3.1 Bexley supports the principles of street design contained in Manual for Streets, which recognises the role of streets in making a positive contribution to the quality of life.

3.2 Bexley’s street network has been classified by a matrix of place and movement functions following the Transport for London (TfL) Street Types matrix– see Fig.65 and Fig.66 – and was adopted in the Bexley Local Implementation Plan.

3.3 The TfL Street Types have been adapted to suit the Bexley context (see Fig.67) and are based upon the Department for Transport Road Classifications defined in Table 11 in the Bexley Local Plan.

3.4 The matrix can be used as a tool to inform the design of streets within developments and the public realm. If a development involves an existing or proposed highway, applicants should map the street types according to the Bexley Place and Movement categories. Clarification of the status of existing roads should be confirmed at the earliest opportunity with the Highway Authority.

3.5 The Movement and Place functions should inform the design of the streetscape. The street hierarchy should be reflected in the street widths, level of enclosure, footpath widths, types of street furniture, lighting, material treatments and other relevant design features. Refer to the Streetscape Guidance by Transport for London.

3.6 If a street has a high Place function and low Movement function – such as a City Place – the design should prioritise spaces to dwell, play, and pedestrian and cycle access.

3.7 If a street has a high Movement function and low Place function – such as a Core Road – designs should prioritise the efficient movement of traffic, the safety of pedestrians and cyclists and reduction in exposure to pollution.

3.8 Recommended dimensions for the physical configuration of some of the different street types, and the junction type and maximum number of residential dwellings likely to be permitted relating to each road category will be provided in the Technical Handbook that will form Part 2 of the Design Guide SPD.

3.9 Applicants should explore opportunities where the Place or Movement functions can be improved through the design of the proposal and its surrounding public realm. This will typically be through consolidating necessary movement functions, such as bus routes, and enhancing the place function through Healthy Streets principles, such as providing places to sit.

3.10 Improvements may result in a change to the street types map, which is encouraged if this results in a logical enhancement to the overall network.

3.11 It is vital that street designs that include carriageway narrowing still accommodate safe and convenient routes for all, without undue risks or hazards. Street design should ensure adequate inter-visibility between drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, and consideration must be given to reducing speeds of motor vehicles to acceptable levels, particularly when cyclists are expected to share carriageways.

3.12 Adequate sight lines that meet existing guidance requirements must be provided. These can be viewed in Manual for Streets.

3.13 An evaluation of the travel implications of proposals will need to be submitted, the form of which will depend on the complexity and scale of the scheme. Further information will be provided in the Technical Handbook that will form Part 2 of the Design Guide SPD.

3.14 It is important to provide evidence of any highway capacity or congestion problems, as caution must be taken if the existing highway has traffic flow or safety issues. Guidance on how to provide this evidence will be provided in the emerging Technical Handbook.

3.15 New connections through sites must minimise distances for active travel routes between existing and new development and local facilities. When providing paths and access routes, designs should reflect desire lines and should be traffic free where appropriate. Such instances will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Council.

3.16 Applicants should refer to Secured by Design guidance on implementing new pedestrian and vehicular routes. Along new routes, applicants should ensure integrated and intuitive wayfinding through inclusive design and increased activity to allow passive surveillance.

3.17 Applicants should use the principles set out in D29 and D30 to ensure newly created routes are legible and feel safe and functional to all users throughout the day. New routes should be designed to prevent ratruns forming and causing disruption to residents.

3.18 Development should encourage active means of travel and demonstrate following order of priority:

1. Walking
2. Cycling
3. Public transport
4. Commercial vehicles
5. Private car travel
    

3.19 Improvement in conditions for travel modes lower in the priority list should not be brought forward at the expense of creating unacceptable conditions for modes higher in the list.

3.20 Important destinations that should be served by active travel networks include homes, shops, schools, transport interchanges, bus stops and other community facilities. Walking journeys are typically less than two miles whereas cycling journeys are typically up to five miles.

3.21 Proposals must enable connections to green and open space including rivers and lakes if in the local vicinity to reduce deficiency in access. Where feasible, crossing points should be designed near known wildlife commuting routes in the form of eco- passages.

3.22 For all medium and large developments, applicants should refer to the Active Travel Zone assessment requirements of the Council and TfL. Further details of the Council’s ATZ assessment requirements including how they are produced and how applicants can identify deliverable measures will be provided in the Technical Handbook that will form Part 2 of the Design Guide SPD.

3.23 The cycle lane network should link all places cyclists want to start and finish their journey, with a route quality that is consistent and easy to navigate. Where possible, routes for cyclists should aim to provide the fastest and most direct route from origin to destination.

3.24 Street layouts should directly serve new buildings. Public access to streets and spaces to the front of buildings should be maintained or created and gated access to these areas should be avoided.

