ELM STREET DEVELOPMENT, EDENFIELD, LANCASHIRE

Unlocking a Constrained Site Through Practical Highway Engineering

Client: Nick Teague Brickwork & Stonework Ltd
Planning Consultant: Connolly’s Planning & Development
Architect: Barraclough Architects
Highway Authority: Lancashire County Council
Local Planning Authority: Rossendale Borough Council
Location: Elm Street / Rochdale Road (A680), Edenfield, Rossendale
Services Provided: Highway Access Design, Transport Statement & Interim Travel Plan, Vehicle Tracking Analysis, Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) Proposal, Agricultural Access Track Design, Coal Mining Risk Assessment, Phase 1 Preliminary Risk Assessment, Planning & Development Support.

PROJECT SUMMARY

Countywide Consulting Engineers were appointed by Nick Teague Brickwork & Stonework Ltd to resolve a highway access constraint affecting a proposed residential development at Elm Street, Edenfield.

Previous assessments had concluded that achieving a compliant access arrangement would require the acquisition and demolition of neighbouring property. Through a fresh highway engineering review, Countywide designed a safe, policy-compliant access solution that worked within the site’s existing constraints, secured Lancashire County Council Highways approval and unlocked the site with no third-party demolition and wider traffic-calming benefits for the village.

ISSUE

Edenfield is a small Lancashire village on the A680, the kind of place where a new development can bring welcome investment, but only if it can be reached safely. On land off Elm Street, a residential development was ready to move forward in many respects, but the proposed access arrangement remained a significant challenge. Highway access had become the key planning issue that needed to be resolved before the development could progress.

On the face of it, the problem was geometry. Elm Street is an unadopted, privately maintained lane that meets Rochdale Road, a busy A-road approximately 7 metres wide, subject to a 30mph speed limit and located only about seventy meters from the mini-roundabout serving Market Street and Bury Road. To satisfy Lancashire County Council Highways, any new access at this location needed to achieve appropriate junction geometry, adequate visibility and safe provision for pedestrians, all within a tightly constrained frontage bordered by existing residential properties.

Previous assessments had reached a challenging conclusion. Two national multi-office engineering consultancies had reviewed the site, and each determined that achieving a compliant access arrangement would require the acquisition and demolition of a neighbouring property: one proposal identified the property to the left of the existing access, while the other focused on the property to the right.

Either way, the solution involved the loss of an existing home. This presented significant commercial, planning and deliverability challenges for the client, while offering a solution that was difficult for all parties to support. Without an acceptable access arrangement, planning permission could not be secured, and the site’s development potential remained constrained.

SOLUTION

This is exactly the kind of challenge we relish: a constrained site where conventional solutions had reached their limits and a fresh perspective was needed. Rather than accepting that neighbouring property demolition was the only solution, we went back to first principles and reviewed the site with a focus on what could be achieved within the site’s own boundaries.

We carried out a comprehensive highway engineering review of the access and its surroundings, including highway access design, visibility assessments, swept path and vehicle tracking analysis, and a detailed review against current highway standards and Manual for Streets, all coordinated closely with the planning team. Working within the site’s constraints, we developed an improved access arrangement based on the existing Elm Street junction. The design incorporated a 5.5 metre carriageway, enhanced junction geometry, footways on both sides and appropriate visibility in each direction, all delivered within land already under the client’s control. No neighbouring property acquisition or demolition was required.

We also looked beyond the entrance itself. To maintain access to Plunge Farm, we designed a dedicated agricultural access track, ensuring the existing route remained functional following development. Rather than simply introducing a new junction onto the A680, we integrated the proposals with the wider Edenfield traffic-calming strategy identified within the area’s masterplan and design code. This included traffic calming measures along the southern approach into the village and improvements to pedestrian connectivity toward the nearby roundabout.

Alongside the highway design work, Countywide also delivered the supporting technical assessments required to progress the planning application, including a Coal Mining Risk Assessment and a Phase 1 Preliminary Risk Assessment, providing the client with a coordinated package of engineering and development support.

OUTCOME

The result was a practical and policy-compliant access solution that addressed a challenge previously considered too difficult to overcome. Countywide’s design was accepted by Lancashire County Council Highways and became a central part of a successful planning strategy. Planning permission was secured, the highway authority’s requirements were met in full, and the site was finally unlocked for development.

The difference is perhaps best illustrated by what did not happen. Previous assessments had indicated that neighbouring property acquisition and demolition may be required to achieve a compliant access arrangement. Countywide’s solution demonstrated that the required standards could be achieved entirely within the site’s existing boundaries, eliminating the need for third-party property acquisition or demolition. The client avoided significant cost and complexity, and the development was able to progress on land already under their control.

Better still, the benefits extended beyond the development itself. By integrating the access proposals with the village’s wider traffic-calming strategy, the scheme delivered improvements for the wider community.

That is the real measure of the project. Two of the largest consultancies had identified property demolition as the route to achieving a compliant access arrangement. Countywide took a fresh look at the challenge and demonstrated that a safe, compliant and deliverable solution could be achieved within the site’s existing boundaries. Anyone can identify a constraint, the real skill is finding a practical solution that works for the client, the local authorities and the wider community.