1

GROUP 30 – STARBANK / TRINITY AREA

PROMOTER WITNESS STATEMENT

SCOTT MCINTOSH Emergency vehicles Contents 1. Resume 2. Scope of Evidence 3. Emergency vehicles 4. Conclusions 1. Resume 1.1 I am Scott McIntosh. I am a Senior Consultant in Light Rail with Mott

MacDonald the Technical Consultants for the Edinburgh Tram. I hold a degree of Master of Arts from the University of Cambridge and various post graduate qualifications, I am a Member of the Permanent Way Institution. I have around 20 years experience in Light Rail, dealing with the planning, promotion, specification, design and commissioning of systems.

1.2 I have been Project Manager for a number of projects, including Croydon Tramlink and was a member of the Board of the public/private Tramlink Project Development Group. I was a member of the UITP [International Public Transport Association] Light Rail Commission and co-author of the UITP ‘Guidelines for the Design and development of Light Rail Schemes’.

1.3 I am currently a Board member of the UK Tram consortium [the objects of which are ‘to encourage the effective development and use of light rapid transit systems in the UK…by… the development of national guidelines, codes of practice and standards based upon experience in the UK and overseas’]. I have advised on tramways in Europe and the Middle East and I am currently advising on tramways and light rail schemes in Blackpool, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle, as well as Edinburgh.

2. Scope of Evidence 2.1 The evidence addresses:- Emergency vehicles (i) Existing access points to be retained (ii) Access available at all times (iii) Links with tram control and protocols

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3. Emergency vehicles 3.1 The objectors seek reassurance that Emergency vehicles will not be

hindered by the tramway works. This point is addressed by section 5 of the CoCP. The beginning of the section states that “The Contractor shall submit to tie, The City of Edinburgh Council, Lothian and Borders Police and the Emergency Services a statement setting out the proposed measures (including specified traffic routes) to be taken with respect to traffic and highway safety for the duration of the contract, for approval before the relevant work commences.”

3.2 Section 5.2 of the CoCP requires that “Before breaking up, closing or

otherwise interfering with any street or footpath to which the public has access, the Contractor shall make such arrangements with The City of Edinburgh Council as may be reasonably necessary to cause as little interference with the traffic in that street or footpath during the construction works as shall be reasonably practicable.” Additionally “Wherever the Edinburgh Tram works interfere with the existing public or private roads or other ways over which there is a public or private right of way for any traffic, the Contractor shall construct diversion ways as necessary. The standard of construction and lighting shall be suitable in all respects for the class or classes of traffic using the existing ways and the widths of the diversions shall not be less than that of the existing way unless otherwise agreed with The City of Edinburgh Council or the owner of the private road.

3.3 Diversion routes shall; be constructed in advance of any interference

with the existing ways, be kept as short as reasonably practicable and be maintained to provide adequately for the traffic flows and volume.”

3.4 These requirements should set the objectors’ minds at rest as to the continued ability of the Emergency Services to access areas affected by the tramway works, however for the avoidance of all doubt the promoters also require in section 5.11 of the CoCP that “Routes for emergency service vehicles and personnel to gain access to work sites, the construction corridor and neighbouring sites along the route shall be agreed with the emergency services and The City of Edinburgh Council prior to the start of construction.”

4. Conclusion 4.1 The promoter recognises that the construction of a tramway in an

already built up area will cause some temporary disruption, but it is their contention that the requirements in the CoCP and the active involvement of the emergency services in the production of diversionary routes will reduce disruption and risk to negligible proportions.

Scott McIntosh

3

Expert Witness Mott MacDonald 9 May 2005

GROUP 30 – STARBANK / TRINITY AREA

LEAD OBJECTOR NO:151 - NEWHAVEN COMMUNITY COUNCIL

PROMOTER WITNESS STATEMENT SCOTT MCINTOSH Property values Contents 1. Resume 2. Scope of Evidence 3. Property Values - Croydon TramLink 4. Property Values - Nottingham Express Transit 5. Property Values - Dublin 6. Conclusions 1. Resume 1.1 I am Scott McIntosh. I am a Senior Consultant in Light Rail with Mott

MacDonald the Technical Consultants for the Edinburgh Tram. I hold a degree of Master of Arts from the University of Cambridge and various post graduate qualifications, I am a Member of the Permanent Way Institution. I have around 20 years experience in Light Rail, dealing with the planning, promotion, specification, design and commissioning of systems.

