8.

Hierarchy of Roads

8.1 General
8.1.1 The highway forms an integral part of any new development, and therefore
cannot be considered in isolation from the overall design; all elements involved
in the production of a satisfactory and pleasing final product must be considered
together at as early a stage as possible.

8.1.2 This section employs the concept of a hierarchy of roads within residential
estates, from a small-scale cul-de-sac where pedestrian movements are
predominant and vehicle speeds are restricted, to distributor roads catering for
the free flow of vehicles. The design of the housing area using this hierarchy
should prevent areas where people live being intruded upon by traffic from
outside their immediate area whilst maintaining ease of access for residents,
visitors and service vehicles to their homes.

8.1.3 The road hierarchy within the administrative district of York includes Primary
Distributor Roads, District Distributor Roads, Local Distributor Roads and
Residential Roads. This guide is only concerned with the lower categories of
this hierarchy. However, it must be stated at this stage that access to Primary or
District Distributors Roads will not be permitted except in exceptional
circumstances.

Local Distributor Roads

These roads together with Transition Roads are generally without direct access
to properties and which, in larger developments, connect the new residential
access road network to the existing distributor road network.
 Residential Access Roads

8.1.4 These are roads linking Shared Surface Roads, dwellings and parking areas to
the distributor road network. The different categories are:
· Major Access Road
· Minor Access Road

Shared Surface Road

8.1.5 The primary purpose of these roads is to provide direct access to dwellings, they
are engineered with low traffic speeds and help create a sense of community.
 Informal (loops & Culs de sac)

Access and Mews Courts

Minor Access Ways

8.1.6 Housing sites in York are typically small so that the need for local distributor
roads will not arise in most cases. Therefore the guidance given below focuses
mainly on the design of residential access roads.

8.1.7 The layout and design of roads and footpaths must be an integral part of the
overall design concept. The approach adopted by this Guide is not to present a
rigid set of rules to be followed in the design of residential layouts or to present
standard layouts that can be applied ‘off the peg’ to developments in York.
Rather it advises on objectives and principles while indicating minimum
standards to be met where necessary.
8.2 Local Distributor Roads and
Transition Roads

Local Distributor (With ‘bolt on’ traffic calming)

8.2.1 Local Distributor Roads are roads within larger developments carrying higher
traffic flows and will be required where a residential road would serve, directly
or indirectly, over 400 dwellings. Distributor Roads should have two points of
access. Attention is drawn to the recommendations of TA 20/84 that a right
turning lane junction or a roundabout should be considered for new urban
junctions with side road traffic flows in excess of 500 vehicles per day (2 way
AADT).

8.2.2 Local Distributor Roads are designed to facilitate traffic movement and the
motorist generally enjoys priority although the safe movement of pedestrians is
still catered for. They will generally be designed to restrain vehicle speeds to
30mph through the alignment of the road and the use of roundabouts at
significant junctions. At particular locations, such as outside schools, restraint of
speeds to 20mph will be required and the use of design measures such as raised
junctions and speed tables may be considered. Any speed restraint measures on
Local Distributor Roads must take into account the requirements of buses and
the emergency services.

8.2.3 Where a Local Distributor Road is required the visual monotony, such as the
continuous views of garden fencing or walls can be reduced by a limited amount
of frontage development, provided it is accessed by a specially constructed
access road parallel to but separate from the main highway, or by the use of
minor access ways. Where permitted, dependent upon other junctions along the
local distributor road, such accesses/shared private drives shall be provided with
adequate turning facilities for service vehicles, and an additional parking space
shall be provided for each dwelling above the normal provision.

Transition Roads
 8.2.4 Access Road network to the Distributor Road network where the access road
system serves over 100 dwellings and it is impractical to provide two links to the
distributor road network. As Transition Roads are short a carriageway width of
6.0 metres is acceptable. If, for particular site-specific reasons, long Transition
Roads are proposed, then a 6.5 metre carriageway may be required.

