Transport

Adopted Unitary Development Plan

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Introduction (Part I)

8.1 Transport planning and investment has a crucial role to play in the strategic aims of the plan. Its potential for improving accessibility, safety, environmental conditions, the city's image, and thereby the process of urban regeneration, is considerable. Transport provides the links between homes, work places, schools, shops, community and leisure facilities, and it provides industry and commerce with the means by which raw materials, manufactured goods and other services can be moved between suppliers, centres of production and markets. The environmental impact of the transport network (roads, railways, waterways and pedestrian routes), and traffic movement, is of great importance.

8.2 Salford is at the hub of the regional motorway network and has immediate access to the M61, M62, M63 and M602 motorways. Passing through the city, a number of major radial traffic routes lead to the Regional Centre, including the A666, the A6, the A580 and the A57. Whilst access to the motorway network and the Regional Centre is generally satisfactory, some parts of the city are not so well served by the road network. The Manchester Ship Canal is a barrier to movement, and much of the investment in major new road building will be concentrated here, although there will be considerable further investment elsewhere in schemes of local and citywide importance.

8.3 Approximately half of Salford's households do not own a car and it is estimated that by the end of the century, one third of households will remain without this form of personal transport. Non-car owning households are heavily concentrated in the city's inner area. For most of these residents, and particularly for many women, the elderly, the disabled, and young people, public transport provision is vital. Safe and attractive pedestrian and cyclist routes are also of great importance.

8.4 Manchester Airport is an essential factor in the regional economy. Salford benefits from its close location and improved access and supports its further development as a major international airport. The Channel Tunnel will have major implications for the area, especially for freight transport. Salford must benefit from the potential of the Channel Tunnel by ensuring good access to the national rail network.

Road Network

8.5 Over the plan period, road traffic is forecast to increase nationally by between 27% and 47%. Within Salford, as elsewhere, a major concern is the ability of the road network to accommodate increased traffic.

8.6 The management and development of the trunk road network (including motorways) is the responsibility of the Department of Transport (DoT). The City Council is responsible for all other public roads and footpaths. The City Council is required to include within the plan all trunk road schemes listed in the most recent Roads White Paper or Roads Report, or subsequently added to the programme by the Secretary of State. In Salford's case such schemes include the proposed M62 Relief Road (Priority 2) and the M62 widening between junctions 12 and 14 (Priority 1). Both schemes are included within the plan as statutorily required but this does not imply a commitment by the City Council to support either the principle or the detail of the schemes. Indeed the City Council is deeply concerned about the potential environmental impact of both schemes. The City Council and Trafford Park Development Corporation also propose several major road schemes and these too are included in the Plan.

8.7 As traffic levels have increased, so too have the number of road accidents. The City Council is determined to take whatever measures are necessary to reduce the number of accidents and the resulting human misery and wasted resources.

8.8 Unrestricted road building, even if this were realistic, would not, of itself, solve Salford's transport problems. Moreover new roads are not always acceptable in environmental terms. With limited resources likely to be available, greater emphasis will need to be placed on road maintenance, traffic management, and the control of on-street parking.

8.9 The proportion of freight carried by road continues to rise. The greater number and weight of heavy goods vehicles must be managed in such a way as to limit their impact on the areas they pass through. Suitable routes must be provided for heavy goods traffic. Better access arrangements must be made for commercial deliveries in town centres and better access provided for goods vehicles, to the older industrial areas and to the road/rail freight terminals. The City Council recognises that it is vital to the economic well-being of the city that freight can be moved efficiently, and that access to good transport facilities can often be a key factor when choices about commercial and industrial locations are being made. In order to consolidate and regenerate the City's economy it is the City Council's objective to minimise industry's transport costs and promote road improvement schemes which encourage new development.

Public Transport

8.10 Responsibility for ensuring that the public transport needs of the city are met rests with the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority (GMPTA), a joint board representing the 10 District Councils of Greater Manchester. The GMPTA sets out its policies and proposals in its annual statement, the "Public Transport Policy Plan for Greater Manchester". This gives the GMPTA's view of the role and importance of public transport, its policy priorities and objectives for the following year and beyond and a financial plan for a three year period. The City Council seeks to influence and support the GMPTA in its policy making role in order to improve public transport services within Salford.

