Melrose Hall, St Mellons

Apex provided transport planning and highways advice to support a full planning application for the redevelopment of the Melrose Hall site in St Mellons, Cardiff, to deliver a new purpose built care home.

The proposals comprised the demolition of existing commercial buildings and the construction of an 81 bed care home. The development will provide specialist accommodation and employment opportunities, contributing to the provision of modern care infrastructure within the city.

The site is located on Cypress Drive within an established suburban area and benefits from an existing vehicular access arrangement. The key transport challenges related to justifying an appropriate level of on site car parking to support the operational needs of the care home, while ensuring alignment with policy objectives to reduce reliance on the private car.

Careful consideration was also required in relation to pedestrian access to and from the site, given the nature of Cypress Drive and the surrounding walking environment. In addition, it was necessary to demonstrate that the site layout could safely accommodate servicing, emergency vehicles and ambulance access, without adverse impacts on the operation of the local highway network.

We prepared a comprehensive Transport Statement to support the planning application, alongside a robust Travel Plan to encourage sustainable travel by staff and visitors.

A detailed assessment of staffing levels, shift patterns and visitor activity was undertaken to inform the parking strategy. This was supported by analysis of comparable care home developments and industry data, demonstrating that the proposed level of parking would appropriately meet demand while avoiding overspill parking on surrounding streets. It would also not be an overprovision encouraging car use.

The connectivity by sustainable modes was assessed through a review of pedestrian and cycle routes and infrastructure and the location of public transport services. This confirmed that the site is accessible by sustainable modes of travel, with planned improvements to the surrounding area expected to further enhance connectivity over time.

The site layout was reviewed to ensure that all vehicle movements could be accommodated safely. This included swept path analysis to demonstrate that service vehicles, fire tenders and ambulances could enter, manoeuvre and exit the site safely, with dedicated provision made for ambulance parking.

The Travel Plan set out practical measures to support sustainable travel choices and formed an integral part of the planning submission.

Planning permission was successfully granted in December 2023, confirming that the proposals could operate safely and acceptably in transport and highway terms.

The approved scheme enables the delivery of a modern care home in St Mellons, supporting investment in local care provision, providing new employment opportunities and delivering a well considered transport strategy with appropriate parking, safe access arrangements and clear accommodation for emergency vehicles.