Welcome
to the website of Nick Culhane Highway Consultant
Here you will be able to find out about who I am and what services I can provide to assist you in obtaining a planning consent for your chosen project.
Having worked in the public sector for many years, I have now transposed those skills to the private sector, where my expert knowledge will give you a head start.
I specialise in advising on small to medium projects including residential, care homes, employment and commercial development, mineral extraction and land filling operations, equestrian uses, farm diversification and leisure facilities. If your chosen project is not listed, please get in contact to see if I can help.
The level of care and attention you will receive will be to the same high standard whether it be for just one house, or a commercial business park.
I am located in Winchester, Hampshire but my client base is throughout the South of England including the Isle of Wight, West Sussex, East Sussex, Surrey, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset and Devon.
As an independent consultant I will provide you with a personal, tailored service to ensure that you get the results that you need.
Our Services
Discover how Nick Culhane Highway Consultant can help you
Pre-Application Assessments
Before committing to a site, speak to us about your project. All too often people commit to a development without seeking the correct advice. We undertake an initial site investigation, advising on the suitability of an existing access or the likelihood of a new access being accepted by the Highway Authority.
We can appraise the surrounding highway network and identify any areas that might raise concerns, and suggest how these can be overcome. Most Planning Authorities have pre-application consultation service and we can assist in submitting an application to ensure that there are no nasty surprises when it to comes to a formal planning submission. This can save a great deal of time and money in the long run and can get your project up and running with a head start.
Transport Assessments
Within this service we also incorporate Statements and Technical Notes. Depending on the scale of development, most Planning Authorities require some form of supporting statement with a formal planning application, be it a full Transport Assessment, Transport Statement or just a Technical Note.
We will liaise on your behalf with the Planning Authority to agree the level of information needed to accompany a planning application and will tailor a report to meet your needs. These reports usually describe the suitability of the surrounding highway network and public transport facilities. They will describe the suitability of the access to the highway and justify any parking needs. We refer to Local and National Planning Policy and demonstrate that your proposal is fully compliant.
We use the TRICS database* to predict likely traffic generation on the highway network. TRICS is the industry standard, accepted by all Highway Authorities when assessing traffic impact. TRICS covers a wide range of uses throughout the Country and is a highly affective tool to support your project.
Most Highway Authorities require traffic speed and volume data when considering any likely impact of a development which we can organise for you, negating the need to appoint a third party specialist. We can also provide vehicle swept path diagrams to demonstrate that your development can accommodate the on-site turning needs of anything from a single car to an articulated vehicle.
In our experience, some of the smallest developments can be the most controversial. A development of 150 can sail through Planning Committee whilst a modest site of three units can cause uproar. Don’t get caught out, seek the correct highway advice to support your proposal. With years of experience dealing with Elected Members, we know the areas that concern them and their constituents the most.
*see www.trics.org
Work Place Travel Plans
A Travel Plan is a package of measures produced by Employers or Developers to encourage staff and residents to use alternatives to single occupancy car use. A Travel Plan can offer real benefits, not only to the organisation and its employees, but also to the community and the environment that surrounds it.
Typically the Plan will include initiatives and incentives such as car sharing, discounted public transport tickets, cycle parking, electric vehicle charging points etc. to create a personalised plan for your employees or future residents journeys.
A Travel Plan will be specific to the location of your site and will take into account the nature of the business or development, existing travel behaviour and the types of journey that the workforce or resident will make.
We can also provide a Travel Plan Co-ordinator role so that when your Travel Plan is up and running, we can monitor its effectiveness to ensure that it is meeting its targets and aims.
Nick Culhane
Highway Consultant
Nick has over 34 years of experience dealing with the traffic and transport implications of residential and commercial development relating to planning applications submitted to Planning and Highway Authorities. Having started his career with Hampshire County Council dealing with the highway aspects of strategic planning applications, Nick moved to Winchester City Council where he undertook the role as Highway Engineer, commenting on anything from single dwelling units, to housing estates of 100+ units.
Nick has extensive knowledge of both Local and National Planning Policies and has acted as an expert witness on many Appeals and Public Enquiries.
He is a confident public speaker and has represented the Highway Authority in many public meetings and Planning Committees.
Nick now specialises in advising Planners, Developers and Private Individuals in the highway implications of planning proposals.