8.11 Deregulation of local bus services in 1986 brought about by the 1985 Transport Act had a major impact upon the conurbation's bus network. There were widespread changes to traditional routes and service patterns with operators registering only those services which they believed were commercially viable. Although bus mileage in Salford has risen to a higher level than before deregulation, the total number of passengers carried has declined. The City Council supports the GMPTA in its central aim of arresting and reversing the decline in bus patronage, and it will continue to support and lobby the GMPTA in order that a comprehensive bus network is provided. The forecast increase in road traffic makes it imperative that the maximum use be made of the bus network so as to help reduce traffic congestion, environmental pollution and road traffic accidents.

8.12 In recent years, the use of local rail services has remained relatively buoyant. Since bus deregulation the rail network has provided an important source of stability at a time when bus services have been subject to change and uncertainty. However, passenger levels indicate that its potential is not being exploited to the full. This is probably because of the historic under investment in the local rail network. Whilst cross-conurbation travel has been improved with the construction of the Windsor Link and consolidation of the Inter City network at Piccadilly Station, Manchester, poor access to the local network continues to make rail travel inconvenient and unattractive to many people. The rail network is also an efficient means of moving freight. It can thus provide a viable alternative to the use of the City's roads and help to minimise the adverse environmental impact of heavy goods vehicles.

8.13 The introduction of Metrolink, the Light Rapid Transit System for Greater Manchester, has the potential to radically enhance public transport. The City Council wishes to see Phase 1 of Metrolink, between Altrincham and Bury, extended to Salford Quays, the Enterprise Zones and Eccles. It may also prove feasible to extend this route to form a loop by crossing the Manchester Ship Canal and joining a route through Trafford Park. This could also service land in the Barton and Dumplington areas of Salford and Trafford for strategic development.

8.14 Public transport is crucial to the mobility of those without access to a car. Furthermore, forecast increases in road traffic and the inherent advantages of public transport in helping to reduce traffic congestion, environmental pollution and road accident rates, means that its potential as an alternative to travel by car must be promoted and encouraged.

Pedestrians, Cyclists and Those with Limited Mobility

8.15 Pedestrians are amongst the most vulnerable of all road users and therefore require special consideration. As roads get busier, so they become more difficult to cross. It is essential that pedestrians are protected when crossing busy roads and the Council will ensure that proper facilities are provided. The pedestrianisation of major shopping streets in town centres is also seen as an effective way of assisting pedestrians to go about their business in safety, free from the dangers and pollution of heavy traffic.

8.16 The City Council recognises the need to improve conditions for cyclists. The adoption of a cycling strategy which encourages the use of cycles and seeks to make cycling a safer means of transport will enable the needs of cyclists to be more adequately catered for.

8.17 About one in ten of the population has some form of physical disability, of whom 2-3% have severe disabilities which can hamper their use of private and public transport. The City Council supports the GMPTA in its attempts to meet the travel needs of both the disabled and the elderly who cannot make use of conventional public transport services. It will seek to make conventional services more accessible to people with mobility problems and will support the introduction of subsidised services which cater specifically for them. Access arrangements at bus and rail stations can be improved, and the careful design of traffic schemes can benefit the disabled as well as other user groups, including most pedestrians.

Strategy (Part I)

8.18 The City Council will seek to ensure that the best possible use is made of the transport network. There is still much that can be achieved by traffic management and minor improvements to assist movement and resolve conflict both between different types of traffic and between traffic and the environment.

8.19 The City Council will only promote the construction of new roads which satisfy particular local needs. These include schemes which contribute to urban regeneration, by-pass town centres, reduce accidents and promote effective links with the trunk road network. For example, development of land at Barton will require a new road link between the site and the M62 as well as new and improved public transport facilities.

8.20 However, the construction of new roads and improvements to the existing road network in isolation will be inadequate to accommodate the expected increase in road traffic. Other measures must be found to restrain the use of the private car whilst at the same time giving a more important role to public transport. Public transport should not simply be viewed as a means of providing mobility for those without access to a car. Positive effort will need to be devoted towards the maximum exploitation of its inherent advantages in helping to reduce traffic congestion, environmental pollution and accident rates and to promote the benefits that bus and rail travel can offer as a cheap and convenient alternative to the car. Buses can be protected from traffic congestion by bus priority measures. Facilities at rail stations can be improved by providing secure park and ride facilities and every effort will be made to encourage greater use of rail freight services. New bus and rail stations, and the extension of the Metrolink system into Salford, are the kinds of projects which will help promote public transport usage within the City. Facilities for pedestrians, cyclists and disabled travellers should also be improved so as to encourage a much wider range of transport options.

8.21 The completion of the Channel Tunnel offers considerable potential to improve transport links between the North West and the remainder of the European Community. This has obvious benefits for local businesses and will support the process of urban regeneration. The City Council will therefore take what action it can to encourage British Rail and private sector interests to invest in the national rail network, particularly in respect of the provision of road/rail transport depots to serve the needs of the region.

