Cuadrilla. Roseacre Wood. Transport Consultation Report

Transcription

1 Cuadrilla Roseacre Wood Transport Consultation Report November

2 Contents 1 INTRODUCTION PROPOSED HGV ROUTES HGV MANAGEMENT... 4 HGV Daily Cap... 4 Mobilisation/Demobilisation... 4 HGV Routing Restrictions... 4 HGV Delivery Restrictions... 5 Management of Roseacre HGVs... 5 Passing Places... 6 Temporary Traffic Signals... 6 Signage... 6 i

3 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 This report has been written in support of the ongoing planning appeal reference APP/Q2371/W/15/ submitted by Cuadrilla Elswick Limited in respect of the proposed shale gas exploration works at Roseacre Wood in Lancashire. Vectos is retained by Cuadrilla to provide transport evidence at the forthcoming reopening of the planning inquiry. 1.2 Extensive surveys have been commissioned by independent survey companies over the summer and autumn of this year to inform the assessment of possible HGV routes to the Roseacre Wood site (the Site ). Based on the conclusions of this work, this transport consultation report provides an update on the proposed HGV Routing Strategy for Roseacre Wood. 1.3 A multi-route strategy is proposed to minimise HGV impact on any one route and to enable more than one access to the Site from the surrounding A roads. To keep it proportionate the multi-route strategy has been limited to the introduction of two new HGV Routes in addition to the HGV route originally proposed via Dagger Road. This will enable access to the Site from both the A585 at Thistleton and the A583 to the south of Clifton (as originally proposed). 1.4 Further information on the proposed HGV Routing Strategy and the assessment of the routes can be found in the Environmental Statement Traffic Addendum. 1

4 2 PROPOSED HGV ROUTES 2.1 It is proposed to utilise three routes to provide access for HGVs between the A583 and A585 and the Site. The three proposed HGV Routes are: Green Route from A585 to the Site via B5269 Thistleton Road, Elswick High Street and Roseacre Road; Red Route from A585 to the Site via B5269 Thistleton Road, Elswick High Street, Lodge Lane, Preston Road and Higham Side Road and through the Ministry of Defence's (MoD) Defence High Frequency Communications Site (DHFCS) Inskip facility; and Blue Route from A583 to the Site via Clifton Lane, Station Road, Dagger Road, Salwick Road, Inskip Road and through the DHFCS facility. 2.2 The management of the use of the three HGV Routes, in order to minimise disruption and ensure safe and efficient working, will be set out in a Traffic Management Plan which will itself be subject to a planning condition. A draft of the Traffic Management Plan is appended to the Environmental Statement Traffic Addendum, and will be subject to further consideration after the consultation period is completed. 2.3 The proposed HGV Routes are shown in Figure 1. 2

5 Figure 1: Proposed HGV Routes 2.4 The Secretary of State for Defence has agreed that Cuadrilla may route HGVs through the DHFCS Inskip facility. The DHFCS Inskip route enables HGVs to bypass the village of Wharles, which is relevant for the Red and Blue HGV Routes. 2.5 It is anticipated that use of the DHFCS Inskip part of the Red and Blue HGV Routes would be covered by an appropriate planning condition and Cuadrilla is prepared to commit to use of the DHFCS Inskip route for HGVs during all phases of the project other than the very low traffic during the extended flow test (EFT) phase, when HGVs would route via Wharles. HGVs would be limited to up to 6 two-way HGVs per day (i.e. 3 HGVs in and 3 HGVs out) via Wharles during the EFT phase. 3

6 3 HGV MANAGEMENT HGV Daily Cap 3.1 Cuadrilla is committed to restricting HGV movements to and from the Site to a maximum of 50 two-way HGV movements per day (i.e. 25 HGVs in and 25 HGVs out of the Site per day). This will be covered by a planning condition. Whilst this is the peak number of HGVs, for the majority of days throughout the Project there will be less than 25 HGVs travelling to the Site and from the Site. Mobilisation/Demobilisation 3.2 Cuadrilla proposes to limit the number of times mobilisation and demobilisation (i.e. transporting plant and equipment to/from the Site) occurs over the course of the Project to no more than twice for the drilling rig and no more than twice for the hydraulic fracturing equipment. This will reduce the number of times that the peak HGV traffic flows are experienced. HGV Routing Restrictions 3.3 It is proposed to utilise three HGV Routes to access and egress the Site. Therefore, the combined total of HGV movements using all three routes on any day will not exceed 50 twoway HGVs per day. The use of the different HGV Routes is likely to vary, and to include different combinations and use of routes in one direction for Cuadrilla HGVs at certain periods. Some examples of how this would work are as follows: Utilising 1 Route: If the Green Route is used by Cuadrilla for 50 two-way HGVs on a particular day then no HGVs could use the Red or Blue routes that day. Utilising 2 Routes: If the Green Route is used by Cuadrilla for 30 two-way HGV movement on a particular day (i.e. 15 each way) then 20 two-way HGV movements (i.e. 10 each way) could route on the Red Route but no HGVs could use the Blue Route. Utilising 3 Routes: If the Red Route is used by Cuadrilla for 30 two-way HGV movements on a particular day then the Green and Blue Routes could be used by up to 20 two-way HGV movements (e.g. 10 two-way HGV movements on the Green Route and 10 twoway HGV movements on the Blue Route). 4