8.2.5 In other respects their design characteristics are as for Local Distributor Roads.

Standards

No. of Dwellings Served Over 400

Design Speed 30mph (48kph)

Minimum Carriageway Width 6.5 metres minimum

(7.3m may be required where traffic types dictate).

Footway Width 2 No. at 2.0m minimum.

Segregated from carriageway by verges.

Verges Width Average 2 metres (variable width recommended for

visual interest – 3 metres minimum where no
footway provided.

Min centre line radius 60 metres

Maximum Gradients 6%

Junction Spacing Same side 60m

Opposite sides 35m

NB. Care will be needed in positioning junctions to ensure that the combination
of curving alignment and visibility splays does not sterilise excessive land.

8.3 Residential Access Roads

Major Access Roads

8.3.1 Major Access Roads serve between 100 and 400 dwellings, they provide direct
access to property and are intended to cater for access traffic only. In their
layout, the needs of safety, security, and the creation of an attractive
environment predominate over the needs of moving traffic.

8.3.2 Major Access Roads should preferably have two points of access or if a second
point of access is not available a Transition Road should be provided. For
properties accessed directly from Major Access Roads, serving more than 200
dwellings or within 200 metres of a junction with a Local Distributor Road,
space for turning a car may be requested within the curtilage.

8.3.3 Generally Major Access Roads layouts should be such that they do not form an
attractive through route and vehicle speeds are restrained. Design speeds should
 generally aim for 20 mph, however, on some longer layouts 30 mph may be
appropriate where the lower speed would give unacceptably long access times.
Generally design for 30 mph should be considered where vehicles would have to
travel over a kilometre (0.62 miles) by '20 mph' roads.

8.3.4 Target speeds will be achieved by keeping lengths of road without speed
restraints to the lengths not exceeding 120 metres. Except for speed restraint
bends the full range of speed restraint measures are available on Major Access
Roads. Urban design considerations will, however, be important in determining
the appropriate measures for specific locations.

8.3.5 It is accepted that where frontage road access is provided on-street parking will
often occur. The requirement for a minimum carriageway width of 5.5 metres is
designed to cater for vehicles reversing but also allow for this. Where there is no
direct access to property, or for other reasons it can be demonstrated that on-
street parking will not take place, widths may be reduced. Where more than 300
dwellings are served by a Major Access Road on-street parking should be
provided clear of the carriageway.

Standards

No. of dwellings served 100 to 400

Design Speed 20mph (30 mph )

Minimum carriageway width 5.5m – 6.0 where a bus route may be provided.

Footway width 2 No. 2.0m minimum

Verges May be required for roads serving over 300

dwellings.

Minimum centreline radius 20m

Maximum gradients 7%

Junction spacing Same side 30m

Opposite side 15m
 Notes: Casual off street parking places may be required where a road serves
more than 300 dwellings.
On plot turning spaces may be required where a road serves more than
200 dwellings or within 200 metres of a Local Distributor Road.

8.4 Minor Access Roads

8.4.1 Minor Access Roads serve up to 100 dwellings as a loop or cul-de-sac. For any
cul-de-sac serving more than 50 dwellings, an alternative access for emergency
use should be provided. For other culs-de-sac an emergency link may be
provided where this can be accommodated within the layout proposed.

8.4.2 Minor Access Road layouts should be such that vehicle speeds are restrained to
below 20mph.

8.4.3 The minimum width for minor access roads where there is no frontage access
should be 4.8 metres, or 4.5 metres where less than 25 houses are served.

8.4.4 Carriageway widths should not be reduced below 5.5 metres within 20 metres of
junctions with Local Distributor Roads or Major Access Roads.

8.4.5 In certain circumstances where there is minimal pedestrian demand along one
side of a road it may be possible to substitute a service verge for one footway.

