Barwell Medical Centre, Leicestershire

Apex provided transport planning and highways advice to support the redevelopment of Barwell Medical Centre in Leicestershire.

The proposals comprised the demolition of an existing light industrial building and the construction of a new medical centre to replace and relocate the existing Barwell Medical Centre. The development was brought forward to enhance healthcare provision within the local area and deliver modern facilities for patients, staff and emergency services.

Apex was appointed to provide transport consultancy support for the planning application, with a particular focus on access arrangements, parking provision and the promotion of sustainable travel.

The key transport challenges related to demonstrating that the proposed medical centre could be accessed safely and operate effectively, taking account of patient, staff and emergency vehicle movements.

It was also necessary to agree an appropriate level of car and cycle parking and demonstrate that the development would not result in unacceptable impacts on highway safety or the operation of the surrounding road network.

We provided transport planning input from the early masterplanning stage through to planning determination.

A Transport Assessment and Travel Plan were prepared to support the planning application, including detailed analysis of trip generation, parking demand and traffic impacts. Traffic modelling was undertaken to demonstrate that the proposals would not have a severe impact on the operation of the surrounding highway network.

Following submission, we provided further technical input in response to comments from the highway authority. This included swept path analysis and design refinements to the proposed access arrangements, demonstrating that all vehicle types, including emergency vehicles, could safely access and egress the site.

We also commissioned a Road Safety Audit and incorporated all recommendations into the design. This confirmed that the access arrangements were suitable, provided appropriate visibility splays for vehicles and pedestrians, and did not give rise to any outstanding highway safety concerns.

Despite an initial recommendation for refusal on highway safety grounds based on advice from the highway authority, the technical evidence prepared by Apex demonstrated that a safe and appropriate access could be delivered. This evidence was instrumental in the application being recommended for approval at planning committee, contrary to officer recommendations.

Our support assisted the proposals in successfully achieving planning permission on 6 January 2022.

The approved scheme delivers a new medical centre supported by safe access arrangements, appropriate parking provision and a transport strategy that enables the facility to operate effectively while meeting the needs of patients, staff and emergency services.