Swept path analysis.
Swept path drawings that show refuse lorries, fire engines, delivery vehicles and HGVs can get in, turn and get out, checked against your layout early.
Also known as: swept path analysis, vehicle tracking, AutoTrack, refuse vehicle tracking, fire tender access
What’s included.
Councils expect evidence that the vehicles serving a site can use it safely. Swept path analysis is quick to do, and doing it early stops late redesigns of turning heads, junction radii and parking.
- Refuse collection vehicles to the council’s spec
- Fire appliance access
- Delivery vans and HGVs
- Car parking manoeuvres
- Abnormal load and construction vehicle routes
- Marked-up changes where the layout falls short
Straightforward, proportionate, agreed early.
The right vehicle
We use the vehicle the council actually runs, not a generic one.
Early
Tracking at sketch stage, so turning heads and radii are right first time.
Clear drawings
Drawings the officer can read at a glance, with any pinch points marked.
Questions we get asked
What size refuse vehicle should we design for?
The council’s own. Many use vehicles around 11 to 12 m long, but some are larger. We check before tracking.
Do you work from our CAD layout?
Yes. Send the layout and we produce tracking drawings to match.
Can tracking help with a highways objection?
Often. Clear tracking drawings resolve many servicing and access concerns quickly.
Often needed alongside.
Which vehicles we track
Swept path analysis shows the space a vehicle needs to turn. Councils usually set the vehicles to test, and the largest one that will use a site often decides the layout.
- Refuse vehicles, using the size the local waste authority actually runs.
- Fire appliances, to the access route and turning space they need.
- Delivery vans and lorries for commercial and industrial sites.
- Cars in tight spaces, such as courtyards and car park aisles.
Last reviewed October 2026 by Ripple Development Planning. Policy and guidance change; for advice on a specific site, send us the details.
From our insights.
Need help with swept path analysis?
Send us the location and what's proposed. We'll tell you what it needs, with a fixed fee.