Standards

No. of Dwellings up to 100

Design Speed 20mph

Minimum Carriageway Width 5.5 metres

Footway Width 2 No. at 2.0m (See note 1)

Verges 2m where only one footway is

provided (See note 2)

Minimum Centreline radius 20m

Maximum Gradients 7%

Note 1: For roads serving less than 25 dwellings it may not be necessary to
provide two footways
Note 2: Verges may be planted with low ground cover as described in
Annex B: Approved planting.

8.5 Shared Surface Roads

8.5.1 Shared Surface Roads have been used in the United Kingdom for some 20 years
and have enabled the designers to produce layouts with more innovation, due
mainly to the acceptance of less rigid engineering standards. When designed
with care they can create the basis for developments with a greater sense of
identity. In addition when vehicle speeds are restrained by gateways, variable
widths and other measures, together with a variety of building design and
landscaping, statistics show that they have a very good roar safety record.

8.5.2 A shared surface is provided for use by pedestrians and vehicles and are
dominated by soft landscaping and suited to low density development with
buildings set back from the road.

8.5.3 Since pedestrians and drivers share the same surface it is most important that all
road users are made aware of the separate and distinctive nature of these roads.
The distinction between other residential estate roads must be made, not only by
the presence of traffic calming measures, but also by the uses of differing
carriageway surfacing materials. These roads MUST, therefore, be constructed
using block paviours, or other coloured/textured materials to the approval of the
Highway Authority.

Informal Shared Surface Roads

8.5.4 An informal Shared Surface Road can serve up to 25 properties as a cul-de-sac,

and around 50 properties in a loop form where junctions with roads with
footways are located at each end of the shared surface. No dwelling must be
more than 25 properties from the access road.

8.5.5 The transition from access road to a Shared Surface Road must be made
abundantly clear to drivers, usually by the introduction of a shallow level change
at the entrance to the shared pedestrian/vehicle surface or by the use of
distinctive surfacing rumble strips or transition ramps. The detail of a typical
entrance to a shared surface is shown in Appendix 5.

8.5.6 The shared surface is flanked by a 2.0 metre wide adoptable service verge. The
shared pedestrian/vehicle surface should be a variable width between a minimum
of 4.5 metres and a maximum of 6.5 metres. Casual parking should be provided
within the wider sections clear of the 4.5 metre core area. The width of shared
surfaces adjacent to accesses to properties must be sufficient to permit vehicles
to manoeuvre to and from those accesses, taking into account the alignment of
the shared surface and location of parking. The width required will also depend
on the kerb radii, driveway width and location of any gateways at the entrance to
the access.
 8.5.7 The service verge must be clearly defined in detail, and reference to it being part
of the public highway must be clearly stated in the ‘Deeds to the Property’.
Planting or rockeries by individual householders will not be permitted; although
they will be required to cut grass or maintain the planting as an extension of their
garden.

8.5.8 Where landscaping is provided within an adoptable service verge it will be

required to be of a high quality; either grass or dense low shrub planting may be
appropriate. Guidance on landscape design is given in Section 14. Details of
planting must be approved by the Highway Authority. A list of approved
species for planting within the highway is contained in Annex B: Approved
planting

8.5.9 It is not appropriate to provide formal footways adjacent to the shared surface
road and therefore any road where footway links are required will need to be
designed as Minor Access Road.

Standards

Number of dwellings up to 25

Design Speeds below 20mph

Carriageway Width 4.5 to 6.5m

Footways not required

Service Verges 2 No. at 2.0 metre wide

(adoptable)

Minimum centre line 10m (See note 1)

radius

Maximum Gradient 10%

Note 1: Overrun areas may be required on bends

8.6 Access Courts

8.6.1 Access Courts are suitable for serving up to 25 dwellings as a cul-de-sac.
Designs must restrict vehicle speeds to well below 20mph.

Mews Courts and Housing Squares

 8.6.2 Mews Courts have a shared surface for use by pedestrians and vehicles and
where buildings and hard landscaping dominate. Careful consideration needs to
be given to how and where parking is provided and surface materials chosen to
delineate the functions of different parts of the highway.

