The Scottish Government

« Previous | Contents | Next »

Listen

INTRODUCTION

1. This Scottish Planning Policy ( SPP) replaces NPPG9 The Provision of Roadside Facilities on Motorways and Other Trunk Roads in Scotland, NPPG17 Transport and Planning, and SPP17 Transport and Planning Maximum Parking Standards Addendum to NPPG17. Background material and good practice guidance is in Planning Advice Note 57.

POLICY CONTEXT

SPP objectives

2. Scottish Planning Policy 1: The Planning System was published in November 2002. It sets out the purpose of the planning system, and puts it in the context of the wider objectives of the Scottish Executive. The sustainable development principles of economic competitiveness, social justice, environmental quality and design underlie all SPPs, and will not be repeated here.

3. The objective of a development strategy is to guide development to the most sustainable locations ¹. Addressing accessibility issues is an integral part of the planning process. Co-ordinating investment in developments such as economic development, housing, retailing and in rural areas with existing and programmed transport infrastructure is an important policy objective set out in the National Planning Framework,SPP 2 Economic Development, SPP 3 Planning for Housing, NPPG 4 Mineral Working and SPP 15 Planning for Rural Development. Reference should be made to these documents.

4. The Scottish Executive Partnership for a Better Scotland (2003) has four aims:

• Growing the economy;
• Delivering excellence in public services;
• Supporting strong communities; and
• Developing an ambitious and confident Scotland.

5. The overall vision is of a Scotland where the economy can flourish and communities can function without significant environmental and social problems arising from car dependency, traffic congestion and pollution.

6. This SPP supports these aims through the integration of land use, economic development, environmental issues and transport planning. To achieve this requires consideration of the following objectives:

• to meet European and UK commitments and targets on greenhouse gases and local air quality;
• to maintain and enhance the natural and built environment, through avoiding or mitigating adverse environmental impacts, minimising environmental intrusion and retaining, improving and enhancing areas for biodiversity;
• to maintain and enhance the quality of urban life, particularly the vitality and viability of urban centres;
• to reinforce the rural economy and way of life;
• to ensure that the impact of development proposals on transport networks does not compromise their safety or efficiency.

7. The planning system is a key mechanism for integration through supporting:

• a pattern of development and redevelopment that:
• supports economic growth and regeneration;
• takes account of identified population and land use changes in improving accessibility to public services, including health services jointly planned with Health Boards;
• reduces the need to travel;
• promotes road safety and safety on public transport;
• facilitates movement by public transport including provision of interchange facilities between modes;
• encourages and facilitates freight servicing by rail or water; and
• enables people to access local facilities by walking and cycling;
• provision of high quality public transport access, in order to encourage modal shift away from car use to more sustainable forms of transport, and to fully support those without access to a car;
• effective management of motorised travel, within a context of sustainable transport objectives; and
• the infrastructure for modern electronic communication networks which support home-working, real time information on public transport and in-car information systems to reduce car commuting and congestion.

8. Access to opportunities to exercise is an important element of a strategy for improving health in Scotland. ² There are potential health benefits if people forego car travel for walking and cycling, whether undertaking a short journey, or going to and from bus stops or rail stations. Even better if sports facilities can be accessed safely on foot or by cycle on local networks. However many sporting activities in Scotland take place in the countryside and require car access, and these may be considered appropriate where they help to develop vibrant rural communities.

9. Regional transport partnerships exist in parts of Scotland on a non-statutory basis. It is proposed to create statutory regional transport partnerships covering the whole of Scotland ⁴. One of their duties will be to prepare and maintain regional transport strategies. These will have to be co-ordinated with structure planning ⁵.

10. At the individual council level, local transport strategies will continue to be prepared ⁶. Local plans and local transport strategies should co-ordinate land use and transport planning at a local level.

Planning for transport in rural areas

11. The policy aim is to have a prosperous rural economy, with a stable or increasing population where rural communities have reasonable access to good quality services. Major facilities will continue to be concentrated in the larger settlements. Most additional housing, employment, retail, leisure and other services should be located where there is access from an existing road or footpath to a rail station or bus route, and there is proximity to local services e.g. schools and shops ideally within walking or cycling distance.

12. Away from settlements, particularly in remoter localities, development plans should be realistic about the likely availability of public transport access. Rural development may be permitted on social and economic grounds where regular and frequent public transport cannot be justified and where the impact of vehicle movements on the local road network would not be significant. Developer contributions may be appropriate to meet access improvements, and community run transport services have an important role to play in remote rural and island communities and should be encouraged.

Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003

13. Local authorities have a duty to assert, protect, keep open and free from obstruction any route, waterway or other means where access can be reasonably exercised. Not later than 3 years after implementation of the relevant section of the Act, local authorities have a duty to draw up a plan for a system of core paths sufficient to provide reasonable public access throughout their areas, and thereafter to review and maintain the plan. Powers exist to acquire land, maintain and manage core paths. Core paths will encourage people to visit the countryside for purposes of tourism, recreation and healthy exercise while encouraging responsible access particularly over agricultural land. The core path network will also provide sustainable opportunities for local travel between settlements in rural areas, and around the urban fringe. The core path plan is expected to be given due cognisance in the appropriate local plan as soon as is practicable.

