INTRODUCTION

  1.  My name is Philip Jones. I am a Chartered Engineer, a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and a Member of the Institution of Highways and Transportation. I am a Technical Director with WSP Development, a company which specialises in the planning and design of infrastructure for new developments. I have around 20 years experience in transportation planning and road design, much of which has been associated with new housing developments.

  2.  I am very pleased to have the opportunity of making a submission to the ODPM: Housing, Planning, Local Government & the Regions Select Committee, on the subject of Home Zones in new developments. I have been involved in the planning and design of a number of such schemes.

  3.  I was the Editor of the Home Zone Design Guidelines, prepared with the cooperation of the former DTLR and published by the Institute of Highway Incorporated Engineers (IHIE) in June 2002. I enclose an extract from the Home Zone Design Guidelines as Appendix A to my submission.

  4.  I make this submission with particular reference to the 4th matter of interest set out in the Committee's call for evidence, namely:

—  Whether the proposals will promote high quality sustainable communities whilst avoiding poorly designed urban sprawl.

  5.  It is my submission that Home Zones offer an excellent model for the development of sustainable streets and communities, and that they should continue to be encouraged by Government. I also submit that there are further important steps that should be taken to ensure that they feature strongly in new housing developments, rather than simply being seen as a traffic management tool for existing streets.

ORAL EVIDENCE

  6.  I would welcome the opportunity to present oral evidence on this subject if the Committee would find it of assistance in conducting its Inquiry.

WHAT IS A HOME ZONE?

  7.  Whilst I understand that the former Select Committee on Transport, Local Government and the Regions received some information on Home Zones (through the evidence of John Rouse of CABE, to the Inquiry into the Role of PPG17 in the Urban Renaissance), this committee has not received any detailed submissions on the topic. I apologise if any member of the committee is already familiar with Home Zones.

  8.  The former DTLR has given this useful definition:

  Home Zones are residential streets in which the road space is shared between drivers of motor vehicles and other road users, with the wider needs of residents (including people who walk and cycle, and children) in mind. The aim is to change the way that streets are used and to improve quality of life, by making them places for people, not just for traffic. Changes to the layout of the street should emphasise this change of use, so that motorists perceive that they should give informal priority to other road users.

  9.  When entering a Home Zone, motorists should feel that they have left the normal highway and have entered an area where they can expect to find people using the whole of the street. The design should make motorists feel they are guests in a pedestrian environment, and that they should drive accordingly.

  10.  Appendix B to my submission contains some images of Home Zones, both in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. These include schemes that have been created in new streets; and ones that have been built from new.

  11.  Home Zones are about promoting quality of life and removing traffic barriers to neighbourliness. Although the introduction of a Home Zone can contribute to road safety, the main benefit to local people is that the street design should encourage a wide range of activities to take place, in places that were formerly considered to be principally for vehicles.

  12.  Home Zones typically consist of "shared surfaces" (ie streets that are not divided into separate carriageways and footways), areas of planting and communal features, such as play equipment and seating. Modest road signs, possibly reinforced by "gateway" features, are used to mark the extent of the Home Zone. The relevant traffic sign designs have recently been developed by DfT, for application throughout the UK.

  13.  Home Zones are a familiar concept elsewhere in Europe. They were first developed in the late 1960s in the Netherlands, where the term "Woonerf" is used—literally "living backyard". Many Home Zone streets have now been built in the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany. Home Zones are a relatively new concept in the UK, however, having only been promoted in earnest in the last 4-5 years.

THE PILOT AND CHALLENGE PROGRAMMES

  14.  Government has encouraged the creation of Home Zones in the UK through the Pilot and Challenge Programmes.

  15.  The Pilot Programmes (one in England and Wales, the other in Scotland) began in 1999, and were designed to establish how Home Zones could be brought forward under the then existing legislative framework; and to investigate the costs and benefits of such schemes. Nine projects were promoted in England and Wales, and four in Scotland. No specific Government funding was made available for the implementation of these projects. Implementation of the pilot projects has been somewhat slower than was originally anticipated, largely because of the time it has taken to involve the community in the development of the schemes. Details of the programme can be found on the website www.homezonenews.org.uk.