8.22 The continued development of Manchester Airport as a major international airport and transport interchange serving the North West also has implications for Salford in terms of economic development, job creation and tourism. The City Council will therefore continue to encourage measures to improve highway and public transport links to the airport in order to maximise benefits for Salford residents and businesses.

8.23 Improvements to the Manchester Ship Canal for navigational purposes will provide development opportunities and jobs, as well as maintain an alternative mode of transport for the movement of bulk materials, thereby reducing heavy goods traffic on the road network, particularly the A57, M62 and M602. The City Council will therefore support initiatives to improve navigational facilities on the upper reaches of the canal, in order to secure its use for shipping.

8.24 Transport policies are directed, therefore, towards:

supporting economic revitalisation and urban regeneration
ensuring that the transport system satisfies the social and economic needs of the City
safeguarding and improving the environment and minimising the adverse effects of traffic
supporting the maintenance and improvement of a countywide public transport system and promoting the use of public transport as an alternative to the car
ensuring that the needs of pedestrians and cyclists are met
improving conditions for the disabled and those with mobility problems and
improving safety for all road users

8.25 The City Council's overall policies and proposals for transportation are set out in the Transport Policies Programme (TPP). This annual statement forms the basis of the City Council's bid to the Government for financial resources to carry out its road construction programme in the following year. It also includes road proposals covering a 5 year period. The UDP will form the framework within which future TPP's will be prepared since it sets out transport policies in their wider context. The objectives of the plan and the TPP are consistent as far as improvements to the road network are concerned. The plan also provides a framework for the City Council to support and influence other agencies, including the Department of Transport and the GMPTA.

8.26 Priorities will focus on:

maintaining a city-wide transport network
improving the transport network in the Investment Priority Area and the Corridor of Opportunity
schemes to enhance the use of public transport
schemes to improve safety and
securing Metrolink routes within Salford

8.27 The transport strategy accords with Strategic Planning Guidance, which stresses the need for a system which stimulates the economy, protects the environment, supports development and is both accessible and safe. Public transport should meet demand and allow for the development of Metrolink. Guidance also refers to a new motorway link between the M6 and M66. It recognises the importance of minor as well as major road schemes and highlights the need to improve safety for all road users, particularly pedestrians and cyclists.

A Balanced Transport Network

Policy (Part I)
T1 - The City Council will promote the development of a balanced transport network giving equal weight to the maintenance and improvement of both the highway network and public transport. Resources will be directed to those areas where needs are greatest.

Reasoned Justification (Part II)

The City Council recognises that one of the factors which influences the physical pattern of housing and employment and the potential for public and private investment is the quality of the transport network. This network should meet the needs of all sectors of the local community including local businesses, commuters and those without the use of a car.

Network of Major Roads of More Than Local Importance

Policy (Part I)
T2 - The City Council will safeguard a Network of Major Roads of More Than Local Importance along which major traffic flows will be directed. Proposals likely to have a materially harmful impact on the network's ability to accommodate appropriate traffic flows will only be permitted if they include measures effectively dealing with that impact.

Reasoned Justification (Part II)

The Network of Major Roads of More Than Local Importance comprises those roads which carry the highest volumes of through traffic. The network includes motorways and other trunk roads for which maintenance responsibility rests with the Department of Transport, and the other major roads for which the City Council is the Highway Authority.

By safeguarding the network, e.g.., from developments which would restrict the capacity of the network or prevent the free flow of traffic along it, the Highway Authority can ensure that the network assists the process of urban regeneration by providing for the quick and efficient distribution of goods and the movement of people. By directing through traffic onto the network, the Highway Authority can reduce the problems associated with traffic passing through environmentally sensitive areas and thereby safeguard residential amenity, promote highway safety and conserve environmental assets.

