Walking and Public Realm Policy - Worcestershire County Council

Worcestershire County Council will seek to work with partners to develop and manage the
county's public realm in a sensitive and sustainable way, balancing its duties of giving due
regard to needs of all highway users (including parking and loading), with conserving and
enhancing landscape, townscape, biodiversity and heritage assets. It will take account of the
diverse non-transport roles the public realm plays and consider local context and
distinctiveness.
The County Council will seek to provide a public realm which is both robust and functional as
well as being distinctive, attractive and which helps to preserve the county's historic character.
This will be essential to develop Worcestershire's economy, particularly as a centre for
sustainable tourism.
Maintaining, managing and improving the public realm will reflect best practice and will
2.7.1 The involve location integrated of new working developments with partner is an essential organisations, determinant such as of the whether city, borough future district residents and and
visitors parish will councils choose and to West walk Mercia to access Police. the site. In particular, ensuring that new developments are
well connected to existing pedestrian networks and any proposed public realm is in keeping with
both existing and future environments. Specific guidance is provided in the Worcestershire
County Council Highway's Design Guide for New Developments.
Worcestershire County Council will continue to work closely with the Worcestershire
Borough, City and District Councils and developers to ensure that new developments:
Are located to maximise pedestrian accessibility to local facilities;
Are designed to maximise permeability and legibility for pedestrians, and minimise
delays to journeys on foot;
Are designed to maximise natural surveillance on pedestrian routes; and
Make suitable financial contributions towards improvements to the local public realm
and pedestrian networks.
2.8.1 For pedestrians, crossing roads can be a source of delay, danger and difficulty to completing their
journey on foot. This can be particularly the case for young road users, those with mobility
impairments and on busy roads. In addition, the crossing may not be on the shortest route to the
final destination – often referred to as the pedestrian's 'desire line'.
2.8.2 A number of types of crossing types have been provided to help pedestrians cross roads,
including zebra crossings, signal crossings, central pedestrian refuges and, less commonly, bridges
and underpasses. In some places 'courtesy crossings', where vehicle drivers are encouraged to give
priority to crossing pedestrians have also been introduced, particularly in urban areas. There are
benefits and disbenefits of each of these types of crossing.