MAJOR STRATEGIC PROJECTS

A National Transport Strategy

14. Following the creation of a national transport agency during 2005, it is proposed that a statutory national transport strategy will be produced. The strategy will show how transport will contribute to the Executive's aims of economic growth, social inclusion, improvement of health and protecting the environment, and how it links with planning, over the next decade. It will cover all modes of transport and the needs of all travellers. It will provide context for a strategic projects review. In particular a Scottish rail strategy will sit seamlessly within the overall national transport strategy. Relationships between the Department, agency, regional transport partnerships and planning authorities will be key to continued success in integrated land use transport planning.

Policy support

15. Maintaining and improving transport infrastructure has an important role to play in growing Scotland's economy. Congestion has a major impact on the economy and environment of Scotland. The Scottish Executive is tackling this through a range of interventions, delivering improvements to key congestion points on the road network and developing new public transport infrastructure and services in order to change people's attitudes to their travel choices.

16. The aim of planning policy is to support and accommodate new investment and development in locations accessible by a range of means of transport and which seek to minimise the impact on existing transport networks and the environment. Transport cannot be an afterthought in the development process. Accessibility issues should be factored into the preparation of development plans and appraisal of planning applications from the outset. Structure plans should therefore include a development strategy which is prepared in the full knowledge of transport network infrastructure and services, environmental and operational constraints, proposed or committed new transport projects and demand management schemes.

17. Proposals for development and regeneration should support and build upon the capacity of the transport network, giving greater weight to locations able to be well integrated into effective networks for walking, cycling and public transport and highlighting where new major transport infrastructure and services are required. The most central and accessible locations should be developed at higher densities on the basis of opportunities for public transport, walking and cycling access and car restraint. Commercial development should be planned in relation to current and future potential for freight servicing by rail and/or strategic road routes, allowing efficient and sustainable servicing without undue impact on local communities.

18. An appraisal process which may include land use transport modelling should identify issues and seek to resolve them through iteration of the land use and transport relationships. Appraisal ⁷ should also address trade-offs between alternative development options and transport impacts and accord with the principles of Strategic Environmental Assessment.

19. The impact of the development strategy should be appraised to identify required new infrastructure. Major transport infrastructure for both people and freight may be funded from various public and private sources, including developer contributions ⁸. Taking local knowledge into account, the principles to be applied in respect of developer contributions should be addressed in structure and local plans. In complex developments, and where cumulative impacts may accrue, a masterplanning approach should identify a contribution strategy for different developers and different phases of development.

20. The land use development pattern is equally dependent on other factors such as built and natural heritage considerations, and on water supply, drainage and education provision where developer contributions may also be required. The consequent impact on viability of development will have to be taken into account. The choice of locations for new development will, therefore, be influenced by a range of considerations which may run counter to the optimal solution in transport terms. Equally the optimal transport solution may be achieved but only at some environmental loss. The decision process should be informed by Strategic Environmental Assessment and Environmental Impact Assessment.

21. Motorways, other trunk roads and local authority strategic roads carry long distance traffic between major centres, although in rural Scotland many strategic roads also perform important local functions. Development plan strategies should aim to reduce the need to use strategic routes for short local journeys. Pressure for development at strategic road junctions should be resisted unless the development is integrated with existing settlements through local public transport, new and existing cycle and footpath networks, and not dependent for local journeys on the strategic road network. Other significant travel generating developments should be similarly integrated.

22. The Scottish Executive and local authorities are responsible for promoting road improvement schemes on the strategic network. Local authority planning and transport staff should be involved in the early modelling and appraisal ⁹ work for such projects, and therefore be able to assess the implications for their own development strategies. Where emerging development strategies suggest that improvements are required to strategic roads, planning authorities should pursue the issues with the appropriate roads authority, so that the impact of the development strategy and the need for new infrastructure is identified. There is a general presumption against new motorway or trunk road junctions. The Scottish Executive will consider the case for such junctions where nationally significant economic growth or regeneration benefits can be demonstrated.

23. Where feasible in operational terms, additions and enhancements to the rail network, stations and services can play a key role in providing sustainable transport and achieving mode shift. Providing facilities for rail freight is also instrumental in reducing lorry miles on the road network. Planning authorities, Strathclyde Passenger Transport ( SPT), the Strategic Rail Authority, Network Rail, business and the freight industry should be aware of each others' proposals and initiatives. Development strategies should support emerging proposals. planning authorities, SPT and the Strategic Rail Authority should engage on longer term strategic development options ¹¹, taking into account the Strategic Rail Authority's Strategic Plan and their applicable strategies and policies, such as the strategy for encouraging more use of cycles in connection with rail journeys. The Strategic Rail authority has also published guidance on promoting new stations ¹². Developer contributions can assist in station provision and improvement, and in revenue subsidy.

