Q: How can we hasten the designation of a newly built home zone?

A: Have early discussions with the local traffic authority.

The Transport Act 2000 and Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 allow local traffic authorities to designate roads as home zones. However, they can only designate roads for which they are the traffic authority. Therefore in a new build home zone, no designation can occur until the roads exist and the public have access to them.

When building a new home zone, it is recommended that the developer initiates a close working relationship with the local traffic authority. This will enable issues such as safety and maintenance to be discussed at the design stage. It will also ease the passage of the home zone through the later designation procedures if available consultees (emergency services, property purchasers, refuse collection companies etc) are able to raise their concerns before the road layout is fixed.

Good practice dictates that those who have bought, or are in the process of buying, properties within an area to be designated should be invited to participate in the scheme development and formal consultation process, whether or not they have yet occupied those properties.

Insist the developers inform buyers of the intention to designate. And check their literature to ensure they do – be a “mystery shopper”. Put a leaflet in the occupiers’ “Welcome Pack” explaining what home zones are and giving guidance on appropriate uses of the road.

Although a new development may be designed and built in accordance with home zone objectives, and the local authority may wish for the area to be designated as a home zone, no designation can occur until the public has access to the roads in that development. There are no powers for prospective designation of roads within a new development.

Q: Must we commission a safety audit?

A: There is no general requirement to undertake a safety audit.. However, many authorities will require a safety audit to be undertaken.

Few auditors have experience of the safety performance of home zones and often apply conventional highway design approaches when assessing home zones. They need to understand the philosophy behind the design approach. Refer them to the IHE Guidelines – chapter 3.7 for more detailed guidance.

Cars should be travelling very slowly in a home zone. The conditions are more akin to a car park than a local road, for example with forward visibility below 12 metres.

Q: When is a home zone not a home zone?

A: When it is not designated as such.

The home zone sign can only be used if the local traffic authority has designated the streets as a Home Zone. Without designation and the sign in place a scheme is NOT a home zone.

Home zones are about providing the physical environment for social and community activities to take place.

Check the guide to introducing home zones in new developments.

Q: What level of parking provision is reasonable?

A: Government policy is set out in PPS3.

To develop your local parking policy look at the 2005 TRICS paper which gives a more sophisticated analysis of different communities – the relationships between car ownership, type of location (urban, suburban, rural etc), size of dwellings and type of tenure.  This national parking matrix provides a framework for setting appropriate local residential parking standards.

Q: The Fire Brigade says Building Regulations demand 3.7m clearance. What can I do to keep the vehicle route to 3m?

A: Involve the local station officers at the earliest possible stage in the design process. Requirements vary between station officers and if they fully understand what is being achieved through a home zone they can be more responsive to reducing width - the same principle applies to all emergency services.

There's a TAL on consulting emergency services on traffic calming.

Q: How can we keep down the number of signs?

A: Minimise the number of restrictions in the Home Zone by making it self-enforcing, for example by making it part of a wider 20mph zone will remove the need to sign and light individual traffic calming features. The only signs that are needed for a home zone are those at entry and exit. However, any restrictions imposed within the area (i.e. parking, traffic calming) still need to be indicated as they would in other circumstances. If the space is to be used flexibly, be flexible with restrictions!

Q: Are shared spaces safe?

A: The UK Roads Board has published advice on how authorities can assess the risk of innovative design.

If you require further assistance you can contact us at:

Institute of Highway Engineers

De Morgan House, 58 Russell Square, London, WC1B 4HS
Tel: 020 7436 7487
Fax: 020 7436 7488
Email: secretary@theihe.org
Web: IHE

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