August 2005 Uniclass L534+L212

home zones

paving
PRECAST CONCRETE PAVING
SOLUTIONS FOR TODAY’S
RESIDENTIAL STREET ENVIRONMENTS

www.paving.org.uk
 I N T E R PAV E : H O M E Z O N E S PAV I N G

Home Zone
Principles
Home Zones are residential streets or groups of streets where people and vehicles
share the whole road space safely and on equal terms, although the motorist
should feel like a ‘guest’ in the area. They are designed so that quality of life
takes precedence over ease of traffic movement and they aim to promote
neighbourliness and a sense of security. Home Zones are growing rapidly in
popularity and one of their main features is street resurfacing – frequently with
precast concrete block and flag paving, and other related products.

The ideas behind Home Zones were first during the 1970s and 1980s. Other aims and Challenge programmes are
developed in the Netherlands during the of Home Zones today include expected to create some 70 Home
1960s and known as the ‘Woonerf’ encouragement of cycling and walking, Zones by 2005: information on these
system, forming an integral part of rather than driving - so reducing vehicle schemes and the Challenge programme
Dutch urban living over the years. In the congestion and pollution, inclusion of can be found on
UK, the principles formed part of the older residents within the community www.homezoneschallenge.com.
early local authority urban design and improving ‘Liveability’ and the
guides, such as the Essex Design Guide, appeal of urban environments. From a legal perspective, The Transport
incorporating the ‘defensible space’ Act 2000 (for England and Wales) and
concept which aimed to use design to In 1998 the Government announced that the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001
enable residents to ‘take ownership’ of it would work with local authorities to enable local traffic authorities to
local public spaces, encouraging natural evaluate the effectiveness of Home designate Home Zones in their areas.
surveillance and reducing crime. Zones, establishing 9 pilot schemes in Standardised traffic signs for Home
Examples of this approach can be seen England and Wales. Today, the Zones have also been developed.
in various towns and cities in the UK Government’s Home Zone Pilot Projects
 I N T E R PAV E : H O M E Z O N E S PAV I N G

Designing
Home Zones New development Home Zone in
Moretonhampstead, Devon

Guidelines are now available on all developments and here developers, within the Home Zone. They should be
aspects of Home Zones, in particular consultants and local authorities will be limited in size, as buses will not run
‘Home Zone Design Guidelines’: 2002, responsible for design, probably without through them but should still be
from the Institute of Highway the opportunity for local consultation. accessible to residents.
Incorporated Engineers (IHIE) and Home Zones need to be designed as
‘Home zones – A planning and design vibrant public spaces to accommodate
handbook’: 2001 by Mike Biddulph, of play, exercise and relaxation by
the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. There residents including children, the elderly
are two types of Home Zones: retro-fit and disabled people. They should be
schemes for existing streets and new individually designed to give a sense of
projects forming part of new-build identity and community. They must
housing developments. With existing create a safe and secure environment
streets, the on-going and full while enabling vehicle access and
participation of the local community is parking. Home Zones should be
essential and how to successfully integrated with the surrounding area to
achieve this is dealt with in detail in provide a network of routes for
the above guidelines. However, Home pedestrians and cyclists, whilst
Zones are growing in popularity as dispersing vehicle traffic evenly. The aim
integral parts of new housing is to reduce traffic speeds to 10 mph

Home Zones within a council-owned estate in North Portsea, Portsmouth

 I N T E R PAV E : H O M E Z O N E S PAV I N G

Paving
Home Zones

The various guidelines recognise the Precast concrete block and flag paving with ‘Blister’ tactile paving on the
need for paving materials to give each offers this diversity while also providing footway. Another alternative has a ramp
Home Zone individual visual appeal and a firm, even surface enabling ease of up from the traditional street to a
definition of a specific character. Most movement by wheelchair users and shared surface, located no more than
of the paving in Home Zones will be others. The use of contrasting materials 10m from a junction.
shared surfaces but without traditional – in both appearance and texture – and
Vehicle tracks – should be as narrow as
stepped kerbs to identify the other features such as dished drainage
practicable but a minimum of 3m wide,
carriageway. So, a variety of colours, channels are welcomed by the
with 4.5m minimum passing places if
patterns and textures is needed to guidelines, particularly to help visually
necessary.
clearly differentiate the following areas: impaired people to negotiate streets.
However, restraint is also needed to Parking – should include some on-
avoid a confusing, overpowering design street. Individual spaces should be
• Public from ‘private’ spaces
balanced against a ‘wall-to-wall paving’ clearly indicated and arranged
• Gateways (entrance and exit) of the appearance. perpendicular, parallel or angled to
Home Zone buildings. Blocks of parking spaces
• Shared areas from non-vehicular The IHIE document offers detailed should be used to break up and divert
areas guidance on various components of vehicle routes.
Home Zones, including:
• Different areas of relevance to visually Traffic calming devices – vertical
impaired people Gateways – marking the entrance and features such as road humps, cushions
exit with a distinctive change in surface and ramps should be used with care
• Parking and areas which can be used
material, perhaps linked to other and may be difficult for some
by vehicles
features such as street furniture. One pedestrians using shared spaces.
• Dedicated play or sitting areas design approach gives access to the Horizontal features such as road
shared surface over the footway of a narrowings and chicanes are highly
• Traffic junctions without road
conventional street via dropped kerbs effective.
markings
I N T E R PAV E : H O M E Z O N E S PAV I N G

Before

Three retrofit Home

Zones in Southville,
a popular area of
After Before Bristol After

Making the most

of Home Zones
Concrete block and flag paving, with while offering endless variety in shape, as varied mixes of colours that can
drainage and other precast concrete scale, colour and texture. emulate other materials such as stone
products, are ideally suited to all Home or clay. Surface treatments can also be
Zones – whether created within existing The concept of a uniform surface shared applied to paving blocks, flags, kerbs
communities or as part of new by people and cars is fundamental to and other products to give different
residential developments. They offer Home Zones and concrete block paving textures, some exposing aggregates and
cost-effective solutions meeting the as well as ‘small element’ paving flags others giving a weathered appearance.
criteria set out in the guidelines, are ideal. With existing streets, the Finally, different shapes and sizes,
including proven long-term performance, Home Zone surface will generally be ranging from large flags to the smaller
durability and minimal maintenance created by raising the carriageway level paving blocks, give the range called for
up to meet the footway, eliminating in the guidelines to suit the particular
stepped kerbs. This can be easily and scales of different spaces. Despite the
economically achieved using an overlay huge choice, precast concrete paved
construction of block or small element surfaces give consistent frictional
flag paving. In addition, weather characteristics and joint widths ensuring
independent ‘dry’ construction methods safety and ease of use by the whole
without curing optimise available community. All these attributes combine
working times to fit in with the to enable designers to select paving
requirements of residents and, as only styles ranging from traditional to
small plant and equipment is needed, contemporary, giving each Home Zone
disturbance is minimised. its own special character.
In terms of design, a wide choice of
colours is available today – ranging
from vibrant to muted tones – as well
 HEIDELBERGCEMENT Group

Formpave

www.paving.org.uk
The Old Rectory, Main Street, Glenfield, Leicester LE3 8DG United Kingdom
e: [email protected] t: 0116 232 5170 f: 0116 232 5197

INTERPAVE IS A PRODUCT ASSOCIATION OF THE BRITISH PRECAST CONCRETE FEDERATION LTD

t: 0116 232 5191

t: 0116 232 5170 f: 0116 232 5197
f: 0116 232 5197
e: [email protected]
e: [email protected]
www.britishprecast.org
www.interlay.org.uk

© BPCF Ltd 2005