8.6.3 Housing Squares are suitable for high-density developments in an urban area,
conservation area or village infill site providing it is in character. These layouts
are characterised by dwellings around a central space, which allows clear access
for parking and turning. Parking must not be allowed to dominate the central
space. It is of considerable importance to include special features and soft
landscaping to make the area distinctive and an attractive place to live

8.6.4 The transition from access road to Access Court must be made abundantly clear
to drivers, usually by the introduction of a shallow level change at the entrance
to the shared surface and by the use of distinctive surfacing. The detail of an
entrance to a shared surface is shown in Appendix 5.

8.6.5 The shared surface should comprise a core area of minimum width 4.5 metres
and a 2.0 metre service strip contiguous to the core area but delineated from it by
a drainage channel. Casual parking and in some layout forms, communal
residents’ parking must be kept clear of the core area, and must not dominate the
space.

8.6.6 In all cases a 0.5m clearance strip must be provided between the highway edge
and the wall of any dwelling (to accommodate foundations and householder
services if these areas are surfaced to the satisfaction of the Highway Authority
they may be adopted as public highway). Boundary walls are acceptable
immediately adjoining the highway.

8.6.7 It is not appropriate to provide formal footways adjacent to the shared surface of
an Access Court and therefore any road where footway links are required will
need to be designed as Minor Access Road.

8.6.8 The access court may take many forms. Indicative layouts are illustrated in
Figures 2 and 3.

Standards

No. of dwellings up to 25

Design Speed 15mph

Carriageway Width 6.5m (4.5m + 2.0m)

Footways not required

Service strip included as carriageway

Minimum centreline 10m ( See note 1)
radius

Maximum gradient 10%

Note 1: Overrun areas may be required on bends

8.7 Minor Accessways

8.7.1 Minor Accessways were developed in response to concerns by residents of
shared private drives, where problems caused by indiscriminate parking were a
particular source of complaint. They may serve up to a maximum of 5 properties,
and will be adopted as public highways.

8.7.2 Minor Accessways can be used where, because of the shape of a site, parts could
not be developed or could only be developed with shared private drives. They
are not intended for widespread use in layout design, nor to be used as an
expedient to increase the numbers of houses accommodated on a site. In general
Minor Accessways will be preferred to Shared Private Drives.

8.7.3 Minor Accessways are similar in layout to Shared Surface Roads. They may
connect to a Residential Access Road or a Shared Surface Road. They should
have the following characteristics:
· serve up to five dwellings
· be no more than 25m long
· have a width of 4.5m
· have sufficient on-plot parking for residents and visitors
· provide at least one parking space for deliveries/casual callers, that space to
be convenient for all dwellings served and clear of the driveway or turning
area.
· provide a turning head for cars (see Appendix 6)
· provide approved lighting
· provide an adoptable surface water outfall
An illustrative layout is shown in Appendix 7.

8.8 Private Drives

Shared
8.8.1 Shared Private Drives are unadopted and may serve as a primary access up to a
maximum of 5 dwellings. However, in view of the on-going maintenance
liabilities for householders, the Council encourages developers to minimise the
use of private drives for communal use and seek to extend adoptable areas
wherever practical.

8.8.2 Where private drives are shared the communal area should be easily
distinguished from areas associated with individual plots. Areas for individual
plots should be of sufficient size to accommodate the required parking standards
(an additional parking space shall be provided for each dwelling above the
normal provision) to prevent blocking of communal areas. Responsibility for the
future maintenance of communal areas should be established.

