TMS Consultancy

EV Charging around the UK

EV Charging around the UK

TMS have been touring the UK to undertake various Road Safety Audits on infrastructure associated with sustainable power installation, such as solar farms, electric vehicle charging points and battery storage facilities.

Map of the number of UK public charging devices

There has been rapid growth in electric vehicle charging (EV) points in the UK since the first electric vehicle charging points were installed in the early 2000’s. However, since the mid 2010’s EV charging points have become a common sight on the public highway and car parks throughout the UK.  In January 2015 there were 2,283 charging devices, with 195 of these being rapid charging or above. Compare that to June 2023, where there are now over 44,000 charging devices with over 8,000 of these being rapid or above.

 

The rise of fully electric cars has also followed a similar trend. According to ZapMap, in 2016 there were 30,669 fully electric vehicles there are now 816,668 in 2023.  At the end of 2016 just 0.4% of all new vehicles registered were electric, this had risen to 16.6% by the end of 2022.

cumulative number of battery electric vehicles registered in the UK 2016 - 2023
Cumulative number of battery-electric vehicles in the UK (2016 to July 2023)

To cope with the increasing demand for electric vehicles, many of our clients are proposing to install rapid EV chargers (100KW) on the public highway in city centre locations.  If electric vehicles are going to be an option for city centre residents, there is a requirement for an effective and convenient network of public charge points for everyone to use.

The Birmingham city-wide EV charge point strategy is an example of what local authorities can do to ensure that residents (particularly those who do not have access to off-street parking), taxi drivers, commercial fleets and visitors to the city, have access to a convenient charge point when they choose to go electric.

EV Charging point on the road

Over the past year, we have carried out numerous design stage Road Safety Audits on EV charging points, at various locations within Birmingham City Centre and Barnet, for this very reason. Most of which utilising the existing marked parking bays with the addition of the kerbside charging unit. When carrying out a Road Safety Audit on electric vehicle charging points it is important to ensure that the location of the required infrastructure does not affect the safety of road users and pedestrians.

Solar Farm

We have also audited a priority junction access on a dual carriageway in Essex for a proposed battery storage unit and an access for a solar farm installation in Oxfordshire. The accesses are required for the purpose of construction of the site and ongoing maintenance vehicles thereafter.

Road Safety Audits on such schemes are becoming more and more frequent as the country intensifies it’s move towards such power sources.  TMS has carried out design stage road safety audits on both EV charging points and solar farms throughout the country, in places such as Greater London, Birmingham, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Oxfordshire, Surrey and Hampshire.

At TMS, we carry out a huge amount of Road Safety Audits each year throughout the UK.  If you have a scheme of this nature that requires a Road Safety Audit, then please call us on +44 (0)24 7669 0900 or please email Lorna Styring.

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Road Safety Audits

Stoke-on-Trent Transforming Cities Fund

Stoke-on-Trent Transforming Cities Fund

City of Stoke on Trent 2023

Since 2021, TMS has been involved in auditing the highway improvement works for Station Road and College Road, which form part of the Stoke-on-Trent Transforming Cities Fund (TCF).  We were commissioned as part of the Stoke TCF, to carry out Stage 1 Road Safety Audits in August 2021 and have recently just completed the detailed design road safety audits for the project.

Stoke-on-Trent were awarded £29 million by the Department for Transport though the Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) in recognition of the council’s commitment to driving economic growth through investment in sustainable public transport. The funding sets out to transform how people move around the city, address current infrastructure challenges, and create better connections between the railway station, city centre and key employment sites across the area.

(Artist impression taken from Station Road Consultation link)

 

Station_Road_looking_west_towards_Winton_Square
Street Signs

The schemes on Station Road and College Road aim to promote active travel across Stoke-on-Trent.  They are designed to make it safer, quicker, and easier to walk and cycle between key arrival and destination points in the city. They will also link into other schemes connecting to Shelton New Road, Newcastle, and the city centre.

Together, the schemes aim to increase the number of people cycling, improve safe and inclusive access for cycling, contribute to improved air quality, improve health and wellbeing of residents by supporting sustainable and active travel, and support the regeneration and economic growth of the city.

The works along Station Road and College Road include:

  • A short section of bus gate in front of the station entrance, with access for buses, taxis, and cyclists only.
  • Removal of the roundabout at the junction with College Road to provide priority for buses between the Station and College Road.
  • New zebra crossings over Station Road on each side of the train station.
  • Narrowing of the carriageway to 6m along Station Road from College Road to Leek Road to reduce vehicle speeds and provide more space for pedestrians outside the station.
  • Relocation of the Josiah Wedgwood Statue to the other side of the road in front of the train station entrance, to allow for the carriageway realignment.
  • Removal of on-street parking outside of Federation House to create wider footways for pedestrians.
  • New single-lane approach on Station Road toward the junction with Leek Road, to provide room for wider footway.

