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East Sussex Countywide Transport Model – Access Protocol

How to access the Countywide Transport Model

Where it has been agreed with ESCC (and National Highways where necessary) that a specific development proposal requires traffic modelling work in support of their transport assessment, details concerning the appropriate modelling methodology, processes and procedures should be agreed during pre-application discussions.

Access to the models is managed through East Sussex County Council and is offered to developers and/or their consultants on the basis that:

  • The Countywide Transport Model (CWTM) is the property of ESCC. The models themselves, networks and matrices will not be released to external bodies.
  • ESCC commissions the modelling work through their contract with Balfour Beatty Living Places (which includes WSP, who manage the CWTM on behalf of the County Council).
  • The Scope of Works will be agreed between all parties before model runs are commenced.
  • Model outputs will be supplied in a standard format.
  • A quote will be provided and fees paid to ESCC prior to the commencement of the modelling work.
  • Contractual arrangements will be between the Developer and ESCC.

 

Conflict of Interest

A Development Management Strategy has been put in place between the County Council and WSP UK Limited to manage any potential Conflicts of Interest.

WSP UK Limited operates a Conflict of Interest (CoI) policy which defines how they prevent, manage, and resolve any potential or actual CoI. The desired outcome of which is that their Clients’ interests are protected, and that WSP’s own reputational and commercial interests remain intact.

 

Information Required

The request to use the CWTM should include the following information, along with the scenarios required to be tested:

  • Site location and red line boundary.
  • Assessment years and time periods (this has to accord with the model years and time periods unless a further bespoke model run year is to be developed at additional cost).

For each assessment year:

  • The quantum and type of development by land use:
    • Numbers of housing units and mix of housing (number of dwellings by number of habitable rooms) and indicative location of where these units are located.
    • Number and Gross Floor Area (GFA) of commercial units including type (by planning use class) including anticipated staff / visitors / customers, parking provision and access/parking controls, and indicative location of where these units are located.
  • Location of development within the site for each land use type.
  • Plans of proposed site access junctions.
  • Plans of proposed offsite junction modifications.
  • Other transport schemes and infrastructure measures proposed including public transport (and associated periods of operation and service frequencies), priority measures (physical and through ITS) and schemes which support walking, wheeling and cycling.
  • Plan showing any bus routes proposed for all relevant time periods (entire route with direction of travel indicated).
  • Any local turning count data obtained.
  • Trip rates to be used (and agreed to / accepted by ESCC).
  • Travel Plan proposals, including any which will impact on trip rates and modal choice, together with associated details of measures and indication of funding proposals, monitoring process and management plan.
  • Model outputs of any junction assessments undertaken.
  • Current vehicle trip generation
  • Initial list of junctions that information is required. (Please note that additional junction information may be required for junctions that the CWTM indicate that there could be a problem caused by the development. This would be at an additional cost).

The above information is (ideally) to be provided in a stand-alone electronic document, with supporting electronic plans / spreadsheets / model outputs as required.

It should be noted that where proposals are likely to impact upon the Strategic Road Network separate discussions may also be required with National Highways.  If there is any doubt regarding this, it is advisable to seek clarification from National Highways to avoid potential delays.

 

Process

  1. Request for access to the CWTM is made by third party to ESCC (including all information set out above).
  2. ESCC to review the request and, providing required information has been provided, will forward this to the Council’s consultant.
  3. ESCC's consultant will provide a fixed cost for the work requested alongside a methodology and work programme.
  4. ESCC will review the proposal and will add the 30% access / maintenance fee (where appropriate) before forwarding to the third party for their consideration.
  5. If the proposal is accepted, the third party will provide ESCC with a written agreement of the quote and the agreed payment.
  6. Once the funds have cleared, ESCC will engage the consultants to undertake the commission.
  7. Works are undertaken and deliverables provided, firstly to ESCC, and then to the third party.

 

Steps 1 to step 6 will take 4 weeks to complete on average.  The timeframe for step 7 will depend on the type and nature of the request and the scale of development being assessed.  A work programmes will be provided and agreed.

ESCC will make all reasonable endeavours to provide the agreed deliverables within the agreed timescales on the condition that they have been provided with all the necessary information to carry out the agreed tasks. The County Council will not be liable for any costs, charges or losses sustained or incurred by the third party that arise directly or indirectly from a delay in providing the agreed deliverables in the agreed timescales.

It is important to note that carrying out modelling work and providing the results on behalf of the client in no way implies ESCC endorsement or otherwise for any proposed scheme or development. Nor does it imply endorsement or otherwise for the transportation network and/or land use assumptions supplied by the client as inputs into any modelling work.

 

Cost of Accessing the CWTM

The fixed cost for undertaking the work requested will depend on the type and variety of outputs required and will be proportionate on the size of the development and complexities around calibration and validation. Significant costs would also be incurred if the range of standard model scenarios available doesn’t align with the developer requirements.  

Costs will also depend on whether the base year transport model needs to be re-validated in the local area where the proposed development is located. This could be because the road network is not defined enough or that the zones need to be dis-aggregated to allow traffic from the proposed development to better access the existing road network.

As an example, a development assessment for two years for a Do Minimum and a Do Something scenario would be approximately £15k. Production of outputs would be approximately £7k for:

  • Actual flow plots (GIS)
  • Demand flow plots (GIS)
  • Delay plots (GIS)
  • Turn V/C plots (GIS)
  • Junction Turning Count for up to 11 junctions
  • Raw data as shp file / spreadsheet for study area.

If a local area re-validation was required, then the overall fee estimate would be approximately £40k to £45k.  This would be prior to any ESCC fee as a percentage of the above (see below).

In addition to the cost of the modelling work, the County Council will charge an additional 30% for access and maintenance.  This cost covers the associated administrative costs of managing and maintaining the CWTM, including, where necessary, model upgrading and rebasing.  This will ensure that the model is compliant with prevailing guidance and remains fit for purpose.

It should be noted that the costs outlined above are additional to any other separately agreed pre-planning advice as agreed with ESCC. 

In certain circumstances the access charge will not be charged.  These are generally as a result of the extra work forming part of an on-going project or pre-application advice that would have initially incurred the charge.  In this case the maintenance charge would still be charged in order to cover model development and maintenance costs.

 

Contact

Transport Development Planning