Walking and Public Realm Policy - Worcestershire County Council

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Worcestershire County Council will seek to minimise the quantity of street furniture, consistent with the need for safety and suitable information provision. Where possible, decluttering exercises will include community involvement in street audits to identify the status and utility of existing infrastructure, assisting the decluttering process. Street furniture of historic interest will generally be retained and preserved in situ, whilst redundant or unnecessary items will be identified and removed. Those items of street furniture which are required should be carefully located to preserve pedestrian circulation space and they should provide more than one function (for example, signs attached to lamp columns) where possible. In particular, the design of street furniture will be specifically considered to ensure that it respects the character of the local area. 2.14.1 The type of paving material chosen will affect the comfort of pedestrians, determine the cost of maintenance and can contribute to the visual quality of the streetscape. Because of the costs of keeping a wide range of paving in stock, Worcestershire County Council will seek to standardise the types of paving used across the county, as this will assist in making timely repairs and ensuring that the quality of paved surfaces is maintained. Worcestershire County Council recognises that quality materials that are installed properly can reduce the long-term maintenance costs and can enhance the streetscape, leading to attractive environments that support high quality of life and stimulate economic activity. 2.14.2 The Worcestershire LTP3 Transport Asset Management Plan (TAMP) policy document details the approach to be taken to standardising materials and ensuring materials are selected which are appropriate to the location in which they will be applied. Worcestershire County Council will choose appropriate materials and surfaces for footways, footpaths and other areas where pedestrians have priority which help ensure that it is easy and safe for pedestrians to negotiate, cost-effective to maintain and replace and provides an attractive setting which is suitable for the surrounding environment. The County Council will in general retain, conserve and restore and recycle historic footway surfaces. In choosing appropriate materials it will have regard to the need to protect, conserve and enhance the county's heritage and landscape assets.
2.15.1 Street lighting allows road users to see and be seen. However, it is not appropriate in all locations, especially in sparsely populated rural areas where artificial lighting could be counter to the statutory landscape designations. It also represents a significant ongoing energy cost for Worcestershire County Council and requires careful control, to avoid light spillage into the night sky and glare for residents. Further information on Street Lighting is included in the Worcestershire LTP3 Transport Asset Management Plan. Worcestershire County Council will provide adequate street lighting commensurate with the role of the transport route and, where applicable, in line with statutory requirements. The County Council will strive to save energy costs from its street lighting stock, in terms of equipment used and using dimming during the early hours of the morning where this would not compromise road user safety. 2.16.1 Tree planting in the public realm gives various benefits and, along with parks, gardens and other vegetated open spaces are important parts of the county’s green infrastructure. They provide shade and shelter for the pedestrian, visual interest and screening in the landscape, help mitigate the effects of noise and air pollution, a habitat for fauna and can act as a natural traffic calming device. Despite their benefits, there can sometimes be difficulties in reconciling street trees with accommodating underground utilities, the passage of tall vehicles, safety concerns and the damage to footway surfaces. Some of Worcestershire's Borough, City and District Councils already have detailed documents on trees, which this policy seeks to reinforce. Worcestershire County Council recognises the benefits of street trees. It will continue to regularly survey its stock of street trees to ensure they do not pose a risk to road users and that even footways are maintained. If trees must be removed due to disease, old age or other reasons, a suitable replacement will be planted. Additional street trees of a species suitable to the location will usually be considered as part of public realm improvements. (See the Worcestershire LTP3 Transport Asset Management Plan for further details on Street Trees).
Page 1: Worcestershire Local Transport Plan
Page 6 and 7: 1.2.1 The combined problems of traf
Page 8 and 9: To optimise equality of opportunity
Page 11 and 12: 2.1.1 The Worcestershire Walking &
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Page 15: Worcestershire County Council will
Page 19 and 20: 2.19.1 Canals and rivers often have

Walking and Public Realm Policy - Worcestershire County Council

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