24. The strategic planning dimension in guided transit proposals lies in identifying in land use terms where scarce resources may best be directed, and in integrating guided transit with other transport infrastructure, positively providing interchange with rail and bus and with pedestrian flows and resolving potential conflicts with other road traffic. Guided transit has the potential to bring economic, social and environmental benefits but difficulties may arise in relation to integrating new routes into the existing urban fabric, particularly where conservation areas or listed buildings are involved. However there are many examples in Europe and further afield where this has been successfully done, and appraisal should establish the trade-offs to be made.

25. While many bus services will be local in nature and networks will have developed over many years, strategic projects developed with operators can through integration of bus and land use development have a significant beneficial effect. Design in development layouts should adequately accommodate bus access; roadspace should be dedicated to buses in appropriate circumstances; high quality interchange points, passenger facilities and information should be provided; traffic management should aim to reduce journey times and increase reliability; and the whole integrated package should be commercially marketed to effect modal shift.

26. The Air Transport White Paper ¹⁴ contains several significant policy statements regarding the development of the key Scottish airports over the next 25 years. Some decisions have already been announced e.g. airport rail links to Edinburgh and Glasgow airports. The West Edinburgh Planning Framework ( WEPF), prepared by the Scottish Executive in conjunction with City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian, sets out policy for the area of economic growth around Edinburgh Airport. The WEPF will be reviewed in the light of policy in the White Paper.

27. Strategic development options in the White Paper pose choices for the use and development of land in and around key airports. Planning authorities should take account of these issues in their land use development strategies for these areas.

28. Planning authorities and airport operators should therefore address, with the Scottish Executive, the planning and transport issues arising from potential airport development. These include:

• the operational needs of the airport in terms of runway capacity, terminal facilities, cargo handling, aircraft maintenance and handling provision, hours of operation, obstacle limitation surface and public safety zone safeguarding;
• surface transport access, for essential supplies, for air freight, for staff and for passengers, including effective walking, cycling and public transport links (including safeguarding for new rail and tram routes) designed to achieve a modal shift from car to more sustainable modes;
• related development, both on- and off-site, such as transport interchanges, administrative offices, hotels, short and long stay parking, warehousing and distribution services; and
• other development not linked directly to the operational needs of the airport and to be provided off-site, but easily accessible to the airport.

29. As noted in the National Planning Framework for Scotland ¹⁵, international trends in container shipping present substantial opportunities for the deep water facilities at Scapa Flow and Hunterston. These give scope for new transhipment and gateway facilities linked to world shipping routes to contribute to the Scottish economy.

30. Coastal shipping can provide an environmentally friendly means of moving heavy freight. This requires wharves and harbour facilities able to handle and distribute the goods. Planning authorities should liaise with port authorities and have an access strategy for freight traffic serving the port. Opportunities for rail access should be safeguarded and where appropriate promoted and developed using Track Access Grants and Freight Facilities Grant.

31. Scotland's island and coastal communities are dependent on ferry services. Road access for cars and freight to ferry terminals as well as integration and interchange with buses and trains should form part of planning policy supporting these communities.

LOCAL PLANS AND TRANSPORT PROJECTS

Relating land use to existing and proposed networks

32. The process of preparing a local plan should relate the existing land use development pattern to the capacity of the transport network, and appraise the pattern of new land allocations in relation to transport opportunities and constraints. The location of significant travel-generating uses are critical to the number and length of trips, particularly for shopping, employment and leisure. Planning authorities should locate such developments in places well served by public transport, especially town centres and other key locations, and manage the associated car parking. In such locations, higher density development is appropriate to maximise the role of public transport. Councils should also promote change by seeking, in conjunction with public transport operators and SPT, to improve public transport access to existing significant car-based developments. Councils should also promote active travel by providing direct, attractive and coherent cycle / pedestrian routes to these developments.

33. Local plans should express the relationship between development proposals and transport at a local level in accord with the policy contained in the Scottish Planning Policy series and in National Planning Policy Guidelines where still extant, in the Air Quality Strategy, statutory air quality objectives, any designated air quality management areas, and in the strategy of any relevant structure plan, Regional or Local Transport Strategy. They should set out:

• proposals for meeting the different transport requirements of different land uses, including designation and management of through routes, development of local services on sustainable networks, use of different modes, and environmental impacts;
• land use implications of traffic and parking management including reference to the Regional or Local Transport Strategy in respect to the council's parking standards, public transport priorities and park and ride, congestion charging schemes, and safe and secure provision for walking and cycling including standards for the design and location of cycle parking in support of the land use policies; and
• policy for transport assessments and travel plans to be submitted in support of planning applications.

34. Recent developments, sites allocated for development in existing plans, and extant planning permissions not yet implemented should not set a precedent for future development plans. Planning authorities in reviewing their development plans should re-assess, against the policy in this SPP, those development sites in unsustainable locations ¹⁶ for which planning permission has not yet been granted. Where such sites are not consistent with the principles of sustainable transport, and it is unlikely that a development scheme could redress this deficiency through action to improve transport accessibility, including the potential use of travel plans and developer contributions, consideration should be given to withdrawing their development allocation or to reallocating the site for alternative forms of development. Time expired permissions for which renewal is sought will fall to be considered against the policy in this and other relevant SPPs.

