Effective road and traffic management

Written evidence from English Heritage (EMT 03)

1. English Heritage is the UK Government’s statutory adviser and a statutory consultee on all aspects of the historic environment and its heritage assets. This includes archaeology on land and under water, historic buildings sites and areas, designated landscapes and the historic elements of the wider landscape.

2. Measures for road and traffic management have the potential to introduce al ien elements and visual clutter . The impact of such measures can be lessened if their design and materials relates as far as possible to the overall townscape and take their cue from the historic context.

3. Textured traditional materials, such as cobbles or stone setts, and historic built and landscape features such as narrow lanes, bends and high walls can be used to help keep down traffic speeds without the need for increased road markings and signage, or physical constraints such as road humps, chicanes, islands, barriers, and safety rails.

4 . Road signs and markings can have a significant effect on the appearance of historic areas. A degree of flexibility in the size, siting and colour of signs is provided for in The Traffic Signs Regulations and the Department of Transport’s Traffic Signs Manual . There is also flexibility permitted in respect of ‘no waiting’ signs – a narrower band of a paler colour is permitted in environmentally sensitive areas.

4 . P edestrianis ing streets in historic areas requires careful planning and implementation if it is not to result in as many problems as benefits. The need to provide new vehicular access and servicing arrangements for properties in the area, to provide additional or alternative car parking nearby, and to change local traffic circulation, can often have a significant impact on historic area s . P ark-and-ride schemes may offer the solution where it is desirable to limit car access to major historic centres. In partially pedestrianised streets or areas, where b uses and delivery vehicles have continued access, the need to make pedestrians aware that they are not in a traffic-free zone needs to be balanced with creating a congenial and appropriate environment. Keeping the traditional proportions of footway to carriageway and the associated kerb lines is usually more likely to strike the right balance than large scale homogenous surfaces or patterns of surfacing materials which are arbitrary and over-detailed.

5. Items of historic street furniture, such as red telephone kiosks, post boxes, drinking troughs and memorials reinforce local character if they are retained in their original locations.

6. The English Heritage manuals Streets for All provide a detailed guide for all those responsible for the management of streets. They set out practical solutions to reduce clutter, co-ordinate design and reinforce local character. The nine guides cover the English regions (including London) and the advice on street design reflects the particular historic character of each region. Manual for Streets 2 provides up to date guidance on highway safety and street and road design which considers historic context.

January 2011