Lord Pattenasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they intend to issue new guidance to planning authorities that will integrate advice on road safety, sensitive street lighting, environmental and landscape considerations and the need to avoid over-scale developments and unnecessary land-take for splays when new roundabouts are constructed. [HL256]
§ The Minister of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker)Standards for the design of roundabouts on trunk roads and motorways are the responsibility of the Highways Agency and guidance is published in theDesign Manual for Roads and Bridges. The design manual is recommended as good design practice to other highway authorities, but it is their responsibility to decide the extent to which the documents in the manual are appropriate in any particular situation.
The standard includes advice on geometric layout, safety, road lighting and landscaping at roundabouts. 61WA It is currently being reviewed and a new standard is expected to be published in 2006.
There are no plans to issue further guidance to local planning authorities. However, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is working closely with the Department for Transport to develop a manual for streets (MFS). MFS will give guidance on the design of residential roads, with a view to improving the quality of the local street environment, but the emerging design principles might equally apply to other categories of road.