North Northallerton Development Area - Hambleton District Council

North Northallerton Development Area – Masterplan Framework & Design Guidance
Option 3b: Centre/Access Balance
5.32 It was decided by the consultant team and client group that
Option 3b (Centre/Access Balance) was the most favourable
solution. Hambleton DC endorsed the decision to progress the
Masterplan Framework on this basis. Taylor Young have
consequently amended the framework to incorporate these
changes and this is the version that now appears in the Final
Report.
Final Masterplan Framework
5.30 Pros:
• Cost effective bridging point
• Adequate traffic relief function
• Supports local character/ place-making
• Strong gateway opportunity
• Local centre location maximises passing trade
5.31 Cons:
• Degree of segregation of communities and facilities
• Additional effort needed to ensure place-making on southern
route.
5.33 The Masterplan Framework was developed further with
substantive changes to the layout and street hierarchy to reflect
ongoing concerns over strategic connectivity and the east-west
route through the heart of the development.
5.34 The main concern was that the sinuous and tightly meandering
street designed as part of the draft masterplan would prove suboptimal
in terms of traffic movements at the town wide level. In
simple terms the traffic modeling showed that the street as
designed would not offer sufficient relief to the town from traffic.
5.35 It was always the intention to balance the function of the eastwest
link and to create a pedestrian friendly environment where
traffic was calmed and where through movement of vehicles
occurred but at slow speeds and priority given to pedestrians
and cyclists. The balance in the draft masterplan has been
challenged and the agreed way forward is to create a street
which offers greater efficiency in terms of traffic movements
east-west. In reponse (as outlined in Option 3b above) the eastwest
route is now oriented further south in the western part of
the NNDA, providing more direct access to the adjacent
industrial park and new employment uses to the south and west.
This has been a clear message from the project steering group
and accordingly the layout has been redesigned. The street
hierarchy has been updated to include the new more direct link
road – 30pmh as opposed to 20mph – which can be designed
as a formal avenue or boulevard.
45