1.2 I have been Project Manager for a number of projects, including Croydon Tramlink and was a member of the Board of the public/private Tramlink Project Development Group. I was a member of the UITP [International Public Transport Association] Light Rail Commission and co-author of the UITP ‘Guidelines for the Design and development of Light Rail Schemes’.

1.3 I am currently a Board member of the UK Tram consortium [the objects of which are ‘to encourage the effective development and use of light rapid transit systems in the UK…by… the development of national guidelines, codes of practice and standards based upon experience in the UK and overseas’]. I have advised on tramways in Europe and the Middle East and I am currently advising on tramways and light rail schemes in Blackpool, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle, as well as Edinburgh.

2. Scope of Evidence 2.1 The evidence addresses the effect of the introduction of tramways on

residential property values, based on the results of independent

research into the effects of the three most recent tramways in the British Isles; Croydon, Nottingham and Dublin, Eire.

3. Croydon Tramlink 3.1 The South London Partnership is a voluntary forum which promotes the

interests of the south London sub-region. 3.2 The South London Partnership (SLP) comprises 15 partners, including;

• the London boroughs of: Bromley, Croydon, Merton, Richmond,

Sutton, Wandsworth, the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames

• Business Link for London • London South - Learning & Skills Council, • South London Council of Chambers of Commerce, • Kingston University, • the SW London Health Authority.

3.3 SLP is Chaired by Joanna Simons, Chief Executive London Borough of Sutton.

3.4 The SLP reports that the effect that trams have on image and perception of an area make the schemes important for generating growth and investment. Trams generate civic pride and facilitate urban renewal. They provide an image of dynamism and efficiency that is key to attracting outside investment. Trams can raise the profile of the entire area, attracting higher rents, new developments and private sector investment. Marginal businesses dislodged by construction are replaced with dynamic enterprises.

3.5 The success of Croydon Tramlink in raising the profile of the area in this way is shown by the greater increases in property prices in wards along the route (Figure 1). The Report prepared by Colin Buchanan and Partners (an independent transport consultancy) on behalf of the South London Partnership found, by reference to Her Majesty’s Land Registry residential transaction data, that in Croydon property prices have risen by 4% more in wards served by the tram than those that are not, while in the other Boroughs served there has been no discernible difference.

3.6 The price of property in Croydon on the Tramlink line was found to have risen faster than that off-line both during construction and after opening.

Figure 1: Property prices in Croydon wards

3.7 It is to be noted that property prices in the area served by Tramlink

were slightly lower than the general level of prices at the beginning of the survey (this possibly reflects poorer accessibility and higher motor car congestion in these areas), but that they were higher post-Tramlink.

3.8 This study also found that Estate Agents used Tramlink as part of their marketing. The estate agents interviewed suggested that properties located close to public transport nodes did attract a premium, with rail the highest, followed by the tram, while few felt that bus routes added value. These premiums were noticeable up to 20 minutes journey time from stations by foot.

Tramlink Impact Study The independent Tramlink Impact Study, undertaken for Transport for London, included a questionnaire survey of local Estate Agents to gain their opinions of the effect of Tramlink on property values, their responses were mainly anecdotal, however, most respondents considered Tramlink to have had a beneficial effect on property values.

"Easy access from Wimbledon to East Croydon has created much greater interest in the area. The new tram has seen prices increase by about 10% above the national trend". Ingletons, Mitcham

"It has made a difference. Demand for the area has gone up and prices have

risen by up to 10%. … people can get to East Croydon in about 5-6 minutes. This will add considerably to the attraction of this part of Croydon". Benson and Partners, Addiscombe

4. Nottingham Express Transit

4.1 Even before Nottingham Express Transit opened, there were

discernable regeneration impacts in the city. During 2003 six months before the scheme was due to open, local Estate Agents were reporting an upturn in the market specifically in those areas through which the tram now runs. Nottingham estate agents have been using proximity to the tram as a selling point. Letting agents now have a regular advert in the Nottingham Evening Post ‘Homes for Rent’ supplement with a box stating “All properties within 10 minutes walk of a tram stop are marked with a NET logo.’ As this has been shown to have a beneficial effect on values and the ability to market property

5. Dublin 5.1 The Dublin – LUAS tramway scheme was opened in 2004 and consists

of sections of new street running, new green field alignment and sections built upon abandoned railway alignments.