General

35. Within an approach to integrated land use and transport planning, mode of personal travel should be prioritised according to the following principles:

• walking: the most sustainable form of travel, capable of substituting for the car over short distances with very significant health benefits and environmental gains;
• cycling: a sustainable form of transport with significant health benefits and environmental gains, promoted through the National Cycling Strategy, capable of being used in conjunction with public transport for medium and longer distances, and capable of substituting for the car over shorter distances;
• public transport: able to carry large numbers of people efficiently and effectively, particularly when interchange and timetabling and ticketing are well integrated, and can provide an alternative to the private car, although less sustainable than foot or pedal power;
• motorised modes: integrated transport policy takes account of the important role of the car, both as a flexible mode of transport for the individual but also as a mode that impinges greatly on others' access and transport opportunities. It should not therefore be assumed that cars should have universal freedom of access. Within settlements, consideration should be given to re-allocating road space to increased footway width, to cycle lanes, to dedicated public transport use, or in appropriate locations priority use by freight vehicles. Motorised two wheel vehicles have advantages over cars in terms of roadspace used and some environmental impacts. Within highly pressured parts of the countryside such as National Parks, measures such as one-way roads or closure to cars to other than residents could protect amenity and natural heritage interests.

36. Planning authorities should consult the SRA and in their area the SPT regarding a reasonable prospect of re-use of disused railways for future rail or tram systems or as footpaths, cycle routes, or bridleways. Such routes should be safeguarded in development plans from severance by other development. Where future rail use is possible, former and potential sites for stations should also be protected.

37. Planning authorities have a general duty under Section 46 of the Countryside (Scotland) Act 1968 to protect, keep open and free from obstruction or encroachment any public right of way. They also have a duty under Section 17 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 to develop and maintain Core Path Networks. They should safeguard and promote routes which will form part of "green networks" for wildlife, biodiversity and tranquil access within and around urban areas. Where disused routes forming part of walking and cycling networks are to be re-used for road or rail based transport, appropriate measures, including replacement of relevant links, should be taken to safeguard the integrity of the walking and cycling network, and any acquired wildlife corridor role.

38. New development should be accessible on foot, both in internal layout and in external connections. Proposals should meet the objectives of measures to be adopted by the Executive to encourage walking. While personal security issues may in some circumstances suggest that pedestrians should not generally be segregated from the roadway or other activity which encourages natural surveillance, well-used segregated routes, with CCTV, ranger or police patrols where necessary, can provide considerable travel benefits and enjoyment. Urban areas should be made more attractive and safer for pedestrians, including in particular people with mobility difficulties. Improved conditions, including a well-planned Core Path Network, linked to planning policies which promote local activity, could lead to a significant change in travel choices.

39. In areas where policy is to encourage access on foot, town centres being one example, the pedestrian should be given priority over other modes. This should be reinforced through measures to reduce traffic speed, restrict the movement of vehicles and give pedestrians priority over vehicles.

40. Cyclists' interests ¹⁷ and routes ¹⁸ should be accommodated in proposals for development with creation or enhancement adding incrementally to a comprehensive cycle network in accord with the objectives and guidance in the National Cycling Strategy. Cycle routes should concentrate in particular on providing convenient routes to employment centres, schools and other local facilities. Cycle networks should be continuous, with severance by main or distributor roads avoided; where necessary to achieve a safe, coherent and direct route, signalled crossings should be provided. As well as meeting local needs cycle networks can provide a potentially important recreational and tourist facility. Networks may include use of redundant railway lines or space alongside canals and rivers. Where separate facilities cannot be provided, routes shared with pedestrians or horseriders may be considered where space allows, and with design optimised for the priority user, but the most positive way to accommodate different interests is to ensure a range of access provision throughout an area for all recreational and travel needs.

41. New development areas should be served or proposed to be served by public transport accessing a range of potential destinations. Development plans should provide clear guidance on the requirements for public transport access to such areas. In particular it would be useful to provide the infrastructure to enable public transport integration between modes and with facilities such as secure covered cycle parking where this would enhance journey opportunities. Sites with significant public transport accessibility, either at nodes in the network or along high frequency corridors, should be developed at higher densities and with restrictive maximum parking standards. Local plans should identify such sites which should be favourably considered for urban redevelopment and regeneration, consistent with other planning policies. All such sites should seek to enable pedestrian movement from the public transport facility to the development without conflict with cars manoeuvring in any car park. Quality bus corridors and other bus priorities set out in the Regional or Local Transport Strategies will form one basis for this development focus. Where available, sites adjacent to stations should be the preferred location for development generating a large number of workforce and visitor trips. Planning authorities should consult the Strategic Rail Authority, Network Rail and in their area, SPT, on the potential for reopening rail lines, providing new stations or reviving passenger services on existing lines.

