Assessing transportation for an urban residential development, UK

Simon James New Homes specialises in building high-quality, individually designed homes in desirable locations using local, skilled individuals. For the city of Bristol, UK, the specialist construction company has outline plans to build an extensive development of 17 luxury, serviced harbourside apartments in the city centre. However, owing to Bristol’s size and layout, the company contracted RSK to produce a full transport assessment examining the potential impacts of the new, serviced apartments. The likely impacts were initially assessed as insignificant, so our focus, therefore, was to demonstrate how the increased travel demand could be accommodated by the surrounding highway network.

Sustainable travel was a key focus of the assessment and the project needed to take into account Bristol City Council’s vision to be a well-connected city that enables people to move around efficiently and to have increased transport options that are accessible and inclusive to all. This includes the key objective of supporting sustainable growth by enabling the efficient movement of people and goods, reducing carbon emissions and embracing new technology.

RSK prepared a transport assessment document indicating the potential of the site to provide access to sustainable modes of transport. The assessment noted the site’s ideal location close to public transport and highlighted ongoing and future improvements planned for local transportation services Bristol such as the new MetroBus link. Our assessment also highlighted that the proposed development and its location created an opportunity to prioritise alternative modes of travel, in line with national and local planning policies to ensure a sustainable future.

After compiling the data, we created a document for the client to submit to the relevant authorities. After consideration, planning permission was granted. The decision indicated that RSK’s detailed transport assessment stating the potential opportunities for sustainable modes of travel for residents was acceptable. The client was thrilled with our efficient and streamlined work.