Context

5.64 Maintaining and improving highway safety for all users is a primary consideration in assessing all proposals for development that are likely to generate or alter how people access and move around a site or how it may impact on the connecting network. North Somerset Policy DM24 applies district level requirements upon applicants to provide safe transport environments and mitigate problems they cause, including through financial contributions to off-site measures. This will be applied to all development within Portishead.

5.65 Traffic congestion within Portishead is a priority to the local community.

5.66 The cumulative impact of the intensification of residential buildings and plots within Portishead’s existing neighbourhoods is already causing significant highway safety issues, particularly when it increases demands for on-street parking that causes obstructions to pedestrians and service and emergency vehicles. Neighbourhood Plan Policy PWH2 seeks to prioritise planning control of such development through requirements to meet North Somerset Council’s Parking Standards (2021).

5.67 The Wyndham Way area is the only location within Portishead that may accommodate significant development within the lifetime of the Neighbourhood Plan. The future for the Wyndham Way area is being developed through a partnership of Portishead Town Council, North Somerset Council and relevant landowners. The Wyndham Way Community Action included in this Plan (see page 128) sets out transportation criteria that the community has expressed as important for this development, including integration with the new railway station, managing car parking and avoiding wider transport impacts.

5.68 Particularly within the town’s conservation area and where the Portishead Community Character assessment has identified green infrastructure and highway boundary treatments make a positive contribution to local character, proposals to address highway safety will only be supported where they conserve or mitigate for environmental or heritage harm caused.

5.69 Development can be expected to ensure it does not exacerbate or create highway safety issues for all users. It can also be expected to contribute towards wider highway safety and sustainability improvement measures. The Neighbourhood Plan supports and reinforces North Somerset Policy.

Relevant Objective

O13 To deliver an integrated, sustainable, accessible and inclusive transport network that encourages active travel and reduces congestion within Portishead.

Local Policy Context

• CS10: Transportation and Movement 
• DM24: Safety, traffic and provision of infrastructure, etc. associated with development

POLICY PPT5 – HIGHWAY IMPACTS AND SECURING HIGHWAY SAFETY

Where development proposals will create demands for additional pedestrian, cycle and vehicle movements and parking, they will be only be supported where they are in conformity with North Somerset Local Plan Policy DM24 (Safety, traffic and provision of infrastructure, etc. associated with development) addressing the assessed safety impacts of the proposed development on the local highway, adopted cycle routes and highway footway network. Proposals will be expected to make proportionate contribution towards the improvement to connecting multi-modal routes to enable safe connections to be achieved for pedestrians, cyclists and all vehicle users to local facilities.

RELATED COMMUNITY ACTIONS:

A review of parking restrictions (including double yellow lines), should be regularly conducted, focusing on safety concerns.

 

FIG 16: Recent Traffic Accidents in Portishead: