COMMUNITY & TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE

RATIONALE: TRANSPORT AND MOVEMENT

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The National Design Guide 2021 and the National Model Design Code 2021 states that well- designed places will have accessible forms of transport, safe walking and cycling for local journeys, sufficient car parking and cycle provision that is not intrusive or dominates the street scene and that designs enable easy access for refuse collection or emergency services.

Various reports for EFDC and ONPCG [120] as well as EFDC Local Plan 2011-2033 paragraph 3.87 recognise the difficulties in providing viable solutions for public transport and cycleways in more rural areas such as Ongar. However, new proposed housing developments can provide a connected network of streets with walking and cycling routes and ensure that there is sufficient high quality car parking provision and cycle storage, well integrated and which does not dominate the local environment. [121]

Due to the relatively isolated rural location of Ongar, with little local employment [122] and inadequate public transport [123], Ongar residents have a high dependence on cars. 49.2% of Ongar households own or have access to two or more vehicles [124] which is nearly 20% higher than the average for England. More than half of Ongar’s workers commute outside the area including to London [125], with over two thirds of all workers’ main journey being by car [126].

Existing parking issues in Ongar [127] relate to on street and overspill parking in some housing estates. Insufficient space for the growing demand is also an issue at Ongar Health Centre, and at times Chipping Ongar Town Centre, and at Recreation and Leisure facilities. Ongar serves a large rural hinterland, providing an important function to a large geographic area.

Local roads are congested as recognised by EFDC [128]. Ongar’s road network includes very busy PR1 routes, which also cause problems of movement within the parish itself [129]. Ongar itself has a small population. The extent of through traffic is confirmed by the January 2017 ECC traffic survey daily traffic flow of over 17,500 through the High Street, many being HGVs.

Research conducted by Epping Forest District Council and others [130] have identified that the key transport and movement issues facing Ongar are:- limited public transport accessibility, a high reliance on cars, insufficient parking provision in the town, major problems in the high street caused by high levels of through traffic and particularly HGVS, and poor facilities and connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists.

Government policy on transport and parking acknowledges the need for sufficient parking provision [131]. ECC has adopted a minimum parking space requirement, which is also used by EFDC [132] Context appraisal and local character of the parish of Ongar confirms that Ongar’s location is not appropriate for lower numbers of car park spaces. ECC has also said :

“The Highway Authority does not consider Ongar to be an accessible location in terms of good access to other modes of sustainable travel and consequently a reduction in the parking provision would not be supported at this location”. [133]

National Design Guide (2021) para 67 requires “strategies for parking that support the overall quality of the place” , The National Model Design Code 2021 and NPPF 2021 provide more detail, as does Essex Design Guide and Ongar Design Guide.

All Ongar developments will be expected to justify the residential parking spaces provision, fully considering residents’ need for travel beyond Ongar, in compliance with Essex Parking Standards 2009 as appropriate for the rural community of Ongar. Design must ensure that the car does not dominate the street scene, by providing sufficient off-street car parking in new developments, located where cars can be seen by owners and neighbours. Refuse collections and emergency vehicles must also have assurance of unobstructed access.

Larger homes should provide more than 2 car parking spaces [134] in accordance with the expected occupancy, to prevent overspill car parking onto the street or any of Ongar’s other roads, which would exacerbate existing parking issues.

Car parking provision also requires conveniently placed electric charging points for each new home or parking area (see Section 7.5 Sustainable Design and policy ONG-ED4). Wherever possible, designs should be adaptable [135], and allow for features such as new charging technologies. In order to encourage other modes of transport, all new dwellings are expected to provide conveniently placed secure cycle storage.

Due to existing capacities, road junction improvements will be required to accommodate increased traffic, especially from the larger developments such as at A414 by the 4 Wantz roundabout in the north and the junction of Chipping Ongar High St, The Borough (leading to Greensted Rd) and Coopers Hill in the south. This should include repositioning bus stops [136].

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The existing built up area in Ongar includes pedestrian short cuts from estates to community facilities, but many routes by necessity have to follow along Chipping Ongar High Street. This has stretches of very narrow footways in the historic area, making it unsafe to encourage cycling in the High Street itself. However, there is the opportunity for new estates (including ONG R1-8 sites allocated in EFDC Local Plan) sited at the edge of settlement to provide additional pedestrian and cycle friendly short cuts linking into existing routes, including PROWS to encourage walking or cycling for local journeys.

Access roads into allocated sites ONG-R1-8 in EFDC Local Plan are directly onto main roads, or in the case of ONG-R5 a narrow country lane near a primary school. To further support pedestrians, safe crossings and pedestrian crossings should be provided on routes to enable safe access to link to bus stops, school routes, shops and other community amenities.

Policies for regeneration of the historic Chipping Ongar town centre is in Section 6.3, Policy RR2 and where issues are outside the scope of a planning policy, Actions are in the Appendix to Ongar Neighbourhood Plan.   Heavy through traffic detracts from High Street’s ambience. A by-pass was proposed several times over the last 70 years round Shelley and the east of Chipping Ongar and Marden Ash. There are no approved plans for such in the lifetime of the EFDC Local Plan 2011-2033. Ongar community continues to work with Essex Highways and EFDC to resolve the existing congestion in the High Street and to exclude the heaviest and largest HGVs, which are also causing undue pollution and damage.

As the local economy improves, new homes built and visitors increase, additional parking provision is likely to be needed in Ongar Town Centre, as well as by the Health Centre and sports and leisure facilities. See also Section 6.3 and Policy RR2. With only 3 small car parks in Chipping Ongar and many first floors of shops being converted into residential, there is a need for another long stay carpark for residents, employees of local businesses.

Any new employment or industrial site in or near Ongar which creates traffic movement, including HGVs, which will adversely impact on the attractiveness and congestion in the historic centre will be unacceptable, including those creating significant increase in air and noise pollution of all kinds. Developers will be expected to provide a Transport Statement to mitigate against any impact and include monitoring and enforcing methods.