B4.5.4 Vehicle tracking, servicing and turning spaces

All development proposals must be supported by swept path analysis (vehicle tracking), carried out on the detailed drawings of the intended development layout. Junction radii must be appropriate to the carriageway widths of the street type, and must align to ‘List 3: Street Hierarchy’.

Vehicle tracking should be considered during the design process but should not dictate the entire carriageway layout. Vehicle tracking should be used to reduce the dominance of the carriageway by ensuring kerblines do not rigidly follow vehicle paths, but also respond to building lines and other site features.

As a general design principle, development proposals and layouts should seek to minimise the requirement for vehicles to make turning and reversing manoeuvres. If utilised, turning areas should be designed to integrate seamlessly with the street scene to provide an attractive environment. The layout of the turning area should not be treated solely as a functional turning space. Soft landscaping should be incorporated within the design to ensure that hard highway surfacing does not dominate the space. The use of 90-degree corners with a kerb upstand should also be avoided, as these can accumulate detritus and are difficult for street cleaning purposes.

It must be demonstrated through vehicle tracking that a designated vehicle (such as a fire appliance or refuse vehicle currently in use) can utilise the street with the tracking speed to be 5mph below the normal design speed for the street, and due account must be taken of reverse curves.