Natural England - Practical issues

Practical issues

Who can develop a Quiet Lanes project? Local Traffic authorities are responsible for the local road network and therefore the legal responsibility for Quiet Lanes rests with them.

However, Quiet Lanes projects are about partnership working between the other local councils (District and Parishes) in the area, the local community who live in the area and key stakeholders. Everyone will be given an opportunity to help develop your Quiet Lanes network.

How are local authorities developing Quiet Lanes projects?

The Countryside Agency - now Natural England - worked with the demonstration areas and with environmental consultants to establish a process for developing Quiet Lanes. We have developed a system or methodology known as PACE.

What is the 'PACE system?

PACE stands for Plan, Activate, Check and Enable Each Quiet Lanes project will need to action the points of PACE in the logical sequence, i.e. Plan, Activate, Check and then Enable.

PACE is not intended as a prescriptive set of rules or as an exhaustive process of methods and techniques, but more as a tool to guide and assist practioners. The four main development stages take you through the life cycle of Quiet Lanes Project as follows:

  • Stage 1 - PLAN- the first steps to developing your project
  • Stage 2 - ACTIVATE- putting together a Quiet Lanes Strategy
  • Stage 3 - CHECK- ensuring that you have all the necessary project components in place to proceed
  • Stage 4 - ENABLE- getting the project on the ground and managing the network

Why use the 'PACE' system?

We advise using the PACE process for the following reasons:

  1. The 4 stages are a logical sequence which has been designed specifically for Quiet Lanes network development
  2. There are many components to a Quiet Lanes project. PACE has been designed to provide you with information on each of these components
  3. The components of the system has been designed to help strengthen the case for improved access to and around the countryside
  4. The process has been trialled and reviewed to meet project requirements through our demonstration areas

Can any road be a Quiet Lane?

No. They will be local routes, devised through local participation. The roads chosen will already be relatively lightly trafficked, unless major traffic management is proposed in an area to develop a new local roads hierarchy. The concept can best be applied to minor local lanes in rural and urban fringe areas. Exactly what constitutes a Quiet Lane network will vary throughout the country. For example, what might be regarded as a suitably quietened rural lane network in Surrey will probably contrast with a similar approach in a more rural area such as the Yorkshire Moors or the Forest of Bowland.

Who can use Quiet Lanes?

Anyone, within the law whether in a car, or on foot, or horse riding or cycling. Quiet Lanes will be primarily for local use but can also offer a tourist facility by linking with travel interchanges such as bus or rail. These links would encourage tourists to leave their cars and travel within the area by bike, or on foot, or by public transport.

Quiet Lanes must not disrupt the economic life of the countryside or prevent motorised vehicles such as delivery vans, farm machinery, or emergency vehicles from going about their business. Through traffic, however, will be dissuaded from using these networks as short cuts or ways to avoid heavier traffic. By taking a strategic approach to developing Quiet Lane networks it should be possible to reinforce the local road hierarchy and traffic-plan for specific zones or traffic catchments.

Will Quiet Lanes involve urban traffic calming measures in the countryside?

No. Urban street furniture is inappropriate in rural areas. Solutions are likely to involve changes to road and verge maintenance, soft landscaping, removal of road-signs, introduction of local waymarking, and different surface treatments, if these are appropriate to the area. Care will be taken to retain and enhance the local character and distinctiveness of an area. Our research into rural traffic calming is developing this approach. Throughout the Quiet Lanes development process the local community will be involved in deciding what resources are used.

How can Quiet Lanes be enforced to ensure that motorists do not exceed the speed limit?

To create a Quiet Lanes network a strategic approach must be taken to keep through traffic on major roads. Lower speed limits to calm traffic through villages could be put in place as part of this wider approach. Speed management will require careful planning with the local police force. Enforcement must also be supported by well planned public awareness campaigns and local community participation.

The Government has published its Speed Policy Review in July 2000 this includes speed limits of 30mph in villages and is looking at the need for lower speeds on country lanes where appropriate.

Who is paying to develop these networks?

The development of the Quiet Lanes concept is largely being financed through local authority Local Transport Plans. These plans are submitted to the Government for transport investment approval, and are required to contain a comprehensive transport strategy. Highway authorities are free to seek external funding from other sources such as European Union, private investment or landfill tax.

How are Quiet Lanes going to be managed for both car and non-car use?

The demonstration schemes and linked research will help to provide solutions to multi-use. For Greenways, expertise already exists about the width needed, means of segregation, types of surface, plus how to work with user groups to influence perception and behaviour. Our earlier traffic demonstration case studies being run in partnership with local authorities in Devon, Cumbria and Surrey have already shown how strategic measures and traffic-calming solutions in keeping with local character can be used to influence driver behaviour and encourage a shift away from the car for local journeys.

Given the limited space likely to be available for wholly off-road Greenway routes, it is vital that ways are found of sharing road-space, to make it more viable for use, especially locally, by everyone whether car-based or not.

Will Quiet Lanes networks be shown on local maps and road atlases?

No. The concept has to be proven and tested first. Moreover, there is no intention to promote Quiet Lanes for car and lorry traffic. However, the demonstration schemes will investigate local information needs, to make sure that local users know about them and visitors find out about them on arrival.