The network is defined on the Transport Strategy Diagram and includes the following traffic routes:

Motorways and Other Trunk Roads

M61
M62
M63
M602
A580 East Lancashire Road (part)

Other Major Roads

A6 - Blackfriars Street/Chapel Street/Crescent/Broad Street/Chorley Road/Manchester Road
A34 - Irwell Street
A34 - New Bailey Street
A56 - Bury New Road
A57 - Regent Road/Eccles New Road/Regent Street/Church Street/Cadishead Way/Liverpool Road
A572 - Worsley Road/Leigh Road
A575 - Worsley Road/Bolton Road/Walkden Road
A576 - Gilda Brook Road/Eccles Old Road/Broughton Road/Cromwell Road/Great Cheetham Street East and West/Leicester Road
A580 - East Lancashire Road
A665 - Bury Old Road
A666 - Bolton Road/Manchester Road
A5063 - Trafford Road/Albion Way
A5066 - Ordsall Lane/Oldfield Road/Adelphi Street
A5082 - Cleggs Lane/Peel Lane/Armitage Avenue
A5185 - Stott Lane/Lancaster Road
A5186 - Langworthy Road;
A6010 - St James Street/Marlborough Road
A6042 - Trinity Way
A6044 - Agecroft Road
B5211 - Worsley Road/Barton Road
B5225 - Hampson Street/Princes Bridge
B5228 - Weaste Road
B5229 - Monton Road/Half Edge Lane
B5230 - Barton Lane/Corporation Road/Peel Street/Albert Street/Albert Road
B5231 - Monton Green/Rocky Lane/Folly Lane/Partington Lane/Station Road
B5232 - Bridgewater Road/Newearth Road
B5320 - Liverpool Road
B5461 - East Ordsall Lane
B6186 - Frederick Road/Camp Street
Green Lane/Canal Bank
Parrin Lane
Broadway/Daniel Adamson Road/James Corbett Road
Hilton Lane/Park Road/Walkden Road
Littleton Road
Liverpool Street/Tootal Road/Tootal Drive
Lower Broughton Road
Moor Lane
New Lane;
Old Clough Lane/Greenleach Lane
Peel Green Road
South Langworthy Road
Cross Lane

Highways

Policy (Part I)
T3 - The City Council will maintain that part of the road network for which it is responsible and will promote road improvement and traffic management schemes which:

contribute towards urban regeneration
reduce accidents and promote highway safety
relieve congestion, particularly for public transport
improve access to development sites and major industrial, commercial and shopping facilities
by-pass town centres
promote effective links with the trunk road network
safeguard environmentally sensitive areas
resolve conflicts between different road users and
improve conditions for pedestrians, cyclists and disabled people

Reasoned Justification (Part II)

The maintenance and improvement of the city's road network is fundamental to the process of urban regeneration both in terms of providing for the quick and efficient movement of goods and people and ensuring that the road network contributes to, rather than detracts from, the overall quality of life in the city.

The level of resources likely to be available to the City Council over the plan period, for road improvements may well be limited. In considering priorities for road improvement therefore, the City Council will promote those schemes which alleviate the worst traffic problems and secure immediate and significant benefits. Where appropriate, developers may also be expected to implement or fund highway schemes which are required in connection with their proposals.

Public Transport

Policy (Part I)
T4 - The City Council will encourage greater use of the pubic transport network by supporting improvements to the quality and attractiveness of services. The Passenger Transport Authority (PTA), British Rail (BR), and other relevant organisations will be encouraged to implement improvements and the City Council will also promote schemes wherever possible. Measures will include:

subsidising bus services to complement commercial services and considering further services throughout the city where they can be justified on social and economic needs
seeking to secure planning agreements with developers for the provision of public transport facilities and services
bus turnarounds, lay-bys and road schemes to assist buses
new conventional rail links
extending the PTA's Section 20 Agreement with BR for supported rail services
electrification of the rail network
new and improved rail and bus stations
improving services for freight, particularly for continental services
improving parking facilities for cars, taxis and cycles at rail stations and introducing secure park and ride facilities
improving access to and within bus/rail stations for those with limited or impaired mobility, pedestrians, cyclists and taxis and
providing feeder bus services to bus and rail stations

Reasoned Justification (Part II)

The City Council is concerned about the effects of ever increasing volumes of traffic on the capacity of the road network and, in order to achieve a more balanced transport system, will encourage greater use of the public transport network by both passengers and freight. The City Council will play its part as Highway Authority and as a member of the Passenger Transport Authority (PTA).

The City Council's, and the PTA's, principal objective is to sustain and increase public transport patronage by improving the quality and availability of services. This will be achieved by continued improvements to the subsidised bus route network and by the use of a wide range of vehicle types, including smaller vehicles to penetrate areas not suited to the larger single or double deck buses. Bus services linking with railway stations will also be encouraged.

Extensions to the rail network and increases in the range and frequency of services will help to increase rail patronage, will provide for new job opportunities and will generally improve the mobility of Salford residents.