  16.  Several pilot projects have been successfully implemented, at least in part. These include Northmoor in Manchester, Morice Town in Plymouth and The Methleys in Leeds. In all of these cases, considerable effort has been made to engage with the local community so that it takes "ownership" of the design and the completed scheme. Local communities have become stronger through their involvement in the design process and it is to be hoped that these social benefits will endure beyond the completion of the physical works.

  17.  In April 2001, the Prime Minister announced the Home Zone Challenge, and local highway authorities in England were invited to submit bids to DTLR (now DfT) for central funding. A total of £30 million was made available, which has been allocated to 61 schemes in England. Funding for these schemes is to be completed by April 2005. Most of the challenge schemes are still in the consultation and early design stages. Details can be found on www.homezoneschallenge.org.uk.

  18.  Whilst these programmes are proving very successful in developing and disseminating the skills and techniques needed to bring forward Home Zones, it is notable that they are almost exclusively focused on existing streets. None of the English Pilot schemes and only one of the Challenge schemes involves the creation of Home Zone streets in new developments. The other 69 schemes are so-called "retrofit" projects, whereby existing streets are being converted to Home Zones.

RETROFIT AND NEW BUILD HOME ZONES

  19.  Retrofit schemes are expensive, due to the high level of consultation that must take place and the radical changes that are needed to the existing highways. Schemes typically cost in the order of £600 to £1,000 per linear metre of street. For example, the Morice Town scheme in Plymouth, which contains some 450 dwellings and around 2.2 km of residential streets, has cost some £2 million.

  20.  It is my view that whilst local and national Government funding will hopefully continue to enable the creation of retrofit schemes, it is unlikely that sufficient funds will ever be available to convert more than a very small fraction of the residential streets in this country.

  21.  In contrast, it is clearly much more cost-effective to create Home Zones as part of new build housing developments. Although there are some additional costs to the developer, due to the higher quality of paving materials and the greater provision of street trees, planting and community facilities, many developers are keen to make this investment, which they believe will increase the marketability of their new homes. Appendix C contains a recent advertisement submitted by Bryant Homes.

  22.  It is difficult to establish with any precision the number of new residential streets created each year in the UK, but it is my opinion that very many Home Zones could be delivered in this way, and certainly more than are likely to be achieved through the conversion of existing streets, worthy as those projects may be.

  23.  I now wish to examine the current framework for the development of Home Zones in England, and set out how it does—or does not—support their creation as an integral part of new development.

POLICY SUPPORT FOR HOME ZONES

  24.  There has been considerable support in recent years for Home Zones, including in the following national policy documents:

—  A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone (DETR, 1998).

—  Towards an Urban Renaissance (Urban Task Force, 1999).

—  Our Towns and Cities: The Future—Delivering an Urban Renaissance (DETR, 2000).

—  Tomorrow's Roads: Safer for Everyone (DETR, 2000).

—  Encouraging Walking: Advice to Local Authorities (DETR, 2000).

—  New Directions in Speed Management (DETR, 2000).

—  Planning Policy Guidance Note 13: Transport (DTLR, 2001).

—  Traffic Advisory Leaflet 10/01—Home Zones—Planning and Design (DTLR, 2001).

  25.  This policy support is very welcome. But it is notable that very often the focus is on the road safety benefits to existing streets. For example, PPG13 deals with Home Zones alongside traffic calming and 20 mph zones, in the section of the document relating to traffic management measures.

  26.  More significantly, perhaps, Home Zones are not mentioned in the key policy documents relating to the design of new residential areas.

  27.  PPG3 points towards these techniques, as it requires, inter alia, local authorities to:

—  Place the needs of people before ease of traffic movement in designing the layout of residential developments [Para 2];

—  Focus on the quality of places and living environments being created and give priority to the needs of pedestrians rather than the movement and parking of vehicles [Para 2]; and

—  Avoid inflexible planning standards and reduce road widths, traffic speeds and promote safer environments for pedestrians [Para 56].

