Object

Representation ID: 5916

Received: 08/09/2021

Respondent: Mr Tom Tagg

The Transport Modelling undertaken by AECOM in support of the strategic options in the Draft Local Plan 2040 is FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED for the following reasons:
• General: No validation or calibration of the traffic model has been undertaken which is not in keeping with Department for Transport guidance.
• 2.4.3 Despite employment land being allocated in the BBC options, AECOM have assumed that no employment has been assumed to be associated with the proposed developments. This underestimates the journeys of employees and delivery vehicles to/from the sites.
• 2.4.4 AECOM have not applied site-specific trip rates but have adopted trip rates using a DfT model (CTripEnd). This results in “around 20 to 25 outbound car vehicle trips in the AM peak hour,”. The Little Barford and Dennybrook development scenario options range between 3085 and 14,105 houses. With a likely 2 cars per household, i.e. up to 28,210 cars, allowing only 20-25 cars is clearly a gross underestimate of the number of outbound car vehicle trips in the AM peak.
Given these, all of the assessments undertaken by AECOM to determine the rerouting, vehicle km travelled, junction delays and junction-capacity ratios for any scenario are highly unlikely to be representative.
Please refer to my specific comments regarding Dennybrook in item 1.25.