8.8.3 Private drives are similar in layout to minor accessways. They may connect to
Minor Access Roads and Share Surface Roads. They should have the following
characteristics:
· Serve up to 5 properties;
· Be no more than 25 metres long;
· carriageway width of 4.5 metres at the junction for the first 10 metres of
private shared drive;
· minimum carriageway width of 3.2 metres;
· A margin of at least 0.5 metres must be provided between the edge of the
drive and any boundary wall;
· Where any building (ground floor plan) is more than 45 metres from the an
adopted highway, the carriageway shall be 3.7 metres wide (suitable for
emergency vehicles);
· adequate sight lines ;
· a turning head will not normally be required ,but vehicles should be able to
enter and leave in a forward gear;
· no shared driveway shall be located within 20 metres of a junction;
· provide approved lighting for adoption;
 · Provision shall be made for the collection and disposal of surface water so
as to prevent it discharging onto the public highway;
· Where properties are more than 23 metres away from a public highway, an
area must be set aside within that distance for the storage of refuse bins off
the main drive, on collection days;
· Discussions must take place with Public Utilities to ensure each property
can be adequately served and provision is made for future access and
maintenance of their services.

8.8.4 In view of the many problems caused by the nature of shared private drives the
Council urges developers to reconsider their use and seek instead to provide
Minor Accessways.

Single drives

8.8.5 The minimum width of a single private drive shall be 3.2 metres, which may be
reduced to 2.4 metres where a separate pedestrian path is provided. The width
must also be sufficient to enable vehicles to manoeuvre satisfactorily into and
out of parking spaces/garages. The minimum length of the drive shall be 6.0
metres.

8.8.6 To enable a vehicle to leave or enter the highway in a forward gear, turning
spaces will need to be considered when the access driveway:-
· Serves more than one property
· Is directly from a classified road
· Is more than 25m in length
· Exits onto a highway at a hazardous location

8.8.7 For turning spaces to be effective they must include adequate additional space
for parking so that the turning area is free from parked cars.

Figure 4 Turning areas

8.8.8 The entrance to a private drive should be in the form of a dropped kerb crossing
and any part of the above which will lay within the public highway shall be
constructed to an adoptable standard. A 2.0 wide transition strip, between the
edge of the highway and the drive, must be provided in hard paving, if the drive
is not to be fully paved.
Road Type Minimum Minimum Minimum Minimum Design Speeds for Max Gradient Junction Minimum Spacing
Carriageway Centreline footway width verge width visibility etc Alignment junction (m)
width* radius
(m) (m) (m) (m) (mph) (%) (6) Same side Opp side
1 2
Local Distributor 6.5 60 2 x 2.0 2 x 2.0 30 6 90º 60 35
Transition Road 6.0 60 2 x 2.0 30 6 90º 60 35
Residential
Access Roads:
Major 5.5 203 2 x 2.0 N/A 20/30 7 90º 30 15
Minor 5.5 20 2 x 2.0 N/A 20 7 90º±10º N/A N/A
Shared surface
roads
Informal shared 4.5 - 6.5 10 N/A 2 x 2.0 <20 10 90º±10º N/A N/A
surfaces
Access courts 6.54 10 N/A <20 10 90º±10º N/A N/A
Minor Accessway 4.55 10 N/A 1 x 2.0 <20 10 90º±10º N/A N/A

Widening on bends required in accordance with section 8.11.

1 Greater widths up to 7.3 may be required in particular circumstances i.e. where traffic flows will be high (large development or where through
traffic is likely) or where a higher proportion of heavy vehicles is expected (mixed developments).
2 A variable width is recommended for visual interest and to provide opportunities for landscaping. Verges shall be at least 3.0m wide where no
footway is provided.
3 Other than at speed control bends.
4 Included in this width is a 2.0m service strip.
5 Variable width required with wider sections to incorporate casual parking
6 Junction alignment is the angle the minor road joins the major road.
 8.9 Junctions
8.9.1 A high proportion of accidents occurs at junctions so it is essential that they are
designed to minimise the hazards to road safety. They need to be designed to
ensure that they are adequate for the vehicles likely to use them, and provide
good visibility, but must not encourage high speed. In residential areas, or low
trafficked routes their design can make a positive contribution to managing the
speed of vehicles.