3.25 All public footpaths must be linked with new footpaths to ensure suitable access is provided to the development.

3.26 Applicants should seek to support the use of public transport and should seek to improve access to public transport for everyone. Applicants should consider the existing connectivity of the site using tools such as the Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) or WebCAT.

3.27 If public transport provision is not adequate to serve a development and the absence of such provision would make the development unacceptable, the Council may seek a contribution to public transport provision. This can apply to smaller developments due to their cumulative effect. Details will be provided in the emerging Technical Handbook.

33.28 Where the development site is affected by an approved safeguarding line for new public transport, or where part of the site could facilitate improvements to the local transport network, the Council will seek to ensure that the layout of the scheme does not preclude such improvements in the future. Requirements will be provided in the proposed Technical Handbook.

3.29 Detailed guidance on the design and capacity of waste storage will be provided in the Technical Handbook that will form Part 2 of the Design Guide SPD.

3.30 The distance in point 1. listed adjacent excludes vertical travel distances to either a bin store or chute. The Council is generally not supportive of waste chutes in new residential development due to maintenance issues.

3.31 Where new homes are proposed on sites without a street frontage, communal bin storage is acceptable, provided that this is located no more than 10m from the public highway, and the siting of which is not detrimental to the quality of external spaces or the experience of pedestrians.

3.32 The distance in point 2. is measured from the rear wall of a communal bin store to the edge of the carriageway. This distance is only acceptable if the route is of sufficient quality and there is a hard, smooth, clear and accessible path from the store to the collection point. The stopping point for the vehicle should be safe, legal and designed to minimise any obstruction to traffic. If these conditions are not met the arrangement is unlikely to be supported.

3.33 Communal bin stores should be secure from fly-tipping but able to be accessed by waste operatives using standard keys, which will be specified in the Technical Handbook.

3.34 If the waste storage area is further than 10m or within an underground store, a management strategy will be required to ensure waste is moved to an appropriate location by a third party on collection days. This will need to be agreed with the Council and secured through a planning agreement.

3.35 Applicants should demonstrate the ease of access to waste facilities through an annotated site plan with road dimensions.

3.36 Recycling and Waste Management Strategies should be provided for large or complex developments. Refer to the Template Recycling and Waste Management Strategy at ReLondon for guidance on how to provide this.

3.37 Site layouts should avoid the need for hazardous and unnecessary manoeuvres as set out in D29. If refuse collection vehicles are required to reverse to access a site it should be demonstrated that there is no alternative solution.

3.38 In limited situations it may be acceptable for a refuse collection vehicle to reverse up to 20m from the public highway, provided that it is safe to do so and the roadway is of an appropriate standard. This will only be acceptable when there are a sufficient number of homes to justify it. Early engagement with the Council’s Highways and Environmental Services teams is encouraged if this is being considered.

3.39 Where waste collection vehicles are required to reverse into a site for this purpose, there must be adequate width for pedestrians to pass safely at the same time. Swept path analysis should demonstrate that vehicles can enter and exit the site safely.

3.40 Proposals should demonstrate that junctions and crossings are safe and convenient for all users and designed relative to the Place and Movement functions – see D26.

3.41 Dependent upon the volume of traffic using the road, the kerb radii of junctions should be minimised to slow down turning speeds and reduce the width of junctions to make it easy to cross (see Fig.73).

3.42 In areas with a high Place function or low Movement function, such as Local Streets or a City Place, priority should be given to walking and cycling using features such as raised table crossings at junctions.

3.43 Developments should follow guidance for the provision of access for fire services, which can otherwise affect building control approval. Where access cannot be provided from public highway, provision of 3.7m wide access for fire engines, suitably strengthened access ways, operating areas and turning facilities should be provided. These should also be designed for use bother large vehicles such as servicing and refuse vehicles. Waiting restrictions may be needed to protect these areas.

3. 44 Reversing distances should be minimised to avoid hazardous and unnecessary manoeuvres. Delivery vehicles, such as those for furniture or white goods, and waste collection vehicles should be able to reach acceptable carrying distances from the principal entrance of each dwelling or unit. Refer to D28 for more guidance on waste collection.

3.45 Prior to the granting of planning permission for any proposed street the design will need to have satisfactorily passed a Stage 1 Road Safety Audit. Information on how to complete safety audits will be provided in the Technical Handbook that will form Part 2 of the Design Guide SPD.

3.46 All proposals should be designed with road safety in mind both within the site and adjoining street works. Temporary traffic management and road safety auditing of permanent works may form part of the scope of the Transport Assessment or Statement. Information on how to complete these statements will be included in the Technical Handbook. Road safety data can be obtained through the TfL website.

3.47 The effect of demolition and construction upon the surrounding area and transport networks should be mitigated and effectively communicated to all necessary parties through a Construction Management Plan. Submission requirements and thresholds will be provided in the Technical Handbook, including reinstatement and repair of any surfacing or other existing street infrastructure damaged during the demolition or building works.