  28.  Although Home Zones are completely compatible with these aims, it is noteworthy that PPG3 makes no specific mention of them.

  29.  Better Places to Live, the companion guide to PPG3 published by DTLR and CABE in 2001, goes into considerable detail, providing advice to designers on how to achieve new residential schemes that meet the challenge of PPG3. It is surprising and somewhat disappointing that this otherwise excellent document makes no mention of Home Zones, and the part that they can play in achieving sustainable streets and communities.

  30.  Indeed, Section 3 of Better Places to Live advises that shared surface streets—which would include Home Zones—are only suitable to serve up to 10 dwellings, which would severely limit their application. The IHIE Home Zone Design Guidelines, based on experience both on the Continent and in the UK, advise that many more dwellings can be safely and adequately served from such streets.

  31.  The fact that Better Places to Live does not recognise Home Zones suggests to me that there is a lack of understanding of the concept amongst urban designers and planners, possibly because it has emerged mainly from the transport profession. I have heard some comments to the effect that Home Zones rely on extensive signage, leading to street clutter, and that designs are constrained by rigid geometric rules.

  32.  These concerns are not well founded. On the contrary, Home Zones represent a willingness of more forward-thinking highway engineers to create residential streets that are attractive spaces with a strong community focus; whilst also continuing to fulfil their functional purposes, such as providing for access and movement.

UK LEGISLATION FOR HOME ZONES

  33.  The Primary legislation enabling the designation of streets as Home Zones is now in place for England, Wales and Scotland. Given the remit of this committee, I will confine my comments to the legislation applying in England.

  34.  Section 268 of the Transport Act 2000, which came into force on 1 February 2001, provides the legislative framework for England and Wales. Clause 1 of Section 268 permits local traffic authorities to designate any road for which they are the traffic authority as a Home Zone, without restriction. However, this in itself does not change the legal use of the highway. This is to be accomplished via Clause 2, which enables the Secretary of State to make Regulations, authorising local authorities to make "Use Orders" and "Speed Orders".

  35.  The "Use Order" is the most significant new instrument, as it legitimises activities other than the passage of vehicles within streets. The notes to the Act define these activities as children's play and other social functions. The "Speed Order" allows the traffic authority to define an appropriate design speed for the street. The IHIE Guidelines recommend 10 mph as the preferred design speed for Home Zones.

  36.  The Regulations setting out the procedures for the designation of Home Zones and the making of the Use and Speed Orders have yet to be made. DTLR published a consultation paper on the procedures for England in October 2001. The Regulations are still awaited.

  37.  On behalf of WSP, I responded to the DTLR consultation. My main concern was that the proposed procedures were entirely based on the premise that the Home Zone was being brought forward in existing streets. The draft procedures required authorities to consult with existing residents, consider any representations made, hold a public inquiry if necessary and only then implement the scheme. These procedures would not sit easily with the usual processes for the creation of new streets.

LEGAL AND TECHNICAL FRAMEWORK FOR NEW RESIDENTIAL STREETS

  38.  New residential streets are normally constructed by developers as an integral part of new developments in advance of dwellings being occupied. New streets are then offered to the Local Highway Authority (LHA) for adoption under Section 38 of the Highways Act 1980. Developers legally agree to construct the roads to defined standards; and the LHA agrees to take over the maintenance of the street in perpetuity, on the satisfactory completion of the works.

  39.  Developers are commercial organisations and are driven by the need to minimise risk. They naturally wish to complete developments as quickly as possible and remove any areas of uncertainty.

  40.  Any suggestion that the designation of a Home Zone would depend on the outcome of an extended period of consultation with prospective residents; and possibly depend on the outcome of a public inquiry; could discourage developers from including them in their schemes. I understand that, in view of the consultation responses received regarding public inquiries, it is hoped that the Regulations will leave the final decision on designation to the local authority.

