Commercial parking
8.1 All new commercial and service activities, whether retail/service businesses or more traditional light manufacturing/office businesses do have the potential to create additional parking needs for its workers. For many of these workers, they will need to park close to their workplace for the whole working day, which can create congestion and safety issues for pedestrians.
8.2 Any proposed commercial and service development must ensure that the expected levels of parking that will be created by its workforce can adequately be accommodated off-street. In this regard, it is expected to meet the requirements of the RBWM Parking Strategy9.
8.3 All new commercial and service activities are encouraged to put in place a Travel Plan to introduce opportunities for the use of sustainable transport modes to maximise the potential for staff to travel to work other than by private car.
POLICY OW11: COMMERCIAL PARKING AND TRAVEL PLANNING
Proposals for new commercial development (A- or B-use class) should provide off-street parking for their workforce which meets the requirements of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Parking Strategy or any successor document.
Subject to demonstrating that they will not have an unacceptable detrimental impact on the highway network, neighbouring residential properties or existing businesses, proposals for new commercial activity that include for the provision of a Travel Plan, including the introduction of appropriate improvements to deliver sustainable travel, will be supported.
Highways
8.4 The Census 2011 states that Old Windsor parish has one of the highest levels of car ownership in the South East. The A308 connects the M25 and the M4 and is regularly congested. In all of the consultations with residents the issue of traffic has had a high level of concern.
8.5 Many members of the community have raised concerns about the impact of growth in terms of congestion at key road junctions in Old Windsor village. Straight Road is classed as one of the busiest single carriageway of its type in the whole borough. A 2015 traffic survey undertaken by Peter Brett Associates showed a 50% increase in traffic volumes along Straight Road in five years.
8.6 Three particular junctions have been identified which could see unacceptable impacts arising from growth:
8.7 These junctions are shown on the map in Appendix D.
8.8 When development proposals come forward, it will be particularly important that they are able to demonstrate that they will not have a severe detrimental impact on any of these junctions, individually or cumulatively.
8.9 Assessment of individual and cumulative impacts on other junctions is also expected to be required and should be discussed with the Highway Authority as part of pre-application discussions. Development should actively seek to address any such impacts.
POLICY OW12: HIGHWAY CAPACITY
Where development proposals are likely to give rise to adverse individual and/or cumulative transport impacts on relevant road junctions in Old Windsor, proposals which include appropriate mitigation to overcome identified adverse highway impact, and subject to other relevant planning considerations, will be supported.
Walking routes
8.10 With the high levels of car ownership and road congestion, it is important that people are encouraged to use alternative modes of transport where possible. One of these is walking, which has wider health and wellbeing benefits.
8.11 New development should seek to ensure that access to good pedestrian routes is provided.
POLICY OW13: PEDESTRIAN ROUTES
New development which provides good access to pedestrian routes, preferably from more than one access point, and site layouts designed to provide safe routes to schools and other local amenities where appropriate, will be supported.
9 Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead (2004) Parking Strategy, pp.31-32
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