Transport problems found after submission usually mean redrawing. These five checks, done while the layout can still change, avoid most of them.
1. Visibility at the access
Check the access can achieve the visibility the council will ask for, over land the client controls or the highway. It decides where the access can go, so it comes first. Our visibility splays explainer covers the detail.
2. Parking numbers and layout
Check the council’s standards for car spaces, visitor parking, cycle storage and electric vehicle charging. Space sizes vary by council, and some now ask for larger spaces than the traditional 2.4 by 4.8 metres. Garages often do not count unless they meet a minimum internal size.
3. Bin collection
Building Regulations guidance (Approved Document H) expects residents to carry waste no more than 30 metres to the bin store, and the collection point to be within 25 metres of where the refuse vehicle stops. Councils add their own rules. A swept path shows the refuse vehicle can reach the collection point and turn.
4. Fire engine access
Approved Document B sets out how close a fire appliance needs to get to each house, normally within 45 metres of all points inside it, and the road width and turning space it needs. Long private drives and shared surfaces are where this most often goes wrong.
5. Gradients and levels
Steep accesses need a flatter section where they meet the road, so drivers can stop and see. Check the council’s design guide early. Levels are one of the most expensive things to change late.
When to bring us in
Ideally at concept stage, with a red line and a sketch layout. A quick review costs far less than a redesign after the highways response comes in.
General information, not advice on a specific site. Policy and guidance correct as of October 2026.