5.2 The LUAS ‘Green’ Line runs for the majority of its route along an old railway corridor through the south of the city. The line, which runs through a relatively prosperous area of the city, is similar in many respects to the Roseburn Corridor. Housing along the route is mixed but comprises a mix of large single occupancy Georgian terraces and detached houses, 20th century semi detached properties and some new build apartments and town houses.

5.3 The route is partly on brick built retained embankment 5-6m high, part deep cutting and on or two short sections it runs at grade. Gardens backing onto the line range in length from nothing to 40m. It is believed that the majority of properties in the area are owner occupied.

Dublin green Line

The LUAS Effect - Positive Influence on prices confirmed - Extract

from Douglas Newman Good, Market Analysis 2004 - 2005 www.dng.ie

5.4 An analysis of property price increases along the two Luas lines to

Tallaght and Sandyford confirms that those properties within a five minute walk of a Luas station have seen higher increases in value than other comparable properties with no immediate access to the tram system. Price changes between January 2002 during the early stages of the construction work and January 2005 were analysed for a wide selection of different property types. In Dublin 24 properties close to a Luas station increased on average by 54% between January 2002 and January 2005 whilst the average increase was 37% in areas not within easy walking distance of a station, a differential of 17%. Closer to the city centre in the Dublin 8 area the difference was even more marked with properties close to the Luas seeing an average increase of 65% compared to a 45% increase for properties with no immediate access to the tram system. In South County Dublin on the Sandyford Luas Line there was a differential of 15%, with properties within 5 minutes walk of the line increasing by 70% on average whilst those properties with no immediate pedestrian access rising in value by 55% on average. The figures suggest that over the course of the construction period and during the first few months of Luas opening, the system has added a premium of between 15% and 20% to property values, depending on location.

Article from Sunday Business Post, Sunday, July 04, 2004 http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost - Luas `effect' driving house

prices By Gillian Nelis. 5.5 Less than a week after it began running, the Luas light rail system is

already having an impact on the Dublin property market. Estate agents are reporting an increase in enquiries about property along the St Stephen's Green-Sandyford line, and expect the service to have a similar effect on prices to the Dart in the 1980s.

5.6 Louise O'Reilly of Sherry FitzGerald in Dundrum believes that the Luas

is contributing to a higher than average rate of capital appreciation in the Dublin 14 and 16 areas. We anticipate that, by the end of the year, second-hand house prices throughout Dublin will have risen by around 10 per cent,'' she said. But in Dundrum that figure is likely to be 15 per cent.

5.7 There is an amazing buzz around the place now that the Luas is finally

up and running - people are extremely impressed with it and with the standard of service. This time last year, three-bedroom semi-detached houses in the Broadford and Ballaly areas of Dundrum were selling for €330,000.

5.8 According to O'Reilly, prices in Broadford have now risen to €380,000

and to €400,000 in Ballaly. `In Woodpark, you are now looking at paying around £420,000 for a three-bed semi,'' she said. `This time last year, we would have been quoting between €360,000 and €370,000 for that type of house.''

5.9 The Luas is also significantly boosting property prices in parts of Dublin

8 and Dublin 12, according to Stephen O'Grady of Lowe and Associates in Rathmines. `The arrival of the Luas has meant that people are looking at places which, ten years ago, they simply would not have considered,'' he said.``There is an expectation that Luas is going to have a very positive impact on areas such as Rialto, Drimnagh and Inchicore, and prices in these areas are performing very well as a result.''

5.10 According to O'Grady, small one-bedroom cottages in Rialto are now

selling for between €180,000 and €190,000, figures, which he said, would previously have been unattainable. ``This type of unit is very popular with investors who know that the Luas is likely to boost values and should make their property easier to rent out,'' he said.

5.11 HOK Residential is currently quoting over €254,000 for a 55-square-

metre two-bedroom house at 114 Rialto Cottages. The property is around the corner from the Rialto Luas stop. On Mourne Road in Drimnagh, Stephen O'Grady recently sold a two-bedroom house in very poor condition for €231,500. ``Prices on Mourne Road have really given a jump, and now range between €225,000 and €300,000,

depending on the condition of the house and whether it has been extended,'' he said.

6. Conclusion 6.1 Independent evaluation of the effects of tramway system introduction in

Croydon, Nottingham and Dublin indicates that such developments have had a beneficial effect upon house prices. There is no reason to believe that Edinburgh should be any different to these other successful cities.

Scott McIntosh Expert Witness Mott MacDonald 4 July 2005

1

GROUP 30 – STARBANK / TRINITY AREA

PROMOTER WITNESS STATEMENT

SCOTT MCINTOSH Refuse collections Contents 1. Resume 2. Scope of Evidence 3. Impacts on other road users e.g. refuse collections 4. Conclusions 1. Resume 1.1 I am Scott McIntosh. I am a Senior Consultant in Light Rail with Mott

MacDonald the Technical Consultants for the Edinburgh Tram. I hold a degree of Master of Arts from the University of Cambridge and various post graduate qualifications, I am a Member of the Permanent Way Institution. I have around 20 years experience in Light Rail, dealing with the planning, promotion, specification, design and commissioning of systems. I have been Project Manager for a number of projects, including Croydon Tramlink and was a member of the Board of the public/private Tramlink Project Development Group. I was a member of the UITP [International Public Transport Association] Light Rail Commission and co-author of the UITP ‘Guidelines for the Design and development of Light Rail Schemes’. I am currently a Board member of the UK Tram consortium [the objects of which are ‘to encourage the effective development and use of light rapid transit systems in the UK…by… the development of national guidelines, codes of practice and standards based upon experience in the UK and overseas’]. I have advised on tramways in Europe and the Middle East and I am currently advising on tramways and light rail schemes in Blackpool, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle, as well as Edinburgh.

2. Scope of Evidence 2.1 The evidence addresses Impacts on other road users e.g. refuse collections (i) Experience on other UK schemes

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3. Impacts on other road users e.g. refuse collections

Questions have arisen as to the acceptability of the proposals for servicing provision and car parking for the section of road traversed by Edinburgh Tram Line 1 from Lower Granton Road to Craighall Road, along Trinity Crescent and Starbank Road.

In assessing the fitness for purpose of the current proposals for this section of road the promoters have sought to compare the situation with two comparable sections of road; one in the area of the City of Edinburgh that is not to be traversed by any of the tram routes and another in a populous area that is traversed by a tram route. The areas selected for this comparison are;

• Addiscombe Road, Croydon, London • the High Street, South Queensferry, Edinburgh

4.1 Analysis of the proposed situation on Starbank Road/Trinity

Crescent

The section of road from Trinity Road to Craighall Road is 480m long.

The OS map shows 31 individual dwelling house units and 1 public house along this section of road. Inspection of the map shows 44 house numbers along this section of road, plus 4 additional numbers in Trinity Crescent west and 6 in Trinity Crescent east, thus giving a total of 54 house numbers. Given that a number of these units may be Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) an allowance of 30% would indicate a possible 71 individual dwellings in the street.

The proposed layout for the street and integrated tramway is set out in Edinburgh Tram Line 1 drawings 203011/EDIN/0527 to 203011/EDIN/0529. These show a number of proposed parking bays. There are also proposals for off-line bus stops on both sides of the road situated between Trinity Crescent and York Road. The drawings show provision for parking bays for 46 parking spaces. Given that the CEC Environmental Services Department have located 5 non-wheeled rubbish containers along the street and that they require each container to have a kerb-side location (for ease of mechanical handling) it is submitted that each container will occupy the equivalent of 1 parking bay. This will leave 41 bays available for general parking. From these bays a further 4 should be deducted to make provision for service vehicles to load and unload – giving a total of 37 bays available for private automobile parking along this section of highway.

Additional parking spaces may be available in;

• Lower Granton Road • Trinity Crescent • York Road

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• Laverockbank Road (a significant part of this road faces Starbank Park and has no residential frontage)

• Laverockbank Avenue • Laverockbank Terrace • Craighall Road

These roads are sufficiently closely spaced that no house fronting the tramway is more than 50m from a side road.

4.2 ‘Wheelie bins’ on Starbank Road

They are not wheeled; they are officially ‘non-wheeled containers’. This means that vandals can not move them, but neither can the bin-men, they must be mechanically uplifted by the motor lorry (see method below).

Number of bins in Starbank Road There are 5 containers at the moment. There are no plans to increase the number; however CEC may wish to introduce a recycling facility in the area in the future – specification, location and handling method to be decided. Frequency of emptying The containers are emptied twice a week. The days may change, but there are no plans to increase uplift from twice a week.