42. Local plans, drawing on Regional and Local Transport Strategies, should include reference to policies and proposals for the management of traffic. Roads intended to carry buses serving new developments should be designed accordingly. The local plan should indicate where buses will be given priority and the measures which will be taken to support this. These should reflect location policies and the needs of bus operators. Where enhancement to public transport services or infrastructure, including heavy and light rail as well as bus, is desirable to serve new development, but would not be provided commercially, a contribution from the developer towards an agreed level of service may be appropriate. To avoid competition issues, contributions, agreed through Transport Assessments and related to Travel Plan performance, should be provided through local authorities to tendered subsidised operators.

43. Parking policies ( see Maximum parking standards paragraphs 51-67) have an important role to play in reducing reliance on the car. In town centres, short term parking, preferably off-street, can support accessibility and vitality. Reducing and restricting opportunities for long stay parking will discourage car commuting. Parking restraint policies ¹⁹ should be supported by measures to promote availability of high quality public transport services and effective management of traffic demand. On urban and inter-urban commuter routes, councils should consider promoting formal park and ride schemes. Adequate parking should be provided at rail stations, both in rural and commuter areas, to encourage onward travel by rail. Both measures can reduce car commuting into the most congested urban areas. Consideration should be given to specifying all car parking as safe and secure ²⁰.

44. Statutory equal opportunities obligations ²² should be taken into account in planning developments in relation to their accessibility to different users by different means of transport. Particular attention should be paid to socially excluded groups, and to accessibility to areas of social deprivation. Social exclusion may arise through unemployment, poverty or other economic factors, homelessness, geographical remoteness, ill health, religious or cultural mores, or through age (children and the elderly).

45. The Scottish Executive report "Women and Transport: Moving Forward" and the subsequent "Women and Transport: Guidance and Checklist" demonstrate the predominant and disproportionate dependence of women on sustainable means of transport. Many of the action points concern management and cost of public transport, and would benefit all users. In so far as land use planning can influence women's experience of transport and take-up of transport opportunities, the guidance elsewhere in this SPP on serving development by sustainable modes should be in line with meeting women's needs.

Planning for people with mobility impairments

46. The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 aims to provide disabled people with an equal opportunity in terms, inter alia, of access to goods and services. The general principle embodied in legislation is that disabled people should not be discriminated against, either by being treated less favourably than other people for a reason related to their disability, or through a failure to make a reasonable adjustment. The Act defines a disability as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on the ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. The policies contained in this SPP should be applied with this principle constantly in mind. Effective planning for the needs of disabled people often has positive benefits for others who may experience difficulties, including older people, those travelling with children and those with heavy luggage. In a planning context, the relationship of land uses to the means of transport accessing them should take into account and make positive provision for access by people with mobility impairments. This may have implications for, among other things, access and parking ²³ for disabled persons' vehicles in situations where otherwise vehicular access is being discouraged. It will also have design requirements, for example, for use by disabled people of pedestrian or pedestrian/cycle routes. For disabled people who are not restricted to their own personal transport, accommodating dial-a-bus type services, or designing access to public transport, waiting facilities, information and ticketing, will all assist in giving as high a degree of freedom of access as is practicable.

47. The strategic economic importance of freight access to business should be recognised, and appropriate arrangements made, including designing adequate provision for servicing vehicles within developments. Development plans should allocate sites for manufacturing, processing, distribution or warehousing, which are readily accessible not only to the strategic road network, but also to suitable rail facilities, wharves and harbours. Planning authorities should consider safeguarding existing lorry park facilities. The need for new sites for lorry parking and freight transfer facilities should be assessed against current provision and in consultation with stakeholders regarding location, but with consideration for residential areas and other sensitive environments. During the privatisation of the rail industry a number of sites were designated as strategic freight sites ²⁴ for future rail freight use throughout Scotland and where that statutory protection continues to apply ²⁵, these sites should be safeguarded in relevant development plans. In addition, planning authorities should, in consultation with transport providers, identify existing operational or disused sites adjacent to infrastructure which may be suitable in commercial, operational and technical terms to be developed for uses requiring rail or water borne freight access at either a strategic or local scale. Consideration should be given to the need to plan for new or expanded rail freight interchanges as a means of facilitating the movement of freight by rail and reducing the transport journey by road.

48. In particular consideration should be given to partnership working between the local authority and the freight sector to improve delivery systems such as by agreeing preferred routes, re-examination of delivery time restrictions etc. Such partnership working can be taken forward effectively through the formation of area Freight Quality Partnerships. The Freight Transport Association and the Road Haulage Association will be glad to assist with the development of plans.

49. Where rail or water borne freight are not feasible, development which attracts significant movements of road freight (such as large scale warehousing distribution depots and some forms of manufacturing) should be located away from congested inner areas and from residential areas. They should have direct access to the local distributor road network and good links to the strategic road network.

