Ryalls Park Medical Centre

Apex Transport Planning provided transport planning and highways advice to support the extension of Ryalls Park Medical Centre, Yeovil.

The proposals were brought forward to support the consolidation and expansion of local GP services, allowing the medical centre to accommodate additional consulting and treatment rooms and improve capacity for patients transferring from other practices within the town.

The medical centre is located within an established residential area and is accessed from Marsh Lane, close to the A37. The key transport challenges were to demonstrate that the proposed extension could be accommodated safely at the existing access and that increased patient and staff activity would not result in unacceptable impacts on highway safety, parking conditions or the operation of the surrounding highway network.

We prepared a Transport Statement to support the planning application, focusing on access arrangements, parking provision, sustainable connectivity and the forecast transport impacts of the proposed development.

A detailed review of the existing access from Marsh Lane was undertaken, confirming that appropriate visibility is available and that the access operates safely, with no evidence of an existing highway safety issue. Personal injury accident data for Marsh Lane and nearby junctions was reviewed and confirmed that there were no patterns or trends that would be exacerbated by the proposals.

Trip generation associated with the extension was assessed using industry standard data, taking account of the nature of healthcare uses and the redistribution of patients from other GP practices within Yeovil. This demonstrated that the increase in vehicle movements would be modest and would not lead to a severe impact on the surrounding highway network.

We also provided advice on car and cycle parking provision and layout, together with electric vehicle charging requirements, demonstrating that anticipated demand could be accommodated within the site. As such, it was unlikely that the proposals would result in overspill parking on surrounding streets. Advice was also provided on turning areas within the site to ensure that all vehicles, including emergency vehicles, could manoeuvre safely and effectively.

The site’s accessibility by walking, cycling and public transport was assessed, demonstrating that the location is well placed to support access by sustainable modes of travel.

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

The approved scheme supports the expansion of essential healthcare services in Yeovil, enabling improved patient access to a sustainably located site.