five towns five towns

FIVE TOWNS
PARK
CONNECTING THE COMMUNITY
- TRANSPORT STRATEGY
www.castlefordyoursay.co.uk
Introduction
We understand that transport is an important issue for
the local community. This booklet sets out the transport
strategy for the Five Towns Park. It explains the key transport
measures that the developer is providing to ensure that the
development can be easily accessed by all users – employees
at Five Towns Park, shoppers, rugby fans, country park users
– while minimising the impact on the existing road network.
By making a range of improvements – detailed in this
document – we can ensure that the site is easily accessible
to residents across the Five Towns area, especially those
seeking job opportunities or who may not own a car.
A sports, leisure,
country park
and retail
development for
the Five Towns
community.
CONNECTING THE FIVE TOWNS
– A SUMMARY
We want to ensure that visitors can easily access our site
by all transport methods – by foot, cycle, bus, train and
car. Our Transport Assessment and Travel Plan detail a
range of improvements and initiatives, which include:
•
A full Transport Assessment and Travel Plan has been
produced in support of the planning application that
provides further details on the transport strategy.
These documents can be found on the
Wakefield Council website.
2
Making a multi-million pound investment to increase
capacity in the road network that will include a new
junction layout at Park Road to provide an easy
entrance and exit for visitors to our development,
along with improvements to increase the capacity
of the Park Road/Holywell Lane roundabout.
•
Improving existing pedestrian routes and
crossings to Xscape, Junction 32 Outlet Centre
and Glasshoughton railway station.
•
Working with local bus service providers to divert
existing services into the site. Two new bus stops will be
introduced on the site. In particular, we are looking to
address key existing public transport weaknesses such as
connections for residents of Airedale and Ferry Fryston.
•
Around 3 miles (5kms) of new cycle lanes
will be introduced across the site, providing
new connections to the wider area.
•
Introducing a match day transport strategy which will
stop parking by non-residents on neighbouring streets.
We will also provide dedicated shuttle buses from
Castleford town centre to the stadium on match days.
3
Our proposal
We would like to deliver a new sports, leisure, country park
and retail development for the Five Towns community. This
will be on a site directly to the north east of Junction 32 of the
M62 at Glasshoughton. The development will include:
•
A new 10,000 capacity community stadium for Castleford
Tigers paid for by the retail development
•
A country park with new wetlands and woodlands
to be owned and run by the Land Trust
•
A food store and petrol filling station
•
Further retail units suitable for major national
retailers and smaller catering units
•
1,800 retail parking spaces plus 666 dedicated
parking spaces for the new stadium
•
Substantial highways improvements that will
create a new entrance to Castleford
•
Major economic benefits from a £135 million total investment
which will create around 2,000 new jobs at the site
The proposals provide the opportunity to significantly improve transport links
in, around and through the area forging connections to and from Castleford
town centre and to the south towards Pontefract, connecting into the
Prince of Wales former colliery site and Pontefract Park and Racecourse.
4
NEW
STADIUM
JUNCTION
32 OUTLET
FOODSTORE
RESTRICTED
ACCESS ONLY - NO
THROUGH ROUTE
COUNTRY
PARK
RETAIL UNITS
XSCAPE
M62
GLASSHOUGHTON
RAILWAY STATION
JUNCTION 32
B&Q
NEW
JUNCTION
AND MAIN
VEHICLE
ACCESS
5
Pedestrian Movement and Public Realm
For the proposed scheme to be of real benefit for the
local communities that surround it, the new facilities
and amenities at the site need to be accessible.
The proposals will help to improve the existing footpath/
cycle network for the benefit of the local community.
Two new pedestrian routes will be provided through
the site in an east-west direction, allowing people to
walk to and between the new shops and stadium
and improving connectivity within the wider area.
The proposed changes to the Park Road / Colorado
Way junction include improved crossing opportunities
and links to existing facilities such as Xscape, J32
Shopping Outlet and Glasshoughton rail station.
The existing public rights of way towards Holywell Lane and
Fryston Road to the north will be diverted and integrated
into the new network of footpaths. The country park will
have trails and footpaths for dog walkers and families.
The comprehensive network of pedestrian routes will
help encourage shorter journeys to be made on foot
and will encourage walking to and from the site for
people living within a reasonable walking distance.
In addition, connections will be provided through the
proposed country park to a new footway to be constructed
along the western edge of Spittal Hardwick Lane.
6
7
Cycle Movement
The proposals provide over 5km of
new cycleways, trails and circuits.
New east to west cycle routes will be provided through the site creating a
connection between Spittal Hardwick Lane and Park Road. These routes will
allow cyclists to travel between the residential areas to the east of the site
around Spittal Hardwick Lane, Gypsy Lane, Monkhill Lane and Fryston Road to
the areas in the west around Glasshoughton via a high quality surfaced route.
