or staying in their car.
The demand for convenience food
According to Statista.com the average spend on eating out per person in the UK has risen from £10 per week to £15 per week. This trend looks set to continue post Covid. Developers and Entrepreneurs are constantly looking to innovate in ways to get their products to consumers meaning that customers aren’t just faced with the same choices.
The small local coffee shop established their brand and is now working on fitting out a container with a drive-thru lane whilst a local curry house is exploring the option of serving thali meals on a drive-thru basis. The sector is changing to meet our changing taste and demands and welcoming more global brands to the UK.
Gaps in provision
For anyone who has ever been driving along and thought ‘I could do with a coffee’ but couldn’t find an outlet then a roadside development may be the solution. Spotting gaps in provision is a great way to locate suitable land for development as applications may be looked on more favourably if alternative local provision isn’t available.
Not just drive-thru
Roadside developments aren’t just drive-thru units. They can be farm shops, tea rooms and tourist spots that have tapped in to the roadside sector. You don’t have to create a drive-thru to provide a great customer experience, but it is always worth exploring if it would help to increase your offering and entice more visitors.
Changing Trends
One of the biggest changing trends we have seen is the reduction in use of large car parking areas in places like supermarkets, retail parks and shopping centres. Innovators in the roadside industry have been quick to explore if this land can be repurposed to provide drive-thru restaurants and coffee shops. After all the development will definitely be situated next to it’s target audience – the car user. Where will the next entrants to the sector identify excess land due to change of levels of use?
Climate Change?
Elephant in the room or an opportunity? With a sector reliant on the motor vehicle it may seem odd to some to see it still as a growing sector but with change comes opportunity and innovation. With a target for electric cars to be the main vehicles on the road, charging stations need to be provided. The big petrol stations and roadside facilities are already including provision for EV charging but their main focus isn’t on providing the facility to charge… it’s how the driver with spend their average of 20 minutes waiting to get back on the road. The sector will need to provide more enticing offerings for drivers to choose their facility to stop at. There will still be a mix of people travelling for business and for pleasure so how will they accommodate both of these audiences at their facilities?
As you can see there is plenty to consider when choosing the roadside sector and it can feel a little overwhelming with so many innovations on the horizon. Dynamic Transport Planning use their in-depth knowledge and huge bank of expertise in roadside facilities, petrol filling stations and drive-thru units to help guide you through the process and create the best site for you and your customer. Find out more about our Roadside Expertise or Contact Us.
