A NEW "highway design guide" aimed at promoting safe living and sustainable transport for all York residents is close to going out to city-wide consultation.

The design guide has been developed specifically for York's needs, and would provide visual and structural guidelines to developers designing residential schemes in the city.

A design guide was already in place, but it was drawn up in 1993 by North Yorkshire County Council and the then York City Council.

Planners say the guide needs updating, as it was aimed at developments in a mainly rural setting and focused towards the structural side of development.

Peter Evely, City of York Council's head of highway regulation, said: "Most highway authorities have a dedicated highway design guide, but the old guide was becoming increasingly out-of-date and couldn't fulfil the needs of development in a modern city environment.

"If agreed, the new guide will be specifically tailored to the needs and aspirations of York."

The new draft guide would include advice on traffic calming, estate roads and footpath layouts, parking and landscaping.

The parking guidelines would be aimed at preventing vehicles being "garaged" on public roads.

There would also be traffic management to stop excessive speeding.

The guide is tied in with the Local Transport Plan by promoting more sustainable transport forms, such as walking, cycling and public transport.

The guide also aims to promote environments that are pleasant and safe to live in, by influencing developers to design schemes that are environmentally pleasing for residents, give a positive contribution to York's overall appearance, take the Local Transport Plan into account and reduce the likelihood of crime problems.

The guide will be debated at the council's planning committee meeting on Thursday.

If it is approved, it will then go out for public consultation.

Copies of the draft guide can be seen at www.idtuk.com.cyc

Updated: 10:25 Saturday, January 18, 2003