8.9.2 Junctions must be pedestrian friendly with crossing points conveniently located
to encourage proper use, and situated where visibility in all directions is
optimised; excessive walking distance must be avoided. Tactile paving must be
provide to assist the visually handicapped

8.9.3 Off street parking facilities near junctions are essential in order to discourage on-
street parking. No private access drives must enter the kerb radii or be within 15
metres of the intersection of the junction centre lines.

Geometrical Shape

8.9.4 Within new residential areas, roads should meet each other at right angles to
form a single T-junction, and dependant upon the category of the major and
minor roads will determine their design. Junctions with Local Distributors will
be required to be built to national standards, to cater for the speed, size and
nature of the traffic using then, whereas in residential estates a more restrictive
approach will be taken to contain traffic but avoiding overrun.

Side Road Local Transition Major Minor Share Access

Type Distributor Road Access Access surface court
Road Road Road
Local 10.0
Distributor
Transition 10.0 10.0 10.0
Road
Major Access 10.0 6.0 6.0
Road
Minor Access 10.0 6.0 6.0 4.0 4.0
Road
Share surface 10.0 6.0 6.0 4.0 4.0
Road
Access court 10.0 6.0 4.0 4.0
NB Radii given in metres
Table : Minimum kerb radii at junctions
 Visibility at junctions

8.9.5 The provision of adequate visibility at junctions is vital for road safety, and the
dimensions of visibility splays are directly related to the anticipated traffic
speeds on the major road, and the expected traffic flows on the minor road.

8.9.6 The visibility splay is made up of two components; the ‘X’ distance measured
along the centre line of the minor road from the edge of the major road
carriageway and the ‘Y’ distance measured along the edge of the major road
carriageway from the centre line of the minor road, thus;

Figure 5 Visibility splays at junctions

8.9.7 On all junctions with Local Distributor Roads and Transition Roads shrubs or
obstructions must not exceed 1.05 metres high (measured above the centre line
of the carriageway within the visibility splay, although exceptions will be made
for trees (providing they have a clear stem of 3 metres) and street lighting
columns. On residential access roads a height of 600m will be required to ensure
the observance of, and by children.
Main Road Type ‘Y’ Distance
Minor ‘X’Distance Local Transition Major Minor Shared
Road Type distributor Road Access Access Surface
Road Road Courts and
Accessways
Transition 8.0 90 - - - -
Road
Major 4.5 90 - 70 - -
Access
Road
Minor 4.5 90 - 60 45 -
Access
Road
Shared 2.4 90 - 45 45 33
Surface
Courts and
Accessways

Table: Visibility splays at junctions

NB. In urban areas and conservation areas the Authority reserves the right to
relax these standards providing the safety of all road users is not compromised.

Visibility zones.
 8.9.8 Visibility for drivers turning left into a minor road can be problem and
potentially hazardous for pedestrians and children playing, therefore visibility
zones around the left hand entry radii may be required, thus:

Figure 6 Visibility zones

8.9.9 The following table gives a guide to providing a visibility radius, tangential to
the kerb, for different junction angles and kerb radii.

Junction Kerb radius (metres)

deflection
(degrees )
4m 6m 10m
80 10 11 19
90 9 10 19
100 8 9 19

Note: Again the Authority reserves the right in Urban Areas and Conservation
Areas to relax these recommendations where other features are built into
the road environment and road safety is not compromised.

8.9.10 At all junctions the gradient of the minor road shall not exceed 5% for a distance
of at least 10 metres back from the edge of the major road. If a junction is
located where the minor road is steep special attention must be paid to the
footway to ensure that its gradient does not exceed 10%.
 Figure 7 Side roads at a gradient

8.10 Forward Visibility

8.10.1 Bends and curves form a natural part of road design and are important both
visually and for maximising the development potential of a site. But it is
important that the driver has good forward visibility of any possible hazard when
negotiating a bend. The forward visibility is based on the stopping distance for
the average vehicle travelling under normal conditions. An allowance should
however be made for icy and wet weather conditions and therefore it is
recommended that the distances set out in the table should be increased by 20%.