  41.  There are also currently technical barriers to the creation of new-build Home Zones. Most LHAs publish local standards for Adoption, which are typically based on Design Bulletin 32 "Residential Roads and Footpaths—Layout Considerations", published by DoE in 1992. This document, not surprisingly given its date of publication, does not mention Home Zones; and does not deal with the geometric requirements, including visibility, for the very slow speeds now envisaged. Moreover, it suggests that the no more than 50 dwellings should be accessed from a shared surface, which again is well below the capacity of Home Zone streets advocated in the IHIE Guidelines.

  42.  In my experience, many Highway Authorities are reluctant to approve designs for new streets that do not meet their often outdated standard requirements, both in terms of layout and the materials to be used in their construction. This stems largely from a fear of exposing the authority to higher maintenance costs; together with concerns that shorter sightlines and narrower routes for vehicles may actually increase the risk of accidents, although no evidence for this is commonly cited.

  43.  This problem affects many proposals for innovative street designs that meet the needs of PPG3, and not just Home Zones. WSP Development, in conjunction with TRL Limited and David Lock Associates, has recently been commissioned by ODPM to determine whether local highway authorities are reluctant to adopt residential developments designed to reflect PPG3, the extent of such practices, why they take place and how they might be overcome.

  44.  This research is still underway and I hope to make a separate submission to the Select Committee on this subject, setting out our terms of reference.

CONCLUSIONS

  45.  I hope that I have been able to demonstrate the part that Home Zones can play in achieving high quality sustainable communities. There is growing support for the concept amongst developers, planning and highway authorities and—most importantly—the general public.

  46.  It may help if the Committee were to visit some Home Zone schemes, and gain at first hand an understanding of the unique type of public space that they can provide. I would be pleased to help to arrange this.

  47.  Government has encouraged the creation of Home Zones through its promotion of the enabling legislation and the Pilot and Challenge programmes, but I am concerned that these have tended to focus—whether intentionally or not—on existing streets. Some important national policy documents on the planning and design of new housing have not included references to Home Zones.

  48.  I submit that this omission should be corrected, that Government should emphasise the role that Home Zones can play in new residential developments and take the necessary steps to encourage their widespread application.

INTRODUCTION

  1.  My name is Philip Jones. I am a Chartered Engineer, a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and a Member of the Institution of Highways and Transportation. I am a Technical Director with WSP Development, a company that specialises in the planning and design of infrastructure for new developments. I have around 20 years experience in transportation planning and road design, much of which has been associated with new housing developments.

  2.  I am very pleased to have the opportunity of making a submission to the Select Committee on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, on the subject of highway design, approval and adoption in new developments.

  3.  I make this brief submission with particular reference to the 4th matter of interest set out in the Committee's call for evidence, namely:

—  Whether the proposals will promote high quality sustainable communities whilst avoiding poorly designed urban sprawl.

  4.  WSP Development, in conjunction with TRL Limited and David Lock Associates, has been appointed to carry out a research project by the ODPM, entitled: "Delivering Sustainable Residential Environments: PPG3 and Highway Adoption Procedures". A copy of the brief for this study is attached as Appendix A to this document.

  5.  In summary, this research responds to claims that the road layout and highway standards currently used by some local highway authorities do not fully reflect PPG3's emphasis on sustainable residential environments. Furthermore, there is anecdotal evidence that housebuilders experience difficulties in reaching agreement with local highway authorities to adopt estate roads in developments which have been designed to accord with PPG3. The key areas of tension are said to relate to road width and layout, and parking.

  6.  The aim of the research is to determine whether local highway authorities are reluctant to adopt residential developments designed to reflect PPG3, the extent of such practices, why they take place and how they might be overcome.

  7.  The research project is still underway and is not due to be complete until 31 December 2002. I am therefore unable to provide any information on the outcome of our work at this point in time.

  8.  However, I felt that the committee should be made aware that this important area of research is underway and be provided with a copy of the terms of reference.

  9.  I can also confirm that, in my personal view, there are tensions between the aims of PPG3 and the present operation of the highways adoption process; and that these will need to be addressed through various interventions.

ORAL EVIDENCE

  10.  I would welcome the opportunity to present oral evidence on this subject, based on my personal experience, if the Committee would find it of assistance in conducting its Inquiry.