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Planning & Pre-planning issues for Consulting engineers

As Consulting engineers jnpgroup consulting engineers are increasingly involved in extensive consultancy work in negotiations with the Regulatory Authorities at the pre-planning and planning stage.

In particular, we have found that over recent years two items in particular are now more or less required on all new developments these being a traffic assessment and a flood risk assessment. In the following resumes, Alan Brackley, member responsible for traffic assessments, highlights the issues involved and Peter Hurd, Member responsible for flood studies, considers aspects of this together with the current stance of the Environment Agency.

Traffic assessments
Essential and Local Government policy on the environment traffic impact and sustainability are driving the need for full pre-planning and planning assessments as part of the planning process. Alan Brackley reports significant increase in the demand for these services from clients for developments ranging from anything from one additional property, but more typically for developments of 20 to 1000 plus properties. jnpgroup consulting engineers have developed a full range of skills to provide the answers to all issues raised by the planning process. The following list is typical of the topics which must be considered.

• Pedestrian routes
• Safe cycling routes
• Safe routes to schools
• Public transport studies
• Bus links
• Accident statistics
• Proposed junction modelling
• Speed surveys and access arrangements
• Integrated transport policy

jnpgroup consulting engineers have the full range of software for design of roundabouts, traffic signals, T-junctions, cross roads and are subscribers to the TRICS database for accurately and instantly assessing the likely traffic generation of proposed and present uses of development sites.

Flooding assessments
Flooding is never far from the news. To some developers the effect of global warming appears to be yet another problem to overcome at the planning stage.

Peter Hurd Member at jnp group Amersham reports that the Environment Agency’s request for flood risk assessments is becoming common at planning stage. jnpgroup’s experience at resolving flooding problems is being called upon by more and more clients. Under PPG 25 there is a wide range of flooding issues to be considered including the method of surface water discharge for some sites even outside of the flood plain as well as the effect of global warming!

jnpgroup’s past investment in flood estimation and channel flow design software has sped up the process in estimating the flood events. Their regular contacts with the EA on flooding enable them to quickly identify the flooding issues and give early advice on the scheme. Link these problems with site contamination, poor ground conditions, boundary problems etc… and it is clear that a wide range of engineering experience is needed early at the planning stage.