Enhancing the attractiveness of the existing rail network will help to increase rail patronage and may also increase job opportunities. In particular, the City Council will support:

the construction of a conventional rail link to Leigh off the Wigan-Manchester Line (to the west of Walkden Station)
the provision of a new railway station to serve Little Hulton and Ellenbrook, Agecroft and Clifton Country Park
the extension of the PTA's Section 20 Agreement with BR for supported rail services to the Manchester-Eccles-Liverpool line
the extension of the West Coast's Electrified Network to such lines as the Manchester-Preston-Blackpool and Liverpool-Warrington-York routes and
the provision of park and ride facilities at appropriate locations throughout the City

In relation to bus station projects, the provision of convenient access to town centres and, where possible, good interchange facilities with the rail system are important. In this respect new or improved bus stations are proposed for Salford Precinct and Eccles Town Centre.

The Passenger Transport Authority and British Rail will be urged to improve publicity about existing and improved bus and rail services.

Department of Transport Road Schemes

Policy (Part I)
T5 - The following Department of Transport road schemes are proposed in the Trunk Roads in England 1994 Review:

i. the M62 westbound widening between junctions 12 and 14 (Priority 1) and
ii. the M62 Relief Road (Priority 2).

Reasoned Justification (Part II)

The City Council is statutorily required to take account of Department of Transport road proposals which have been announced in Roads White Papers or Roads Reports. To date only a consultation line for the M62 Relief Road has been published and the timescale for its construction remains unknown. The Department of Transport in June 1994 announced that the scheme should be deferred for about 2 years to allow further studies to be undertaken. The City Council is seriously concerned about the potential environmental impact of both schemes and their inclusion in the Plan does not imply a commitment by the Council to support either the principle or the detail of the schemes.

Irlam/Barton Access Improvements

Policy (Part I)
T6 - The City Council will support the construction of two new link roads in the Irlam and Barton area, as follows:

i. the Irlam/Carrington Link across the Manchester Ship Canal and
ii. a link road between the A57 Liverpool Road and the M62 motorway, in the general vicinity of Barton Moss.

Reasoned Justification (Part II)

These roads are required to service the development of the strategic site at Barton (EC10/1), and to improve access to the motorway network, the Irlam area in general, and the Northbank Industrial site (EC13/31). The construction of the link roads will complement the construction of Cadishead Way (T16/3).

The feasibility of the A57-M62 link (T6ii), will be considered in relation to the Department of Transport's emerging proposals for motorway improvements in this area.

Traffic Restraint

Policy (Part I)
T7 - In seeking to minimise the adverse effects of traffic, the City Council will help to promote public transport and make the best use of the road network through:

   i. the introduction of bus priority measures, where appropriate on busy traffic routes
   ii. the introduction of traffic calming measures including width restrictions, road closures, and measures to reduce traffic speed, where appropriate, on roads which do not form part of the Network of Major Roads of More Than Local Importance and
   iii. encouragement of the use of car parking charges in the regional centre, as a county-wide management measure

Reasoned Justification (Part II)

The City Council is concerned about the effects of ever increasing volumes of traffic on the capacity of the road network. In order to achieve a more balanced transportation system the City Council will pursue traffic restraint measures as a means of encouraging greater use of public transport and improving road safety, particularly within residential areas where high levels of through traffic cause environmental and amenity problems. The full effect of these measures on bus and emergency services will be considered when the schemes are being planned.

The City Council recognises the need to direct through traffic along the Network of Major Roads of More Than Local Importance in accordance with policy T2. Proposals which would prejudice this networks ability to accommodate high traffic flows will therefore be subject to the requirement of policy T2 and traffic calming measures will only be introduced on those roads which do not form part of the network.

Metrolink

Policy (Part I)
T8 - The City Council supports the development of Metrolink to serve the Greater Manchester conurbation as a whole. In particular, the City Council will seek the early provision of routes to Salford Quays and Trafford Park and subsequent extensions to Eccles and beyond, to create a complete "loop" linking areas to the north and south of the Ship Canal. In determining applications for planning permission, the City Council will protect approved lines.

Reasoned Justification (Part II)

Low utilisation of valuable rail infrastructure and a lack of investment to replace and modernise rolling stock and stations has left parts of the rail network unattractive in the face of growing competition from the private car. The LRT system will help to reverse this process.

