Growing Baldock Sustainable Urban Extension

The need to challenge conventional traffic modelling

An earlier planning application for new homes, employment, leisure, education and community uses had been submitted across four allocated sites around Baldock, including a new strategic link road.

The modelling supporting the application was based on conventional assumptions around future travel behaviours and high levels of traffic growth, which suggested that the development would result in significant impacts on local roads and on the nearby strategic road network. This was compounded by the existing traffic using Baldock as a through-route, especially when the adjacent A1(M) becomes congested. The impacts of this traffic could not be easily mitigated and the application was withdrawn.

Exploring the potential for sustainable transport

Urban&Civic appointed us to develop a mobility vision that focused on walking, cycling and public transport and that maximised the potential of the sites being located close to Baldock train station and the opportunities that improvements could bring to existing communities and the town centre.

The mobility vision was then extended to develop significant, specific, costed and deliverable walking, cycling and public transport interventions that will ensure a genuine choice of travel options is available both future residents and existing communities in Baldock. This vision-led approach will ensure fewer private vehicle trips will be added to the network, as well as a more pleasant, safe and welcoming public realm.

The strategy was supported by a comprehensive evidence base, including a significant data collection exercise, audits, and case studies of best practice at other sustainable developments around the UK and Europe.

We worked closely with the masterplanners, David Lock Associates, to reimagine mobility for the sites, incorporating a set of on-site transport principles that prioritise walking and cycling routes and journeys and give more direct access by bus than the car, while removing the link road and focusing instead on a high quality street that caters largely for local trips. This approach has been coupled with a range of off-site measures that will remove rat-running traffic from the town.

Delivering convenient and sustainable transport options

Through collaborative and positive engagement with Hertfordshire County Council, North Hertfordshire District Council, Active Travel England and National Highways, we established consensus on the sustainable mobility potential of the four sites. The delivery of the mobility vision and transport interventions will result in significantly more people using sustainable modes of transport to make day-to-day journeys, and fewer people who are dependent on their cars, compared with the initial proposals. The scale of this mode-shift has been agreed through our vision-led Transport Assessment and tested using local and strategic modelling. ITP has supported Urban&Civic in the submission for an outline planning application and determination of the application is expected later in 2026.