3.48 The use of bollards and other physical barriers should be avoided or minimised where possible. Where barriers are necessary, features should be used that provide other functions, such as planting or seating. Refer to Transport for London’s Streetscape Guidance on removing street clutter and guardrails to lessen the negative visual and severance effects.

3.49 Designers should consider the position of street furniture to deter its use as climbing aids in locations that will either cause obstruction or aid illegal entry into property following guidance in Secured by Design.

3.50 When designing new public realm at the base of and surrounding new development, applicants should consider - and demonstrate through drawings submitted with a planning application - the contribution to public space and amenities that the development will bring to the local area. All new development should interact with and contribute positively to its surroundings at street level; contributing to a sense of safety, vitality and an opportunity for social interaction.

3.51 Where tall buildings meet the public realm, it is especially important to consider the public realm design and the provision of a mix of uses to activate the street scene.

3.52 Applicants should consider climate adaptation measures when designing new interventions within the public realm. Designers should consider how to provide shelter, comfort and cooling opportunities for pedestrians and cyclists during hot weather. These can take the form of natural canopies provided by overhead planting - see D34 for further guidance on tree planting - or canopies constructed to provide shading.

3.53 Level access should be designed to any and all places accessible by people. Where level changes are unavoidable, for example due to the natural topography of a site, level changes must be legible and clearly communicated.

3.54 Shared surfaces provide a number of advantages such as:

• traffic calming and encouraging lower speeds to prioritise pedestrian comfort
• increased opportunities for social interaction as pedestrians can feel more empowered to pause and interact with slower traffic
• easier pedestrian and cyclist movement

3.55 Where shared surfaces are proposed, designers should ensure consideration for visually impaired people to ensure the shared surface, and lack of conventional kerb, does not impede use of the public realm. Engagement with groups such as RNIB is recommended to ensure the needs of this user group are duly considered.

3.56 Variation in colour and surface materials could assist those with visual impairments. It may be appropriate to make a change in materials obvious to define different spaces or provide visual contrast.

3.57 New shared surface areas should incorporate provisions for seating and play to encourage social interaction.

3.58 Applicants should ensure the provision of public realm is appropriate depending on its location and intended use. For example, where riverside development is proposed, it is essential that any public realm improvements include the provision of riparian life saving infrastructure such as life buoys and escape ladders. Applicants should refer to the Port of London Authority guidance A Safer Riverside, on the design of this infrastructure.

3.59 In areas of development such as along the Thames Path, it is essential that adequate lighting levels are provided and maintained to create a sense of welcoming and safety for all users, especially lone pedestrians and cyclists - see D39 for further guidance on lighting provision in the public realm.

3.60 Public hard landscaped areas must be inclusive, functional, attractive and must either complement or enhance the surrounding environment.

3.61 As set out in the Bexley Local Implementation Plan, the Council supports the Healthy Streets approach adopted by the Mayor of London as shown in Fig.74. Applicants should use the Healthy Streets Check for Designers to measure the success of their proposals.

3.62 Pedestrian comfort is influenced by a range of factors such as width, gradient, quality of surface, step height, tactile paving, street furniture, drainage, cleanliness and lighting. Advice on the assessment of pedestrian comfort is given in TfL’s Pedestrian Comfort Guidance for London.

3.63 Development should reduce the negative effects of poor air quality through design. This may be addressed through the size and arrangement of buildings, the use of green infrastructure at street level and the positioning of sensitive uses such as playgrounds.

3.64 For large-scale developments, an Air Quality Positive (AQP) Statement should be submitted as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment. Refer to the Air Quality Positive LPG for information on how to produce and assess an AQP.

3.65 Development proposals should demonstrate how green infrastructure has been incorporated within the design to protect people from air pollution. The suitability of the approach will be dependent on the type of street and whether the priority is to protect people on the street or nearby uses such as playgrounds – see Fig.75 - Fig.79

3.66 Applicants should refer to the GLA guidance Using Green Infrastructure to Protect People from Air Pollution for more information on best practice guidance on reducing public exposure to air pollution.7

3.67 New development should generally be set back from busy roads to allow for the incorporation of street trees and other appropriate types of vegetation to disperse polluted air. Certain plants with small leaves, fine hairs, and those which are grooved can also trap particulates.

3.68 Streets and public spaces should support the health and wellbeing of all users. The provision of incidental play space, seating, exercise features, and welcoming areas for young people are encouraged. These features should be integrated into the design of the public realm.

3.69 Refer to the GLA reports Making London Child-Friendly for best-practice guidance on designing places to support the independent mobility of young people, and Safety in Public Space – Women, Girls and Gender Diverse People for detail on how to design inclusive public spaces.