The audit team are looking forward to seeing the project complete and returning to site to carry out the Stage 3 Road Safety Audits in the future.

Stoke Train Station

At TMS, we carry out a huge amount of Road Safety Audits each year in the Stoke and Staffordshire area.  If you have a scheme that requires a Road Safety Audit in this region or anywhere else in the country, then please call us on +44 (0)24 7669 0900 or please email Lorna Styring.

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(NB: Header Image – Artist impression taken from Station Road Consultation link)

Road Safety Audits

New Pedestrian and Cycle Route in East Sussex

New pedestrian and cycle route in East Sussex

This year, we completed the last of various Road Safety Audits on the new pedestrian and cycle route along the A27 trunk road, East of Lewes, East Sussex. The scheme forms part of a National Highways improvement scheme between Polegate and Wick Street, which aims to improve journey times and provide a pedestrian/cycle facility along this section of the A27.

The NMU route is approximately 11.5km long and runs along the southern side of the A27.  It is predominantly separated from the major carriageway by hedgerows and environmental screens so that users are shielded from heavy traffic and noise.

A27 Cycle route (Dual Carriageway)
A27 Cycle Route

TMS have been involved in this project since June 2020, carrying out the Stage 2 Road Safety Audit, with subsequent design revisions, through to an Interim Stage 3 audit completed in December 2022.  At the final Stage 3 Road Safety Audit, our engineers Harminder Aulak and Darren Newbold cycled the whole route in both directions.  The audit team commented:

“It was a long ride and we enjoyed the views of the South Downs, even though some of the hills were challenging! It was satisfying to see the completed scheme having been involved in the project since the various construction stages. We met several members of the public during the site visit, who were delighted and enthusiastic about the new route, as it allows people to travel away from the main carriageway of the busy trunk road.”

 

At TMS, we have extensive experience in carrying out Road Safety Audits, at all stages, on the trunk and motorway network throughout the UK on behalf of National Highways, Welsh Government, Transport Scotland and Department for Infrastructure.

If you have a scheme that requires a Road Safety Audit on the trunk or motorway network, or any other highway scheme, then please contact us by filling out the form here or by emailing Lorna Styring.

Road Safety Audits

Road Safety Audits completed for London’s largest Royal Park

Road Safety Audits completed for London's largest Royal Park

TMS were commissioned in September 2022 to carry out a combined Stage 1 & 2 Road Safety Audit on the proposed improvements within Richmond Park, London. This was a unique audit for the team given that the scheme is for a Royal Park and as such, its roads are private and do not form part of the public highway.

Richmond Park, is the largest of London’s Royal Parks and is of national and international importance for wildlife conservation.  Historically the preserve of the monarch, the park is now open for all to use and includes a golf course and other facilities for sport and recreation.  Richmond Park played an important role in both world wars and in the 1948 and 2012 Olympics.

During the initial site visit for the design stage Road Safety Audit, it was obvious that the Royal Park was very popular with the public, for dog walkers, cyclists, joggers, and walkers in general, enjoying the open nature and wildlife (the site is still inhabited by deer).

The objective of the scheme is to provide new and improved pedestrian crossing facilities throughout the park, with upgrades including the provision of raised tables and improved footway links. Also included as part of the scheme were new gateway features to aid traffic management (vehicle restrictions and cycle traffic calming).

These improvements were predominantly located on the main perimeter / circular route around the park which is approximately 7 miles long.

Richmond Park traffic
Richmond park cyclist

Following the completion of the traffic management scheme in summer 2023, the original audit team carried out the final Stage 3 Road Safety Audit.

However, as Richmond Park operates differently at the weekend to weekdays, with certain sections of the private roads closed off, an additional Sunday site visit was commissioned, as part of the Stage 3 Road Safety Audit.

The purpose of the weekend site visit was to observe the operation of the park and the different traffic movements at the weekend, where pedestrians and cyclist still have full access and motorised vehicles are restricted via the new gating system. The weekend site visit was also conducted by bike, where the 7 mile perimeter route and side road sections were cycled in full.  As the park is very popular with cyclists, this helped to give a better insight for this particular road user.

When the park was closed at dusk, where all motorised vehicles must vacate and the main gates are closed, the deer made a welcome appearance.

It was a beautiful summers evening for the audit team to carry out the night time site visit, which formed part of the Stage 3 Road Safety Audit – a refreshing change to some of the usual locations our auditors get to experience!

Richmond Park at dusk

We are committed to tailoring audits to observe peak traffic situations and can conduct Road Safety Audits using different modes of transport applicable to the scheme, to ensure all potential safety issues are covered.

At TMS, we carry out Road Safety Audits throughout central London and the surrounding London Boroughs.  If you have a scheme that requires a Road Safety Audit in the London area, or anywhere else in the country, please call us on +44 (0)24 7669 0900 or email Lorna Styring.

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Road Safety Audits

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