ASSESSING DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS

General

50. A framework for delivering better integration of transport and land use planning will be a key policy tool. Significant travel generating uses should be located to support more sustainable travel patterns, with specified non-car mode shares. Such a framework will consist of:

• location policy, ensuring development has regard to national, structure and local plan requirements, and controlling the location of significant travel generating uses;
• a set of maximum parking standards for specified uses;
• Transport Assessment methodology ensuring that proposed development incorporates maximum feasible sustainable transport access and forming the basis for planning conditions or agreements or for refusing consent; and
• the use of Travel Plans (also known as Green Transport Plans) and planning agreements to promote sustainable transport solutions to development end users.

51. Planning permission should not be granted for significant travel generating uses in locations:

• where immediate links to walking and cycling networks are not available or cannot be made available;
• where access to public transport networks are further than 400 metres by walking;
• which would encourage reliance on the private car;
• which would be likely to have a detrimental effect on the capacity of the strategic road and/or rail network; or
• where a Transport Assessment does not include any satisfactory mechanism for meeting sustainable transport requirements.

General

52. As one of the tools of demand management to encourage modal shift, each council is required to adopt a set of maximum parking standards ²⁶ for on-site parking at new development. These should deal with all common forms of development, and may by agreement be regionally derived in Regional Transport Strategies, or derived by individual councils in Local Transport Strategies. These standards will be subject, for development at and above specified size thresholds in respect of specific land uses, to national maximum parking standards. Councils will have to undertake special procedures in development planning and development management if they wish to breach the national standards. For development categories to which national standards apply, it will be perfectly acceptable for councils to adopt standards that are more restrictive than the national standard.

53. Council standards may where appropriate provide for operational parking over and above the maximum parking standard. Councils may also wish to have a set of underpinning minimum standards ²⁷, effectively creating a range. These mechanisms can form part of a strategy to manage vehicle movement and parking through controlled on-street parking zones, residential parking areas, public off-street parking provision, on-site development related parking, and protection of servicing and loading bays from inappropriate car parking.

54. Developers of individual sites within town centres may be required, in addition to any other provision for supporting sustainable transport access, to contribute to implementing the overall parking requirement for a town centre, including meeting secure car parks standard, in lieu of individual parking provision. Such proposals should form part of a Transport Assessment.

55. Where an area is well served by sustainable modes, there is clear scope for adopting more restrictive maximum parking standards with the objective of reducing car use. Conversely in rural areas where public transport is scarce, standards may need to be more relaxed, provided such relaxation does not further undermine public transport viability. Definition of standards, including variation by area, should support the viability of town centres against the attractions of out of centre shopping and leisure areas.

56. There may also, however, be areas where development aspirations are strong but which are car dependent with weak public transport. If the development aspirations can be justified, then councils should enter into partnerships with developers and transport operators to ensure that sustainable transport initiatives in which maximum parking standards play a role are put in place to serve the development.

57. For employment uses where there is shift working employee transport at unsocial hours may be problematic. Travel Plans may be one mechanism for handling the sensitive transport issues arising, by organising dedicated employee buses, or car sharing schemes, or arranging for staggered shift changes for example. Councils should however be generally sympathetic to the needs of shift workers. Planning agreements may help avoid abuse of resultant parking space provided.

58. Constraining parking at trip destinations while car ownership remains unconstrained, means more cars will remain parked at home. Residential development should, therefore, normally be excluded from maximum car parking standards. Residential areas should be planned in terms of layout, urban design, and permeability to and by walking, cycling and public transport to minimise dominance by the car, whether moving or parked. Planning authorities, in the context of sites highly accessible by walking, cycling and public transport, should however consider applying locally derived maximum car parking standards to residential development in association with controlled parking zones. In appropriate circumstances, Car-Free Housing and Home Zones also have a role to play in humanising the relationship between homes, people and cars.

59. Locally derived maximum parking standards should be applicable to all new development specified by detailed land uses. Where planning applications are received for extensions to existing development, the new gross parking maximum should be calculated on the new gross floorspace inclusive of the extension. This could result in no further car parking being allowed in respect of an extension.

60. In City Regions strategic maximum parking standards should be set at a City Region or Regional Transport Partnership level and referred to in Regional Transport Strategies or structure plans. In the interim, Regional or Local Transport Strategies would be an appropriate vehicle. Outside City Regions, standards should be published in Local Transport Strategies and referred to in development plans.

61. In some rural situations, public transport networks and service frequencies are inadequate to provide a required degree of accessibility over the rural area. Councils should examine the contribution innovative solutions in demand responsive public transport, small scale park and ride at nodes on rural bus corridors, car share schemes, mobile services, etc., can play. Councils may then conclude that specific development proposals require a greater than normal level of car parking. If exceptionally provision in excess of the national standards is thought to be required, the strategic argument should be made in development plans and to the extent approved, these standards would then supersede the national standards.

62. Specific provision should be made for parking for disabled people in addition to the general parking allowed under the maximum standard. Local disability groups should be consulted on the amount, location and design of this provision. Part S of the Technical Standards for compliance with the Building Standards (Scotland) Regulations 1990 as amended sets requirements for parking for disabled people. As a general rule, parking for disabled people should be located as close to building entrances as feasible, and with level access between vehicle and building. In what follows, the minimum provision should always be the greater of the Building Standards or planning requirement.