The new cycle routes will link to the wider area by connecting with the
following existing facilities:
•
Shared footway/cycleway along the east of A656 Park
Road between Holywell Lane and M62 J32
•
Cycle routes on Park Road residential access
road and Spittal Hardwick Lane
•
Crossings at the M62 westbound off slip and eastbound on slip.
Cycle parking will also be provided, as follows:
•
135 spaces for staff and visitors to the retail units
•
100 spaces provided in the vicinity of the stadium
The usage of the cycle parking will be monitored over time to ensure there is
enough to cater for demand, with additional cycle stands provided as necessary.
8
9
Public Transport
(Typical Day)
Buses will operate to the development from Castleford,
Glasshoughton and Pontefract seven days a week. Bus
services will directly access the site from both the main access
at Junction 32/Park Road to the west and via the restricted
access road from Spittal Hardwick Lane to the east. New
bus stops will be provided near to the retail units and will be
served by a separate bus loop to provide easy bus access.
A number of local bus services already pass within a short walk
of the site, stopping on Park Road, Spittal Hardwick Lane and
within Glasshoughton. Some of these existing bus services will be
diverted through the site, providing sustainable public transport
connections between the Five Towns and surrounding areas.
Castleford, Pontefract and Normanton will be
accessible by direct bus services from the site, whilst
Featherstone and Knottingley will be accessible
via an interchange in Pontefract. All of the Five
Towns will be accessible within a 40 minute bus
journey, with Castleford and Pontefract accessible
in under 15 minutes via a high frequency service.
10
The following key destinations will be accessible by
bus from the site or stops immediately adjacent.
Destination
Operator
Direct Service
or Interchange
Typical
Journey
Time
Buses
per
hour
Castleford
Arriva/M Travel/
Ross Travel/
Utopia Coaches
Direct
9-12 mins
10
Pontefract
Arriva/M Travel/
Ross Travel/
Utopia Coaches
Direct
8 mins
10
Chequerfield
Arriva
Direct
18 mins
3
Airedale
Arriva/Ross Travel
Direct
5-8 mins
3
Wakefield
Arriva/Ross Travel
Direct
49-58 mins
3
Normanton
Arriva
Direct
38 mins
2
Hemsworth
Arriva/Stagecoach
Interchange
(at Pontefract)
33-47 mins
2
Methley
Arriva
Direct
17 mins
2
Allerton
Bywater
M Travel/Arriva
Interchange
(at Castleford)
23-34 mins
3-4
Featherstone
Arriva/Ross Travel
Interchange
(at Cutsyke or
Pontefract)
25-39mins
5
North
Featherstone
Arriva/Ross Travel
Interchange
(at Pontefract)
19-29 mins
2
Streethouse
Arriva
Interchange
(at Pontefract)
28 mins
1
Fairburn
Arriva
Interchange
(at Pontefract)
48 mins
Every 2
hours
Knottingley
Arriva/Utopia
Coaches
Interchange
(at Pontefract)
25-33 mins
2
Ferrybridge
Arriva/MTravel
Interchange
(at Pontefract)
28-43 mins
4
Ackton
Arriva/Ross Travel
Interchange
(at Pontefract
or Castleford)
48-59 mins
3
N.B This table is based on weekday daytime services.
11
Match Day Public Transport
A shuttle bus service will be provided for Castleford Tigers
supporters on matchdays. This will be operated for a
period of three hours before and one hour after a match.
The shuttle buses will operate on a route between Castleford
town centre to the new stadium, via Holywell Lane and
Spittal Hardwick Lane. This will link to the existing facilities
in the Wheldon Road area, as well as public transport
connections and parking in Castleford town centre.
The shuttle buses would be in addition to existing commercial
services along the Castleford – Glasshoughton - Pontefract
corridor. The frequency of shuttle services will be adjusted
to provide the required capacity, given the variation
12
in attendances at matches. We will look at ticketing
initiatives to encourage the use of shuttle services, such as
allowing free or discounted use of the shuttle buses when
presented with a bus ticket, match ticket or season ticket.
Also, to encourage people to walk and cycle to
the stadium or take the train to Glasshoughton, we
are improving pedestrian crossings on Park Road,
along with enhanced footpaths and cycle links.
13
Match Day Parking
Castleford Tigers will manage the 666 parking
spaces available at the stadium on match days.
14
In addition, an ‘event day controlled parking zone (CPZ)’
is proposed to cover the residential areas immediately
surrounding the stadium including Spittal Hardwick Lane
(and roads off this, north of the M62), Gypsy Lane (and
roads off this), Park View, Park Road and the various
residential streets accessed from Holywell Lane. A Permanent
Residents Parking Scheme is proposed to protect properties
on Stainburn Avenue from inconsiderate parking, which
residents tell us already occurs in parts of this street.
Event days will be advertised in advance. On Event Days
it is proposed restrictions would be in place between 1pm
and 6pm. To park in the ‘Event Day CPZ’ residents in the
area will need to display a permit and their visitors will be
required to display visitor vouchers. Both of these would
be issued at no cost to residents. On introduction of the
scheme, matchday patrols will be placed in key positions
to ensure that parking controls are enforced and to
provide advice on alternative parking options for visitors.
