TPS has provided highways support to the Newcastle Great Park Consortium over many years as the site has been built out, both from a development planning and sustainable transport point of view.
Cell D, which sits as part of the wider masterplan, was originally granted planning consent for 492 residential units, in June 2017; subsequent to this, we have supported the Consortium with further applications to ‘remix’ the development within particular plots within Cell D and the overall consent now stands at 537.
Most recently we have supported the Consortium with an application for a final uplift in dwelling numbers at Cell D to 632. We undertook a detailed scoping exercise with Newcastle City Council and Highways England to agree the assessment parameters, which included off site modelling at two sizeable junctions on the A1(M). We were able to successfully demonstrate that the proposals will have a minimal impact on the operation of these two junctions in a future year of 2030.
We have also supported the Consortium to approach the Council and Highways England to discuss a potential relaxation of S106 restrictions, such that highways construction delays as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic do not detrimentally impact upon the quantum of residential dwellings that can be brought forward across the site in the short-medium term. We have created a ‘headroom’ argument with reference to traffic count data, approved trip rates and the build trajectory, which clearly demonstrates that additional development could be brought forward in advance of completion of the Spine Road through NGP and are liaising with NCC and HE to formalise this relaxation.
Alongside the preparation of planning reports TPS has since 2010 fulfilled the role of Travel Plan Coordinator across the Newcastle Great Park estate and assume responsibility for the planning and procurement of public transport services across the development.