Figure 8 Stopping distances

8.10.2 A maximum clear height of 1.05m must be maintained over the forward
visibility curve, but trees and lamp columns are excluded as above. The method
of determining the forward visibility curve is set out in Appendix 8.

8.11 Widening on bends

8.11.1 Widening on bends is provided for safety reasons to accommodate large vehicles
whose swept path is more than the width of the carriageway and is particularly
important on Local Distributors and Major Access Roads. However, on internal
residential roads an assessment of the likelihood of two large vehicles actually
meeting on a bend needs to be considered. Where vehicle speeds are controlled
and large vehicles are only infrequent i.e. refuse vehicles etc. then the need for
localised widening is reduced. In such circumstances the larger vehicle can
utilise the whole carriageway width available, and wait for any oncoming
 vehicle to clear the way ahead, however it is important that there is good forward
visibility and lamp columns etc, are clear of the swept path to avoid damage by
the overhang of vehicles

8.11.2 On roads under 4.5 metres wide within the residential areas, consideration will
have to be given to the swept path of large vehicles to avoid environmental
damage, and the danger to young children and cyclists. Localised widening via
an overrun strip will have to be provided in such circumstances, and the choice
of materials is very important. Granite setts, set in mortar look attractive, but
don’t stand up well to heavy traffic, and easily come loose and a danger to other
road users. They also provide a ready source of material for vandals.

8.11.3 As a general guide, carriageway widening is normally needed on bends curving

through more than 10 degrees along roads serving over 25 dwellings.
Centre Line 20 30 40 50 60
radius (m)
Min Widening 0.60 0.40 0.35 0.25 0.20
(m)

Vertical design

8.11.4 Wherever possible roads should follow the topography of the site to avoid an
unnatural appearance, however there are limits to the design to ensure the safety
of all road users.

8.11.5 The maximum design gradient shall be 6% for local distributors increasing to
8% for Shared Surface Roads and Access Courts etc. However care should be
taken when using steep gradients because of the problems they cause for
pedestrians particularly the elderly in inclement weather. Where dipped
crossings are used on steep gradients they can be particularly hazardous, as the
‘dips’ on either side of the vehicle crossing can significantly increase the
gradient for pedestrians (max gradient must be 8.0%).

8.11.6 The minimum gradients for all roads, footways, footpaths and cycle ways shall
be 1% to ensure adequate drainage. This may be reduced to 0.66% with the use
of forced (tilted) channels in very flat areas.

8.11.7 Where gradients meet it is necessary to introduce a vertical curve; the design will
depend on the actual gradients, visibility and comfort requirements and these are
related to the design speed and category of the road. The visibility over the crest
of the curve should be 600mm to ensure a clear view of children.
 Figure 9

The length of a curve is calculated using the formula L=KA

Figure 10 Length of curve

Where L is the length of the curve in metres, A is the algebraic difference in

gradients [p-(-q)] and K is taken from the following table :-

Road Type K value

Design Speeds mph Min K Value Minimum Curve
metres

Local Distributor 30 6.5 30

Access roads 20 2.5 25
Slowed surfaces <20 1.0 20

Different vertical curve types are indicated in Appendix 9.

8.11.8 On higher category roads it is important that the horizontal and vertical
alignment are co-ordinated, both for aesthetic reasons and to improve drivers
perceptions of the road alignment.
8.12 Turning Heads
8.12.1 A cul-de-sac will normally require a turning head of sufficient dimensions to
enable a service vehicle to turn and leave the road in forward gear. The layouts
indicated in Appendix 10 are interchangeable and may be varied to suit differing
circumstances. In certain instances the Highway Authority may be prepared to
relax the requirements for a turning head on an individual basis where:-
· the length of the cul-de-sac does not exceed 25 metres,
· the status of the road from which the cul-de-sac is accessed is no greater
than a Minor Access Road;
· a 6 metre entry radius is available;
· the side road has good visibility (‘X’ dimension is 4.5 metres);and
· it is not required by refuse vehicles for a local pick up.

