Developers
As a developer, it is important to understand the transport implications of your development and how you can go about mitigating these impacts. Developers should liaise with the local planning authority at an early stage when considering a development in order to ensure that the proposal is suitable for the site. Developments which have an impact on the transport network require a Transport Assessment to support the planning application. Whilst this is not a new requirement, it should be noted that the Government has recently released new advice on how these reports should be conducted. This advice was published in March 2007, and the information that is needed can be found in the document Guidance on Transport Assessment.
In particular, the new guidance places a much greater emphasis on reducing the impact of the development through the provision of measures to support and promote the use of sustainable transport to development sites, such as public transport, cycling and walking measures, as opposed to increasing the highway capacity through highway works.
Developers who demonstrate through the Transport Assessment process that their development is located and designed so as to promote access by sustainable transport are more likely to obtain planning permission without undue delay. There are also commercial benefits in adopting this approach, in that it ensures the site has high levels of accessibility for clients, employees and visitors, whatever the transport circumstances. Many agencies suggest that developments which have good transport access can prove to be easier to sell or let, whilst less dependence on the private car access will enable savings on the construction of car parking, as well as freeing up land for development use.
Whilst additional pre-application help is often available from local planning authorities (which may attract additional charges), it is always helpful to involve a specialist transport consultant early in the process. In the first instance, the consultant can provide advice on the feasibility of a development site and also the types of development that would be appropriate for the chosen location. Once it is decided to take a site forward for development, the consultant can then agree with the highway authorities the scale and scope of the information required to prepare the Transport Assessment
In addition to the Transport Assessment and Travel Plan documents themselves, a number of other issues may need to be addressed relating to the transport elements of a development, and these can include:
· Design & Access Statements;
· Access arrangements (including section 278 and section 62 agreements);
· Layout of site including parking and servicing requirements;
· Design of off-site highway works (including section 278 agreements); and
· Independent safety auditing.
Developers should also be mindful that the local planning authorities automatically send any planning applications that may increase traffic on England's strategic road network to the Highways Agency. It is therefore strongly advised that contact should be established with the Agency prior to the submission of your planning application for developments that would have an impact on the Strategic Road Network.
