Case study

Bracknell Beeches Redevelopment

We are delighted to have worked alongside our client S2 Estates on the redevelopment of Bracknell Beeches Business Park. The scheme will deliver 349 new homes and 294sqm of flexible commercial/community floorspace, alongside a new southern access to Bracknell Railway Station.

We were appointed to provide Transport Planning and Highway Design advice for this project from idea conception, pre-application and post-application stages.

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Transport Planning
Infrastructure Design
Environmental Assessment

Details

Challenge

As Transport Planning consultants, we produced a Transport Assessment, Travel Plan, Highways Response Note and Servicing Note for the initial application. The scheme was subsequently revised as a result of consultee comments.

A number of highways and transport concerns needed to be addressed in the scheme design:

Modelling the development on the Bracknell Forest Strategic Transport Model (VISUM)
Ensuring connectivity with Bracknell Railway Station
Creating a high quality shared public realm for use by pedestrians, cyclists and motor vehicles
Provision of a new cycleway that would encourage active travel
Providing the appropriate amount of parking to balance needs, and ensuring visitor, accessible and electric vehicle spaces were well-sited
Usability of the car park accesses and eliminating the possibilities for conflicts with other road users
Assisting with the Habitat Regulations Air Quality Assessment on the Thames Basin Heaths SPA & Windsor Forest & Great Park SAC
Routing and timetabling a detailed shuttle bus

Producing a High-Quality, Well-Connected Scheme

We worked closely with the architecture and landscape teams at Asseal to produce a high-quality, well-connected scheme that was desirable for pedestrians and cyclists to use, while maintaining the functionality for motor-vehicles.

An extensive option analysis and review process was undertaken with the Highways Officer at Bracknell Forest Council that informed the revision of the scheme design to one that was seen as favourable by the planning committee. These revisions included:

Alterations to the car park access points, to include a one-way working system of entry/exit at the ground floor access of the southern car park
Adjustments to kerb radii at car park accesses
Relocated EV capable bays to increase available road width on approach to the northern car park
Amendments to junctions to ensure appropriate visibility could be achieved
Re-aligning the cycleway to tie in with the public realm and new station access

By ensuring that a fully collaborative approach was undertaken with the Bracknell Forest Council Highways Officer, a favourable scheme could be presented to the committee.

Outcome

We are delighted that the Bracknell Forest Planning Committee has resolved to grant planning permission subject to S106 Agreement.

Please contact Alec Philpott at aphilpott@mayerbrown.co.uk for further details. If you'd like our help with your scheme or project, no matter its stage, please fill out our contact form and we will be in touch.

[CGI and sketch images produced by Asseal. Access drawing by Mayer Brown Ltd.]