Traffic and Highways

The site is situated in a challenging location on the corner of two of the most heavily trafficked streets in Acton, in a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) and partly within Acton Town Centre Conservation Area. Nearby junctions work at capacity and there are frequent bus services operating on adjacent roads. Traffic was thus one of the biggest issues the developer was facing.

The developer wanted to provide parking for a limited number of vehicles on the ground floor of the building to increase the value of apartments, but Ealing Highways initially insisted on a car-free development and recommended the refusal of the planning application on grounds of high traffic generation. A Transport Assessment (TA) prepared by jnpgroup and comprising extensive capacity assessment for 5 no. nearby junctions however proved that the traffic impact of the development would be minimal. This was confirmed in an independent appraisal of the TA undertaken by TfL. In addition, jnpgroup supplied an Interim Travel Plan aiming to further reduce the dependence on private vehicles. This, together with a robust Proof of Evidence prepared by jnpgroup, paved the way for the Appeal Inspector’s decision to overrule the Council and grant planning permission.