Trust expresses concern at Traffic Forecasts
Posted by Nobody on 12 February 2015
The Trust's traffic expert has examined a nunber of previous planning applications and is of the view that the data used to derive traffic generation figures have been skewed to make them look better than actual, so increasing the chances of getting planning approval.
The usual method adopted by applicants is to use data from actual sites similar to that proposed. Several sites are chosen and an average taken.
The perceived problem is that the chosen sites are often very different fom that planned. The Tust has uncovered a successful application where the average population of the conurbations used to provide data was fifteen times larger than Devizes. Other factors which are likely to affect the amount of car use, yet have been ignored are the proximity of a rail station and acute care hospital, the distance to the nearest bus stop and the frequency of service.
One applicant even used a site in Northern Ireland, where, at that time, car ownership was some 20% less than the South West of England.
The Trust would like to see Wiltshire Highways checking the data used to derive traffic figures to ensure that is likely to produce reasonably accurate results.