8.12.2 The visual layout of the turning heads must provide at least the minimum space
to accommodate the lengths, widths and radii illustrated. Whilst for some
shorter development roads these minimum dimensions may seem large, but
standard refuse/delivery/service vehicles will still need to turn in order to
minimise long reversing manoeuvres which are undesirable in terms of highway
safety and convenience.

8.12.3 The turning heads illustrated in the Appendices are of a formal nature but they
may be informal to suit site conditions. In these circumstances the developer
must be able to demonstrate that the shape proposed encapsulates the standard
dimensions shown and offers an adequate turning area by the use of vehicle
swept path track plots. Where there are no footways or service strips around the
perimeters of turning heads, any boundary, fence or hedge shall be set back at
least 1.0 metre from the carriageway to avoid damage resulting from the
overhang of manoeuvring vehicles. These distances should be increased to 2.0
metres at the ends. The space between the kerb and boundary must be paved and
maintained either as public highway or by the adjacent occupier.

8.12.4 A major problem in turning heads is parked vehicles. Designs which include
dwellings clustered around turning heads may therefore have to include
additional off street parking for visitors, and/or the number of dwellings limited
to reduce the likelihood of on street parking occurring.

8.13 Highway Structures

8.13.1 It is not uncommon in urban and rural areas for a development to include some
form of highway structure, whether it is to support the highway or the ground
which lies above it. If a watercourse runs through a site, a bridge or culvert may
be required to carry highway loading. Elsewhere there may be proposals to
construct buildings over the highway to provide a sense of enclosure or maintain
an unbroken frontage yet allowing access to the rear.

8.13.2 Where a development includes one or more structures with potential highway
implications, the developer is advised to consult with the Highway Authority as
early as possible, regardless of the type of structure. The structure must be
designed to the current standards and the developer must satisfy the Authority of
 the structural integrity, and supported by plans, sections, specifications and
calculations.

8.13.3 The developers attention is drawn to the publication ‘Technical Approval

Procedures for Developers Structures’ produced by the Directorate of
Environment and Development Services, for advice and guidance on the
procedures necessary for approval.

8.14 Vertical Clearance

8.14.1 Any structure of whatever type over a publicly adopted highway must have a
minimum vertical clearance of 5.3 metres.

8.14.2 An archway of sufficient height for all vehicles will normally be out of scale
with its surroundings, and visually unacceptable. Low archways with 2.4 metres
minimum clear headroom will be acceptable as the principal car access to a
housing development serving no more than 10 dwellings, provided that
alternative access is available for emergency services and maintenance vehicles,
and acceptable refuse carrying distances can be achieved. A carriageway width
of 2.7 metres is required with 0.5 metres hardened verges either side. Archways
of these dimensions will be acceptable as the sole access to a parking or garage
court but not over adoptable public highways.

8.14.3 However, where the above requirements cannot be met other accesses, which
would not become maintained as a public highway, require a minimum clearance
relevant to their intended use:

Pedestrian/motor cars 2.4m

Small Service Vehicles 5m
Cycleways 2.7m
Touring Caravans 2.8m
Motor Caravans 3.3m
Fire appliances and 4.1m
large service vehicles.

8.15 Works in the public highway

8.15.1 No developer shall undertake any works whatsoever in the public highway
without the written consent of the Highway Authority. The Authority will need
to be satisfied that work can be carried out in a safe and expeditious manner
without danger to the public, and carried out with as little disruption and
inconvenience as possible.

8.15.2 The developer must ascertain the positions and depth of Public Utilities
equipment, sewers, drains, and cable TV networks and agree with their many
procedures and protection necessary before any excavation is carried out in the
public highway.
8.15.3 All works must have regard for the requirements of the Highways Act and must
be signed and supervised in accordance with Chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs
Regulations and General Directives in the Code of Practice – ‘Safety at Street
Works and Road Works’ February 2002.