63. Local authorities have powers under The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to designate by an order under The Local Authorities' Traffic Orders (Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 1999 spaces for parking for disabled people on private land with the agreement of the land owner. Such designation allows Blue Badge parking for disabled people to be enforced by police, traffic wardens, or in areas with decriminalised parking, parking attendants. Local authorities should consider designation, especially where there is a history of abuse of parking provision for disabled people for example in retail, leisure and recreation developments in the area.

64. In retail, recreation and leisure use developments spaces for car parking for disabled people should be allocated to at least the minimum standard in Table 1 below. In addition, parent and child parking should be designated within the maximum number of general parking spaces allowed. These spaces should be of sufficient size to enable safe transfer of children to buggies, etc., and should be nearest the building entrance, after spaces for disabled people have been allocated.

65. Employers have a duty under employment law to consider the disabilities of their employees and visitors to their premises. Employees are entitled to declare themselves as disabled without necessarily fulfilling the requirements of eligibility for the Blue Badge parking scheme for disabled people. Employers should therefore designate sufficient clearly marked parking spaces in practice reserved for disabled people. A minimum standard is set out in Table 1 below, based on the applicable maximum standard irrespective of whether that amount of car parking is provided or not. Planning authorities, in granting permission for land uses where people will be employed, should include a condition that parking for disabled people meets these criteria.

Table 1 - Minimum Car Parking Standards for Disabled People

66. The maximum parking standard regime does not affect cycle parking in town centres, in development or at transport interchanges. Within development sites, councils should ensure that secure, sheltered cycle parking is more conveniently located to building entrances than the car parking. Authorities should set cycle parking standards taking into account local circumstances along with the indicative standards referred to in Table 11.1 of "Cycling by Design" (Scottish Executive December 1999).

67. As set out in paragraph 52, each council is expected to define a set of maximum parking standards for that council's area. However, for a small number of significant travel-generating land uses as set out in Table 2, there is a national interest in ensuring that council parking standards are no less restrictive. These national standards apply to the whole of any development which breaches the size threshold and to all motor vehicle parking other than that provided for disabled people. If a council wishes to approve a development of a category and size set out in Table 2 with less restrictive parking standards, they will have to refer the application to the Scottish Ministers under The Town and Country Planning (Notification of Applications) (Scotland) Amendment Direction 2003. The Scottish Ministers will then decide whether to allow the council to proceed or whether to call in the application for their own determination.

Table 2 - National Maximum Car Parking Standards

Note 1: Where a retail development car park is designed to provide general town centre parking, or can be demonstrated to do so to a significant extent, that should be recognised in the amount of parking that is permitted above that specifically allowed for the development. In such cases, provision in excess of the above standard would not invoke referral to the Scottish Ministers.
Note 2: Sufficient coach parking should be provided to the satisfaction of the local authority and treated separately from car parking. Coach parking needs to be designed and managed so it will not be used for car parking.
Note 3: The standard for students relates to the total number of students attending an educational establishment, rather than full-time equivalents.

68. Prospective developers may, for specific developments, seek exemptions from maximum car parking standards. The case for exemptions should be made in a Transport Assessment. The Transport Assessment should demonstrate that no reasonable alternative site exists that could be developed within the relevant maximum parking standard and that the proposed standard in comparison with the relevant maximum parking standard will cause no net detriment to the transport network in the development opening year and for ten years thereafter.

69. Transport Assessment methodology should focus developers' attention on delivering an appropriate non-car mode share in respect of access to the proposed development. Councils should set Mode Share Targets for different types of development in different areas. Transport Assessment and Implementation: A Guide is published alongside this SPP.

70. Travel Plans associated with a planning permission should be specified through a planning agreement, negotiated with the developer, in order that they may be adequately implemented and enforced. The Transport Assessment should include details of a proposed Travel Plan as part of the application, and include proposals for monitoring the Travel Plan and adjusting it where necessary in the light of outcomes. The existence of a Travel Plan does not, however, remove the requirement to consider planning applications against the development plan and other material considerations.

71. Direct access to a motorway or motorway slip road is not allowed from any private development other than a motorway service area approved by the Scottish Executive. Scottish Executive criteria for motorway access to service areas is contained in an Annex to the Planning Advice Note. Where the local authority or developers propose new or expanded motorway junctions a full STAG appraisal will be required to contribute to the decision making process.

72. Safe and appropriate access design should reflect the type of road involved, the scale of the development, the nature of the area, and the volume and character of traffic likely to use both the road and access. Direct access on to strategic roads should be avoided as far as practicable. Unless there is no alternative, access should be to a secondary road and not directly from a non-restricted trunk road (subject only to the national speed limit). Proposals should avoid conflicting manoeuvres on lengths of road designed to provide scarce overtaking opportunities.