The introduction of parking controls will be subject
to a separate community consultation exercise.
After the stadium opens, monitoring of other residential
areas that are further from the site will be undertaken. If it
is established that further parking controls are required in
these other areas, these will be funded by the developer.
15
Highways Proposals
Two highways accesses are proposed
for the site as follows:
1) A new road layout for Park Road between Colorado
Way and Junction 32. This will include a new junction
that provides access to the development site for use by
cars, buses, coaches and delivery vehicles. There will
also be a three-lane exit route from the site. The new
road layout will not only ensure that vehicles can access
the retail and stadium development but also provides
benefits for those accessing Glasshoughton or Castleford
town centre. In summary the new road layout will:
•
•
•
16
Move the southbound carriageway of Park Road
(south of Stainburn Avenue) to the east
Create a new junction to the east of the current
Park Road/Colorado Way signal junction. Controlled
by signals, this new junction will allow traffic entry
to the site from all directions. Traffic exiting the site
will only be able to turn left towards Junction 32
Provide a new road from Junction 32 to access the site,
which separates the traffic travelling to the site from
those using the Park Road/Colorado Way junction
•
•
Simplify the existing Park Road/Colorado Way
junction to provide additional capacity
Harvester
McDonalds
Pizza Hut
Site Entrance/
Exit
Proposed Petrol
Filling Station
Polar
Ford
Maintain good access to Stainburn Avenue.
2) A new access created from Spittal Hardwick Lane for use
by buses and stadium emergency access only. Access will
be physically restricted by means of rising bollards or similar.
A small area of car parking (circa 20 spaces) will be provided
at the eastern end of this access road for use by dog walkers
and visitors to the country park on non-matchdays.
To
Castleford
To
Glasshoughton
From
Glasshoughton /
Castleford
To
M62 East
From
Junction 32
B&Q
In addition to these access junctions two further
highways improvements are proposed as follows:
•
Measures to reduce existing traffic speeds on Spittal
Hardwick Lane (detail of measures to be agreed) to
reduce existing high vehicle speeds and enhance
safety for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians
•
Improvement of the Park Road/Holywell
Lane roundabout to increase capacity.
To
M62 West
To
Pontefract
A further wide-ranging review of the proposed new site
access, including a road safety audit, has been undertaken
in conjunction with the local highways authority and the
Highways Agency. This has been scrutinised by their advisers.
Summary of
Transport Strategy
The following table provides a
summary of the key transport
measures the developer
will provide and fund.
18
Issue
Measure
Benefits
Highways proposals –
roundabout improvements
Improvement to junction of Park Road/Holywell Lane
Increase capacity to mitigate impact of development
Highways proposals – new junction
New junction arrangement at J32/Park Road/Colorado Way
Increased capacity and access for all cars, buses and servicing vehicles
Highways proposals – restricted access
Access for emergency services and buses only via Spittal
Hardwick Lane controlled with rising bollards
Prevents congestion for residents and ensures smooth entry to
and exit from the site for bus and emergency services
Highways proposals – reduce
vehicle speeds
Scheme to reduce traffic speeds along Spittal Hardwick Lane plus new
footway on western side
Addresses existing problems of high vehicle speed
Public transport (typical day)
– existing bus routes
Diversion of existing commercial bus services operated by
Arriva, Ross Travel and M Travel through the site
Provides sustainable public transport links between
the development and surrounding areas
Public transport (typical
day) – new bus stops
New bus stops adjacent to the retail frontage and Stadium
Convenient access to the retail units via a dedicated bus
loop, with an additional stop close to the stadium, providing
greater flexibility for public transport operators
Matchday parking – residents parking
Event Day Controlled Parking Zone and Permanent Residents Parking Scheme
Prevents congestion for local residents
Matchday parking – stadium car park
Provision of 666 dedicated stadium car parking spaces
Contains those that do want to drive to the stadium
Matchday public transport
– shuttle buses
Match day shuttle bus linking Castleford town centre and the stadium to
operate three hours before and one hour after the event on match days
Maintains links to existing facilities used by supporters in Castleford town centre
Pedestrians/routes
Two new east to west routes through the site linking Spittal
Hardwick Lane to Park Road (one via the retail frontage)
Increased connectivity and new routes through the area
Pedestrian/crossings
Enhanced crossing facilities at the Park Road / Colorado Way junction
Enhanced safe connections to the wider area via
widened footpaths and pedestrian islands
Pedestrian/new paths
New footway along the western edge of Spittal Hardwick Lane
Increased connectivity and new routes through the area
Pedestrian/new paths
Provision of trails and footpaths within the country park
Existing public rights of way diverted and integrated
into the new network of footpaths
Cycle movement
New east to west cycle route through the site
Increased connectivity and new routes through the area
Cycle parking
135 cycle parking spaces for staff and visitors to the retail units,
with a further 100 spaces provided for stadium users
Encourages people to cycle rather than drive
19