Method of handling The container is lifted by a side loader fitted to the motor lorry. The lorry parks parallel to the container with an accuracy of +/- 15mm , the lift arms come out, lift the bin and tip it into the lorry. The operation usually takes 40 seconds floor to floor. In exceptional circumstances the contents of the bin may jam, requiring a ‘wee shoogle’ – this can extend the operation to 60 seconds.

Space required for bin The bins are less than 2m long. They need to be placed next to the kerb so that the motor lorry’s lifting arms can reach them. The lifting arms are immediately behind the cab, thus when the lorry is parked ready to lift there is approximately 3.5m projecting beyond the container centre line and 6.5m behind. They do not need a full kerb for all this length – the lorry could overhang a parking bay – but at least 4m would be preferred.

Desirable arrangement

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A parking bay presents particular difficulties, given that the motor lorry has to be parallel to the container. The best arrangement is something akin to a bus boarder, with a designated pocket for the container. The area should be protected from traffic obstruction by use of double yellow lines. The Environmental Services Dept. does not have GDO-powers to site bins; they have to be approved by the CEC Planning Dept.

Implication for tramway It would be easiest if the container loading places were located on build-outs at the end of designated parking bays, they need to be close to the carriageway and located where the lorry can have a clear run at them. This probably means that the lorry will be foul of the tram track when picking up the container; however as it only takes 60 seconds maximum to uplift, empty and return a bin it would seem that two to three containers could be cleared within one tram headway without unduly increasing the service reliability risk to the tramway. It would be best if the lorry could then move to a position clear of the tram tracks to allow an approaching tramcar to pass before attending to the second pair of containers. The risk of delay to the tramway should be minimal in these circumstances.

Further improvement It would be useful if the CEC Environmental Services Dept. could undertake not to uplift refuse containers from loading points foul of the tram track during peak periods – say 0730 – 1000 and 1600 – 1830 – the tram service headway may be lower at other times thus reducing the risk of out-of-course delays to tramcars.

5. Analysis of the situation in Addiscombe Road, Croydon

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The section of road from Cherry Orchard Road to Chepstow Road is 600m long.

The OS map shows 34 individual dwelling house units, 3 medical surgeries, 1 Public House and 1 Motor Sales Garage along the north side of the road. Inspection of the map shows 84 house numbers along this section of road. Given that a number of these units may be Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) an allowance of 30% would indicate a possible 110 individual dwellings on the north side of the street. Of these a total of 36 have access to off-street parking, albeit in the case of medical surgeries the number of off-street spaces is not enough to accommodate all the medical staff at each surgery and no provision is made for patients parking. The public house has neither off street parking nor a designated dray space for deliveries.

All properties on the south side of the street, with the exception of no 38 Addiscombe Road face onto private roads and courts.

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The above calculations show that 74 dwelling units do not have access to off street parking.

No parking is permitted along the entire length of Addiscombe Road, an off line bus bay is provided at the Lebanon Road stop. The streets to the north of Addiscombe Road form part of a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ), the public highways to the south of Addiscombe Road have parking prohibitions, all private roads and forecourts are restricted to residents’ parking. Residents of Addiscombe Road are eligible for Resident’s Parking permits for the CPZ in the north side streets. There are no dedicated parking bays for residents.

These roads are sufficiently closely spaced that no house fronting the tramway is more than 50m from a side road.

Addiscombe Road is subject to limited traffic management; no traffic may enter or leave the road from either Cherry Orchard Road or Chepstow Road during peak periods, there is no restriction on traffic using the side roads to enter or cross Addiscombe Road.

The road carries 21 trams per hour per direction and 24 buses per hour per direction.

Tramlink has been operational in the street since early in 2000.

Addiscombe Road, looking west at junction with Park Hill Road, road width 8m

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Addiscombe Road, looking west at Lebanon Road tram stop

Addiscombe Road, looking west at Park Hill Rise, note no parking or delivery bay at ‘The Cricketers’ public house and limited off-street parking for apartment block on left of road

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Addiscombe Road at Park Hill Rise, note mix of 4 storey apartment blocks, houses and bungalow, roadway width 7m – no footway on south side of road and cars offered for sale parked in forecourt of garage next to public house. 6. Analysis of the situation on the High Street, South Queensferry The section of road from The Loan to Edinburgh Road is 500m long. The road is narrow and arranged for single line working, with passing places at a number of locations. The road is not traffic signalled, nor does it have a 20mph speed limit. The street is marked with continuous double yellow lines for the whole length of the road, with the exception of the designated parking bays. A number of areas have bollards to prevent pavement parking.