Equality of Access

Policy (Part I)
T9 - The City Council will assist travellers with limited or impaired mobility by:

   i. seeking to identify their requirements in order to define problems and develop solutions
   ii. taking into account their needs in the design of highway maintenance, traffic management and road improvement schemes, and in the planning of new developments (See also policy DEV5)
   iii. improving access to recreational routes and other facilities and
   iv. encouraging the Passenger Transport Authority and British Rail to provide for special needs transport. Appropriate measures will include upgrading conventional buses and trains, the improvement of associated infrastructure, and the establishment of an integrated transport system capable of delivering short and long distance trips for those people unable to use conventional public transport

Reasoned Justification (Part II)

There is a need to make better provision for those with limited or impaired mobility by redressing the balance in favour of disabled groups whose travel opportunities have been restricted by a lack of proper facilities. It is intended that this policy should also assist other groups, whose movement is often restricted by a lack of proper facilities. This would include people with prams, the visually handicapped and those with hearing difficulties.

A comprehensive strategy for meeting the transport needs of the mobility impaired will involve maximising the accessibility of conventional rail and bus services whilst providing separately for those who still cannot use these services. In addition to having semi-fixed passenger routes, door to door transport such as the PTA's Ring and Ride operation, or the voluntary sector group dial-a-ride scheme, could provide a more flexible and attractive proposition to those whose mobility is impaired.

Pedestrians

Policy (Part I)
T10 - The City Council will ensure that the needs of pedestrians throughout the City are given greater attention by:

   i. taking account of the needs of pedestrians and the presence of existing public rights of way in the design of highway maintenance, traffic management and road improvement schemes, and in the planning of new development
   ii. promoting schemes which improve pedestrian safety and convenience
   iii. introducing a programme of measures to assist pedestrians in residential and shopping areas
   iv. improving and developing pedestrian links between residential areas and educational establishments, employment areas, rail and Metrolink stations and bus facilities, recreational areas, shopping centres and town centres. In and around town centres, these routes should provide links between shopping areas and car parks, bus stops, rail and Metrolink Stations
v. developing a network of Strategic Recreation Routes in conjunction with other Local Authorities in Greater Manchester in accordance with policy R7 and
vi. introducing pedestrianised streets in shopping areas wherever possible, at least during principal shopping hours

Reasoned Justification (Part II)

The increasing levels of vehicular traffic pose particular problems for pedestrians both in terms of safety and convenience. Such problems are particularly acute in town centres and along busy roads, especially those fronted by shops, as well as in densely developed inner city residential areas with high traffic levels. Resources will be directed towards these areas in order to alleviate the worst problems. This will be in addition to improving pedestrian access to countryside and recreation areas in accordance with policies R7 and R8.

Cycling

Policy (Part I)
T11 - The City Council will adopt a Cycling Strategy which will:

   i. take action to reduce concentrations of cycle accidents at specific sites
   ii. continue a programme of conversion of disused railway lines into recreational routes which are available for use by cyclists
   iii. identify and implement a continuous network of safe cycle routes between neighbourhoods and other areas of activity
   iv. protect the safety of cyclists and adequately reflect their needs in the planning of highway and traffic management schemes and new developments
   v. provide secure cycle parking stands at all railway stations to encourage cycle and ride trips and provide similar facilities in other activity areas, such as town centres, where cycling might be encouraged and
   vi. encourage good cycling practice by improvements to access, signing, surface treatments, education and publicity

Reasoned Justification (Part II)

Cycling is an increasingly popular mode of transport and it has considerable environmental benefits in terms of reducing traffic congestion and pollution. Cyclists, however, are among the most vulnerable of all road users and their safety should be taken into account in the development and management of the City's road network. The City Council will encourage safe cycling by promoting good cycling practice in schools and elsewhere, using publicity and other educational materials.

Cycling is also a healthy recreational pastime and provision of facilities to cater for recreational needs, particularly in the urban fringe and the Croal Irwell Valley, will help to improve access to the countryside and make greater use of recreational resources.

Public Rights of Way

Policy (Part I)
T12 - The City Council will revise the existing Definitive Footpath Map and, in association with the Countryside Commission, landowners, and other agencies, will seek to upgrade existing routes and identify new routes, including recreational ones, where appropriate. It will also consider the feasibility of adapting some of these routes for use by cyclists or horse riders.