73. Following full Transport Assessment, the residual traffic impact of developments on the strategic road network should be mitigated to achieve "no net detriment" to the flow and safety of traffic on the network. It will be appropriate to require the developer to fund major road or junction improvements where the volume or character of traffic or type of road warrant it. Strategic roads are often barriers to walking and cycling, and development should seek to make the barrier more permeable through inclusion of pedestrian and cycle crossings. Planning Advice Note 66 Best Practice in Handling Planning Applications Affecting Trunk Roads (2003) sets out good practice and procedural aspects of the trunk road development management process.

General

74. Roadside facilities cover a range from simple laybys through to comprehensive service areas. A definition of "Service Area" is set out in Planning Advice Note 75. The level of facilities provided should be realistic relative to traffic flow, operator interest, the impact on the economies of the wayside and bypassed communities, infrastructure costs, and the environmental character of the route corridor. Planning authorities should make appropriate provision in their development plans for a range of roadside facilities and should avoid being unduly restrictive unless there are legitimate land use, environmental, road safety or traffic management justifications.

75. Tiredness is a significant road safety factor particularly on "long haul" routes. Road users should have opportunities at least every 50 kilometres to stop for rest and to obtain essential services, for example catering, toilets, emergency telephones, rest areas, visitor interpretation, and parking for heavy lorries. On congested routes, time driving between rest opportunities may be more critical than distance. A strategically located and well designed service area can meet these needs where demand supports its provision. Local authorities in partnership with public and other local bodies and the private sector should identify demand and initiate a process to meet it.

76. Where there is insufficient market demand to support private sector roadside development, less comprehensive roadside facilities for the safety and comfort of road users should be provided. Planning authorities should also have regard to the level and quality of services in wayside and bypassed communities, and to landscape and design quality issues. Facilities in local communities should be coordinated, promoted and signposted to provide an effective service to the road user.

77. Scottish Executive policy is generally to look to local authorities, public bodies and the private sector to identify opportunities for Motorway Service Areas ( MSA), and to the private sector to acquire sites and seek planning consent. A proposal for a new MSA whether accessed directly from the motorway or via an interchange, and whether serving one or both directions of travel, will be considered in relation to the general criteria for designation as an MSA, to applicable planning policies relating to siting and design, and in terms of the free flow of motorway traffic and general road safety. A definition of MSA appears in the Planning Advice Note, designed to avoid a MSA becoming a destination in its own right.

78. On other trunk and strategic roads travellers will have greater opportunities to stop en route or make a short diversion to find fuel, refreshment and rest. There is therefore less justification for dedicated service provision adjacent to the road. The provision of services in wayside and bypassed communities and by existing or proposed rest and picnic areas on the trunk road are also material considerations.

79. A definition of non-motorway service area is in Planning Advice Note 75. Where appropriate, roadside service areas may include parking for car-share or park and ride arrangements.

80. Development plans should make provision for overnight lorry parking on the core trunk road network and in other locations where there is a high volume of lorry traffic. Such parking should be secure, well located in relation to overnight accommodation for the drivers, and located so that noise nuisance and light pollution is minimised. While service areas with overnight accommodation may satisfy these requirements, other facilities should be provided commercially in urban areas with good access to the trunk road network.

81. On the general trunk road network new fuel facilities may be provided subject to general road safety considerations. Where feasible such facilities should be combined with other services to travellers, and not be stand-alone. Elsewhere filling stations or filling stations with eating facilities may be proposed. Enhancement of existing facilities rather than proliferation will fulfil sustainability criteria provided other policy requirements in this SPP can be achieved. Planning authorities should apply planning policies relating to siting and design.

82. On the reconstructed A9 from Inveralmond (Perth) to Ardullie on the Cromarty Firth there has been a long-standing national policy embodied in structure plans of restricting service facilities to those provided in the bypassed settlements. In the 30 years since A9 reconstruction was completed the bypassed settlements have adapted their economies to this new role quite successfully. The Councils involved have adopted policies regarding A9 facilities. The national oversight of this policy is therefore withdrawn, and the local authorities through their development plans will now control A9 roadside development, taking into account national policy as set out in the sections Development affecting trunk and other strategic roads, and Roadside services facilities provision - General and - Other Trunk and Strategic Roads above. Should under this policy the local authorities decide that roadside facilities on the A9 are acceptable, design quality will be an additional paramount consideration of continuing national concern. Development should also complement the special character of the area, including the Cairngorms National Park.

CONCLUSIONS

83. A high quality integrated transport system is important in relation to the delivery of the Executive's wider objectives on economic development, social justice and sustainable development. This SPP advocates a more positive and proactive approach by both planning authorities and transport stakeholders in terms of early engagement in the planning process. The aim is to ensure that planning policies and decisions are made in a way that recognises how the location and design of new development and redevelopment can support the better integration of land use and transport, while helping to reduce the overall need to travel.

ENQUIRIES

84. Enquiries about the content of this SPP should be addressed to Tom Williamson, SEDD Planning, Area 2-H77, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ (0131 244 7531) or by e-mail to: tom.williamson@scotland.gsi.gov.uk Further copies can be obtained by telephoning 0131 244 7543. This SPP and other SPPs, PANs and a list of Circulars can be viewed on the Scottish Executive web site: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/planning.

« Previous | Contents | Next »