Birdworld and the adjacent Forest Lodge garden centre are located around 5km south-east of Farnham, accessed from the A325. Birdworld has operated since 1967 and remains one of North Hampshire’s best-known visitor attractions, while Forest Lodge opened in 1981. Both sites have been operated by Haskins Garden Centres since their acquisition in 2020.
Redevelopment of the two sites was essential to create viable year-round businesses. At Birdworld, the visitor experience had become dated, with large areas not accessible to the public and a clear need to modernise the offer. At the same time, there was an opportunity to expand and improve the retail facilities at Forest Lodge. The wider vision was to create a stronger visitor destination, including new indoor and outdoor play areas, updated visitor facilities and enhanced breeding and conservation spaces.
Transport and highways strategy was central to delivering that vision. The site’s bespoke mix of uses, seasonal visitor peaks and varying travel patterns meant that a standard approach would not be enough. The client needed a transport strategy that could support planning, identify the right access solution early, and respond to both day-to-day and peak-period demands in a safe, practical and deliverable way.
iTransport provided transport and highways advice throughout the planning process, with a particular focus on identifying and securing the right access strategy at an early stage.
We adopted a methodical, evidence-led approach, recognising that agreement on site access would be critical to the success of the wider redevelopment. Early engagement with the local highway authority allowed us to test principles, understand concerns and shape a strategy that could support the client’s ambition for a year-round destination.
A key part of the work was developing a detailed understanding of how Birdworld and Forest Lodge operate, including the bespoke and highly seasonal travel patterns associated with both uses. We combined that operational understanding with a comprehensive suite of transport data to estimate likely future demand and identify the periods that should form the basis of assessment. Professional judgement was particularly important here, as peak demands varied significantly across the year and between the two uses.
We then reviewed the existing highway safety issues associated with the current accesses, considered recorded vehicle speeds and tested a range of access options through junction capacity modelling and iterative design work. This process was used to refine the strategy and demonstrate the benefits of a new three-arm roundabout serving both developments. The agreed approach improved safety, met current design standards and provided the capacity required for future demand.
Following agreement of the access strategy, our wider technical work included a Transport Assessment and Travel Plan, active travel connectivity improvements across the A325, bus stop upgrades and detailed input to the site layout to ensure it worked for all users, including seasonal parking pressures.
The redevelopment proposals were supported by a comprehensive Transport Assessment and Travel Plan prepared on an agreed basis with the local highway authority.
The planning application was submitted in January 2024 and approved in October 2024. Given the scale and bespoke nature of the development, this represented a relatively efficient determination period. From a transport perspective, post-submission discussions were limited, reflecting the extent of the technical work and stakeholder engagement carried out before submission.
The evidence-led approach to the access strategy was a key part of unlocking the site and giving the wider project team confidence in how the redevelopment could be brought forward. Agreement was reached quickly on the final transport position, including planning conditions and Section 106 obligations.
The first phases of the development are now open to the public, with the outdoor play areas opening in July 2025 and the indoor play offer following in December 2025. Overall, the work helped turn an ambitious redevelopment vision into a deliverable, consented scheme for a strengthened leisure and retail destination.
We provide the full range of specialist transport planning services needed to take schemes from early concept through to consent and delivery
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