Reasoned Justification (Part II)

The revised Definitive Footpath Map will provide an accurate record of public rights of way within Salford. A Countryside Recreation Strategy has been prepared which seeks to establish a network of well signposted and maintained Strategic Recreation Routes leading to key areas of recreational activity (see policy R7). Consideration will be given to the improvement and extension of the network through the preparation of an Access Strategy (see policy R8)

Car Parking

Policy (Part I)
T13 - The City Council will ensure that adequate and appropriate car parking and servicing provision is made where necessary. In recognising that the proper management of vehicle parking is an important element of an effective transport strategy, the City Council will:

   i. ensure that adequate parking and servicing is provided to meet the needs of new development, in accordance with the Council's adopted standards
   ii. manage the supply of car parking spaces, both on and off-street, by the use of parking controls and/or charges in order to provide for both short stay and long stay parking demands
   iii. restrict or control on-street parking where it would have a detrimental effect on the safety or capacity of the highway network or where the environment would be adversely affected
   iv. where appropriate, make provision for special parking demands, including disabled parking spaces, coach and lorry parking and other such needs
   v. seek to identify measures to overcome parking problems, such as creating new temporary and permanent car parks and promoting dual use of existing facilities
   vi. consider the introduction of on-street parking management measures, including residents privileged parking schemes and lay-bys and encouraging provision of curtilage parking and other off-street facilities where suitably located vacant land exists and
   vii. ensure that car parks are designed to a high standard with particular regard to access arrangements, surface materials, boundary treatment and security measures.

Reasoned Justification (Part II)

Continued traffic growth coupled with a greater emphasis on road haulage in recent years has increased demand for parking facilities throughout the city. The City Council can ensure that new developments make adequate car parking provision for their needs through adherence to parking standards set out in Appendix 1 to the Written Statement. However many of the current parking problems relate to older developments or situations where parking standards have been relaxed, for example in town centres.

Short stay parking facilities are essential to cater for business callers, employees who use a car in the course of their work and car owning shoppers who are unlikely to shop where they cannot easily find parking spaces. However, in the absence of any control, motorists who use their car only to travel to work and park for the whole of the working day tend to fill up the most central car parks. Preference will therefore be given to short stay parking in town centres with long stay parking accommodated on peripheral car parks rather than on-street.

Surface car parking provision requires a considerable area of land, whilst the construction of multi-storey car parks is very expensive. In major centres, where the density of development is high, there are often difficulties in providing new short stay parking close enough to shopping and business premises.

Car parks can generate considerable volumes of traffic which can cause difficulties in traffic management. This can also cause environmental problems or prevent subsequent environmental improvements. It is important that development control should take these factors into account, not least to minimise the possibility that the Highway Authority will later need to spend money on road improvements to deal with the resulting traffic movements.

The promotion of shared use car parking, whereby business car parking spaces are made available for public use outside office hours, wherever security considerations allow and subject to management agreements with landlords, can make the best use of limited resources. Such a scheme has been successfully implemented within the Ordsall Lane area and other areas will be considered over the plan period.

The City Council wishes to encourage the enhancement of the environment through the provision of high quality developments. The sensitive design and layout of car parking can do much to enhance new or existing developments and reflect and improve the character of the surrounding area.

Control of Lorry and Coach Parking

Policy (Part I)
T14 - The City Council will control overnight lorry and coach parking through:

i. prohibiting on-street overnight coach and lorry parking with the designation of a limited number of suitable on-street and off-street parking space
ii. resisting the development of goods vehicle operating centres located in residential areas; and
iii. encouraging the provision of secure purpose built lorry and coach parks

Reasoned Justification (Part II)

The overnight parking ban of lorries and coaches and the provision of specific parking spaces for such vehicles has proved extremely successful in protecting residential areas. This process will be extended to cover the whole of the City.

Taxis

Policy (Part I)
T15 - The City Council will seek to provide sufficient hackney carriage or taxi stands in appropriate locations. Consideration will be given to provision of such facilities in new or existing developments, on Council-owned car parks or at appropriate `on street' locations where these would be compatible with the other objectives of reducing traffic congestion, improving road safety and safeguarding residential amenity.

Reasoned Justification (Part II)

Hackney carriages or taxis perform a useful public transport function and should therefore be adequately catered for within Salford.

However, it will be necessary to control the location of private car hire booking offices in order to safeguard residential amenity and avoid conflict between land uses.

Major Road Schemes

Policy (Part II)
T16 - The City Council will support or promote the construction of the following major road schemes as identified on the Proposals Map, in accordance with policies T2 and T3:

A6042 Trinity Way (The Inner Relief Route, Regent Road to Gore Street)
A5063 Trafford Road Improvement (Salford Quays to City Boundary)
A57 Cadishead Way
Parkway/M602 Link Phase I
Parkway/M602 Link Phase II (Eccles Town Centre By-pass)
Parkway/M602 Link Phase III (Broadway Link)

The lines of these routes will be protected in accordance with policy T2.