7 HGV Delivery Restrictions 3.4 HGVs will be permitted to access and egress the Site access on weekdays between 07:30 18: It is proposed that there will be no HGV deliveries to or from the Site on a Saturday and Sunday except in an operational emergency and agreed in advance with the police. This is to reduce the impact of the project on vulnerable users that use the roads at weekends for leisure activities (i.e. cycle clubs, equestrians, ramblers etc). No HGV deliveries will take place on public holidays. 3.6 In exceptional circumstances, and following discussion with Lancashire Police, up to a maximum of nine single convoy deliveries or removals may be made outside of the specified hours provided they are carried out only in relation to the following work phases: c) Drilling of each of the four exploration wells; d) Hydraulic fracturing of each of the exploration wells; e) Flaring of gas during the initial flow test of each well; f) Installation of the gas pipeline and connection to the national grid. 3.7 Exceptional circumstances are defined in Section 3 of the draft Traffic Management Plan appended to the Environmental Statement Traffic Addendum. 3.8 Finally, it is proposed that no Cuadrilla HGVs will route via the Red Route between the hours of 08:00-09:00 and 15:00-16:00, in order to avoid the school sensitive hours. This restriction will only be in place during school term time. Management of Roseacre HGVs 3.9 The Site management team will be fully aware of the timing and routing of all HGVs accessing and departing the Site. The Traffic Management procedure will ensure that no two Cuadrilla HGVs are travelling to the Site and from the Site on the same HGV route at the same time, i.e. no two Cuadrilla HGVs servicing the Site will ever meet each other on any one of the three HGV Routes (i.e. Green, Red or Blue routes). The details of the management of deliveries are set out in the draft Traffic Management Plan included as part of the Environmental Statement Traffic Addendum. 5

8 Passing Places 3.10 Some localised highway improvements are proposed to create passing places along sections of the proposed HGV Routes. Drawing /A/01, included in Appendix A of this report, shows the typical design of the proposed passing places. The detailed proposals of the passing places are included in the Environmental Statement Traffic Addendum. A summary of the proposed passing places is as follows: Green Route: passing places proposed on Roseacre Road; Red Route: passing places proposed on B5269 Preston Road and Higham Side Road as well as a convex mirror at a bend on Preston Road; and Blue Route: passing places proposed on Dagger Road and Salwick Road The location of the proposed passing places is illustrated in Drawings /R/G11, /R/R12 and /R/B15 included in Appendix A. Temporary Traffic Signals 3.12 It is proposed to provide temporary traffic signals on a section of Dagger Road that does not have sufficient width for two HGVs to pass or sufficient verge width to provide suitable passing places. The traffic signals would only be activated when any two HGVs are travelling on Dagger Road at the same time in opposite directions. For all other times, a green signal would be provided for both streams of traffic to enable two-way working. The proposed location and design of the signals is shown in Drawing /R/B12, included as Appendix B of this report. Signage 3.13 In addition to the proposed passing places and temporary traffic signals, it is proposed to provide additional warning signage on Station Road (Blue Route) to warn of the potential of oncoming vehicles. 6

9 APPENDIX A Passing Places

10 5.00m exit taper 20.00m tel Proposed Layout Existing hedgerow (width unknown). Proposed sign to TSRGD Diag No: 822 'Passing Place' to be positioned as shown. Swept Path Analysis 0.93m Notes: 1. ivepurposesonly. lustrat aconstruct iondrawingandisintendedfor l Thisisnot i 2. iveonly. Whi iningisindicat 3. BasedonTopographical SurveyprovidedbyMalcolmHughesLandSurveyors. d Existing verge Ex. 4.89m 6.00m 0.65m Proposed width of 6.0m will allow oncoming OGV2 vehicles to pass. Inset A - Side clearance between oncoming OGV2 vehicles at typical passing place. 0.95m..... Width of proposed construction depends on existing width of carriageway. REV. DETAILS DRAWN CHECKED DATE CLIENT: Cuadrilla Resources Limited 6.00m PROJECT: Roseacre Wood 10.00m entry taper DRAWING TITLE: Ex. 5.08m Typical Passing Place Layout Proposed sign to TSRGD Diag No: 822 'Passing Place' to be positioned as shown. Existing carriageway width too narrow to accommodate two-way working between OGV2 vehicles SCALES: DRAWN: TF 1:250 / 1:500 at A3 CHECKED: DATE: KM Max Horiz 4.78 Max Vert transport planning specialists NOTE: THE PROPERTY OF THIS DRAWING AND DESIGN IS VESTED IN VECTOS (SOUTH) LTD. IT MUST NOT BE COPIED OR REPRODUCED IN ANY WAY WITHOUT THEIR PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT. Max Legal Length (UK) Articulated Vehicle (16.5m) Overall Length m Overall Width 2.550m Overall Body Height 3.681m Min Body Ground Clearance 0.411m Max Track Width 2.500m Lock to lock time 6.00s Kerb to Kerb Turning Radius 6.530m Network Building, 97 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TP t: e: enquiries@vectos.co.uk DRAWING NUMBER: REVISION: /A/01.