Highways Access Borwick

The access to this parcel of land located in Borwick was deemed unsuitable for the installation of a building intended to house the owners' goats and store agricultural machinery necessary for their care and maintenance. The original access point was inadequate, posing challenges for both the movement of vehicles and the safe transportation of equipment and livestock. Consequently, to ensure the continued welfare of the herd and the efficient operation of their agricultural activities, the owners made the decision to construct an access point without obtaining the necessary planning permission. This situation is not uncommon, and in cases like these, it is possible to apply for retrospective permission to regularise the situation, which is precisely what the owners opted to pursue.

In order to achieve the retrospective permission, the owners took proactive steps by reaching out to iRIS, a consultancy known for its expertise in navigating planning and development regulations. Understanding that visibility at the site was poor, we first arranged for an Automated Traffic Count (ATC) to be conducted. This assessment was crucial as it measured the speed at which vehicles travelled on the adjacent highway. By determining the average speed of traffic, we could potentially lower the visibility splay requirements, an important factor in ensuring safe access to the site. In this particular case, our findings indicated that the visibility was satisfactory, allowing us to proceed with the next steps.

Once the visibility analysis was completed, we turned our attention to producing a suitable access design. This design included a detailed swept path analysis, which illustrated that the largest vehicle anticipated to use the access—specifically a tractor equipped with a 4-meter trailer—could safely navigate the entry point without any issues. This aspect of the design was critical, as it demonstrated to the local authorities that the access point could accommodate the necessary agricultural machinery without posing a risk to either the vehicles or the livestock.

Armed with these well-researched measures and documentation, we submitted our proposal to the local highways authority. Given the thoroughness of our approach and the absence of any significant safety concerns, the authority had no objections to the development. This outcome not only allowed the owners to regularise their access point but also ensured that their operations could continue smoothly, ultimately benefiting the welfare of the goats and the efficiency of the agricultural activities on the property.