St John Road, S278

Location: St John’s Road, Liverpool
Service: Section 278 Highway Access & Drainage Design
Date: July 2025

Overview

We were commissioned to design and assess the proposed new highway access required for the redevelopment of land between Brasenose Road and St John’s Road in Bootle. The scheme introduces a new 6-metre-wide adoptable access and associated pedestrian upgrades into the local highway network, as shown in the proposed site layout . Our role was to deliver a fully compliant Section 278 design, covering access geometry, footway reinstatement, vehicle tracking, and drainage integration.

Challenge

The development replaces multiple historic industrial plots with a consolidated 36-unit employment scheme. This required rationalising existing access points and forming a new primary junction on Brasenose Road, supported by compliant visibility splays and safe pedestrian connections. The topographical survey confirmed varying levels and several drainage constraints across the frontage . Our objective was to ensure that the new access, footways, and drainage interfaced safely with the existing highway without increasing flood risk or creating operational conflicts for HGVs and service vehicles.

Solution

Using the proposed site plan and architectural layouts for Blocks A–F, we developed a coordinated S278 design aligned with Council's requirements. Key elements included:

• Junction geometry based on Manual for Streets standards, incorporating a 2.4 m × 80 m visibility envelope.

• Footway reinstatement at the redundant access, with new tactile paving and pedestrian crossing provision.

• Vehicle tracking for refuse and delivery vehicles to confirm safe two-way operation at the new access.

• Highway drainage design consisting of new gullies positioned to intercept runoff at the entrance and integrate with the site-wide drainage network.

All design work was underpinned by the site’s topographical data, existing highway constraints, and required adoptable construction specifications.

Outcome

The proposed access arrangement satisfied the highway authority’s safety, visibility, and pedestrian requirements without necessitating any off-site mitigation. Drainage modelling confirmed that the new access would not increase runoff to the public highway, with exceedance flows managed safely within the development boundary. The resulting S278 package was accepted in principle by the local authority and supported the wider planning submission for the multi-block redevelopment.

Conclusion

The St John’s Road scheme demonstrates our ability to deliver precise, policy-compliant S278 designs that integrate seamlessly with both new development and existing highway infrastructure. Our work ensured that the redevelopment could progress without additional burdens on the local network, providing a safe, modern, and fully compliant access solution for a significant employment site.