Case Study: Transport Statement for a 20-Bed Care Home Extension

Opening

Expanding an existing care home often raises concerns about traffic generation, parking demand, staff travel and visitor movements. These issues become particularly important where additional accommodation is proposed on an established site.

DW Transportation was appointed to prepare a Transport Statement to support proposals for a substantial extension to an existing residential care home in Chadwell Heath, London. The development sought planning permission for a two-storey extension providing 20 additional en-suite bedrooms together with ancillary accommodation.

The challenge

The local highway authority required robust evidence demonstrating that the additional accommodation would not create unacceptable impacts on the surrounding highway network.

The Transport Statement therefore needed to examine:

  • existing and future vehicle trips

  • staff travel patterns

  • visitor movements

  • parking demand

  • sustainable transport accessibility

  • management of on-site parking

  • whether the additional accommodation would have any material impact on highway safety.

The Council's assessment confirms that these transport matters formed part of its consideration of the application.

Our approach

DW Transportation prepared a comprehensive Transport Statement that:

  • assessed existing site operation

  • reviewed staffing arrangements

  • considered visitor patterns

  • assessed likely traffic generation from the additional bedrooms

  • reviewed parking provision

  • demonstrated that the development could operate without causing severe impacts on the local highway network.

Rather than relying on theoretical assumptions, the assessment reflected how residential care homes actually operate, recognising that residents themselves generate very few vehicle trips while staffing patterns occur across shift changes.

The outcome

Although planning permission was ultimately refused, the refusal was based on Green Belt policy and the absence of very special circumstances rather than any transport concerns. The officer report identifies Green Belt policy as the determining issue and does not identify highway safety or transport impacts as reasons for refusal.

This illustrates an important planning principle: not every refused planning application represents a failure of the supporting technical work. In this case, the transport evidence successfully addressed the highway issues, allowing the planning decision to focus on wider planning policy considerations.

Why this matters

Care homes generate travel patterns that differ significantly from conventional residential developments. A well-prepared Transport Statement should reflect those operational characteristics rather than relying solely on standard trip-rate assumptions.

At DW Transportation, we regularly prepare Transport Statements for care homes, nursing homes and specialist residential accommodation across England and Wales, ensuring that transport evidence is proportionate, evidence-based and tailored to the way these facilities actually operate.