The OS map shows 83 individual dwelling houses, 12 shops, 7 Hotels/Public Houses, 6 Restaurants/Cafes, 1 surgery, 1 Museum and 1 meeting hall along this section of road. Given that a number of these units may be Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) an allowance of 30% would indicate a possible 108 individual dwellings in the street.

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Extract from OS map, showing S Queensferry High Street, from the Loan [at left] to Edinburgh Road [at right]. The layout of the street is set out in OS map reproduced above. There are 36 parking bays in this area, of which 6 are restricted to 20mins. maximum waiting time during the working day. The CEC Environmental Services Department currently have a number of wheeled rubbish containers along the street but none of these are located in parking bays. 3 residential properties have off-street parking, with an observed capacity of 6-7 vehicles.

Additional parking spaces are available in;

• Edinburgh Road, the nearest space is at least 75m east of the end of the built up area

• Stoneycroft Road, this very narrow road has extremely limited parking space – most of which is used by frontagers, Nos 3 and 4 East Terrace each have a single space and the public house at no. 8 Edinburgh Road has occasional use of one delivery bay – albeit owing to the change of levels between Edinburgh and Stoneycroft roads deliveries have to be made by private funicular railway.

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High Street, South Queensferry, looking west. Note narrow width of carriageway, 6 short stay car parking places in front of terrace of shops and raised pedestrian terrace [no vehicular access] in front of houses 3-20 East Terrace.

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High Street, South Queensferry, looking east 7. Comparison between the three streets General characteristics of the comparators

Addiscombe Road forms part of one of Croydon’s major commuter housing areas. House prices along Addiscombe Road currently range from two bedroom flats at c. £150k to 5 bedroom houses at c. £650k, house prices have risen at approximately 30% p.a. from 1999 to 2003, this is a faster rate than elsewhere in the borough. Queensferry High Street forms part of a conservation area and is predominantly a commuter area. House prices currently range from c. £100k for a two bedroom flat to c. £600k for a six bedroom period house.

7.1 Car/Delivery vehicle Parking provision

Addiscombe Road has no provision for parking for an estimated 74 dwellings [0 spaces per dwelling] Queensferry High Street has 36 parking spaces for an estimated 108 dwellings [0.33 spaces per dwelling] Starbank Road would have 41 parking bays for an estimated 71 dwellings [0.58 spaces per dwelling]. 7.2 Public transport accessibility

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Addiscombe Road has a tram stop and a bus stop located at Lebanon Road, half way along the road. These stops are served by 21 trams per hour, per direction and 24 buses per hour, per direction. Queensferry High Street has no public transport traversing the street. The nearest bus stops are at the Loan at the west end of the street, approximately 8 buses per hour, per direction serve the stop. Starbank Road will have a tram stop at Lower Granton Road/Trinity Road and a bus stop on Trinity Crescent at The Old Chain Pier public house. The tram stop will be served by up to 8 trams per hour, per direction; the bus stop will be served by up to X buses per hour, per direction.

7.3 Speed restrictions

Addiscombe Road has an overall speed restriction of 30mph. Trams are not subject to a lower speed along this section of road. Queensferry High Street has an overall speed restriction of 30mph, however the setted road surface, single line working and traffic calming measures reduce speeds to a generally lower figure. It is proposed that speeds along Starbank Road should remain at 30 mph.

8. Conclusion

All three streets have generally similar socio-economic conditions. House prices in the comparators have not been depressed by the lack of local car parking. In Croydon the improved public transport accessibility has resulted in house prices rising faster than the general local rate (which was already high). The current proposals for Starbank Road will give a provision of parking places significantly higher than that in either of the comparators. Public transport accessibility will be significantly improved in Starbank Road, with the provision of a tram stop at the west end of the road, experience in London and elsewhere has been that this has a beneficial effect on house prices. Speed restrictions have not been introduced in Croydon or Queensferry, however both areas have introduced traffic calming measures to discourage through traffic. The provision for the uplifting of refuse containers in Starbank Road is not expected to hamper tramway operation, subject to a reasonable approach to bin uplift schedules from the CEC Environmental Services

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Department and an instruction to operatives that uplifting manoeuvres shall not hamper tram movement.

Scott McIntosh Expert Witness Mott MacDonald 4 July 2005