Reasoned Justification (Part II)

The City Council will support and promote road schemes which maintain and improve the road network in Salford and which, in particular, improve links with Manchester City Centre and Trafford Park. The City Council will also seek to ensure that the needs of long distance and though traffic are met. These measures are essential to urban regeneration.

The role of other agencies in constructing new highways should not be underestimated. Road proposals initiated by the Trafford Park Urban Development Corporation, such as the Parkway/M602 Link, and privately funded schemes, such as that to service land at Barton (EC10/1) will do much to improve road links in the City. Where appropriate, the City Council will support such schemes.

The schemes listed in this policy have significant land use implications and are firm commitments for which a definite route can be shown on the Proposals Map. The Department of Transport's intentions to construct the M62 Relief Road and widen the M62 are referred to in policy T5 but as these have no established alignments they are not shown on the Proposals Map.

Trafford Park Urban Development Corporation's strategy for Northbank provides in principle for the Irlam/Carrington Link and this is supported by the City Council. Again, however, there is no established alignment for this link and hence it is not shown on the Proposals Map.

The City Council also propose to improve the A6 Chapel Street but it is anticipated that this will not involve any significant widening of the highway envelope. The City Council will support the undertaking of environmental assessments, where appropriate, on major road proposals in line with criteria set out in Volume 11 of the Department of Transport's Design Manual for Roads and Bridges.

1. A6042 Trinity Way (The Inner Relief Route, Regent Road to Gore Street)

The completion of a high standard orbital route close to Manchester City Centre will enable pedestrianisation of shopping streets to be extended; it will facilitate the on-street running of Metrolink and will open up large areas of derelict land for redevelopment.

In carrying out detailed design work on the new road account will be taken of the need, as far as possible, to preserve the line of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal, including its towpath, in accordance with policy EN27.

2. A5063 Trafford Road Improvements (Salford Quays to City Boundary)

The widening of Trafford Road to dual carriageway standard will improve access to Trafford Park from the motorway network and reduce accidents. A new bridge over the Manchester Ship Canal to accommodate the road widening will also allow for the extension of Metrolink into Trafford Park. In implementing this proposal care should be taken to protect the walkways along the Canal.

3. A57 Cadishead Way

The construction of a new single carriageway all-purpose road to provide access to Northbank, a satellite area of the Trafford Park Development Corporation, will relieve traffic congestion on the A57 and open up derelict land for redevelopment. Provision of a by-pass will also enhance the environment along the A57 corridor, much of which is residential in character. Phase I of the new road between Boysnope Wharf and Brinell Drive was opened to traffic in March 1992.

4. Parkway/M602 Link Phase I

This will be a new high standard road link connecting Trafford Park to the motorway network, and crossing the Manchester Ship Canal to Eccles Town Centre. It will create an important entrance to Trafford Park, making the area more accessible and more attractive for development and new investment.

5. Parkway/M602 Link Phase II (Eccles Town Centre By-Pass)

This will be a new dual two-lane carriageway road, which will take traffic out of the town centre. It will help to reduce accidents and allow the pedestrianisation and other environmental measures to be carried out.

The scheme will run to the south of the town centre between the Parkway/M602 Phase I and the A57 Church Street.

6. Parkway/M602 Link Phase III (Broadway Link)

This will be a new single carriageway all purpose road linking Broadway, the major spine road through the Enterprise Zone, to the Parkway/M602 Link and the motorway network.

Metrolink

Policy (Part II)
T17 - The City Council will reserve land for the construction of the Metrolink system into Salford Quays and Eccles in accordance with policy T8 and will seek to protect the approved line as shown on the Proposals Map.

Reasoned Justification (Part II)

This will improve public transport links to Salford Quays and help to ease traffic congestion by the provision of an attractive alternative to car borne journeys. The City Council will also encourage extensions to Metrolink elsewhere in the City.

Pedestrianisation

Policy (Part II)
T18 - The City Council will extend the pedestrianisation of Church Street, Eccles, as shown on the Proposals Map, subject to completion of the Parkway/M602 Link Phase II, and in accordance with policies S6/4 and T10.

Reasoned Justification (Part II)

This proposal will improve pedestrian safety and ease pedestrian movement between the main shopping area to the north of the A57 and the market, bus station and other facilities to the south of the A57. It will complement the existing pedestrianised section of Church Street running between Eccles Cross and the railway station and have major environmental benefits for the town centre as a whole.

Implementation of the proposal will depend on completion of the Parkway/M602 Link Phase II (see proposal T16/5). The scope for pedestrianisation will depend on the need to retain access to side roads, and allow servicing of shops and businesses outside shopping hours.

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This page was last updated on 22 October 2009