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Integrated Policy Approach to the Transport and Land Use Planning Aspects of Development Applications: Stage 1 Report Desktop Study

2 Background to the Study

2.1 Introduction

This chapter will present the background to the desktop study. It considers the policy context for the work, to include the policy objectives contained with NPPG 17: Transport and Planning for a framework for integrated transport and land use planning. It will also take into account the Scottish Executive’s aspirations for national maximum parking standards, location policy, transport assessments and Green Transport Plans.

2.2 National Transport White Paper "Travel Choices for Scotland"

In July 1998, the government published the transport white paper "Travel Choices for Scotland", which complemented the UK Transport white paper "A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone." The transport policies set out within these documents seek to achieve better integration:

• within and between different modes of transport to promote genuine choice, so that each contributes its full potential and people can move easily between different modes;
• with environmental aims and policies, so that transport choices do not conflict with the achievement of environmental objectives at national , regional and local level;
• with land use planning at national, regional and local level, so that they work together to reduce the need to travel, and support more sustainable transport choices; and
• with government policies on education, health, economic growth and the objective of a fairer, more inclusive society.

The White Paper set out the requirement for local authorities to produce local transport strategies. Subsequent guidance has been produced, and most Scottish Local Authorities have now submitted their Interim Local Transport Strategies. Full Local Transport Strategies are required to be submitted by July 2000, setting out local authorities’ objectives, strategies, and implementation plans for the development of their integrated transport policy.

2.3 NPPG 17: Transport and Planning

NPPG17 sets out a framework for delivering better integration of transport and land use planning, with the objective to locate key travel generating uses to support more sustainable travel patterns. The NPPG states, in paragraph 21 that this framework will consist of the following four components:

• Location policy, ensuring specified development takes place in locations which support sustainable development;
• A set of maximum parking standards for specified uses;
• Replacing the system of Traffic Impact Assessments with broader Transport Assessments which covers access by all modes; and
• The use of Green Transport Plans and planning agreements to promote sustainable transport solutions.

This policy aims to increase the travel to developments by non-car modes such that it is significantly greater than at present. Clearly, the four components of the framework are highly inter-dependant.

2.4 Planning Advice Note (PAN) 57: Transport and Planning

This document was published to accompany the NPPG, and provides advice on good practice and other relevant information.

The PAN sets out a proposed scope and application of transport assessments, Green Transport Plans, and local parking policies. In relation to the latter, the PAN stresses that these need to be handled sensitively, and adapted to the particular local circumstances.

2.5 Road Traffic Reduction Act (1997)

The road traffic reduction act 1997 obliges Local traffic Authorities to undertake a review of existing and forecast levels of traffic on local roads within the area and to produce a report. These reports should contain targets for reducing either existing levels of traffic on local roads or their rate of growth; or they should state why the local authority considers it inappropriate to do so. Within their Interim Local Transport Strategy the Scottish Office required Local Authorities to submit Interim Traffic Reduction Reports, which should have at a minimum establish existing traffic levels and baseline forecasts for traffic growth.

2.6 Parking Standards

The NPPG states that a policy objective is to develop a set of maximum national parking standards for specified land uses. In order to achieve their policy goals, the Scottish Executive envisage that these standards would be constrained in relation to current practice. These constrained standards will provide developers with incentives to actively promote a range of transport modes to their sites.

2.7 Locational Policy

A key element of the integrated transport and land use policy described in the NPPG is the development of a locational policy, ensuring that specified development takes place in locations which support sustainable transport modes.

It is envisaged that a series of size thresholds will be applied to different types of development, above which the locational policy would apply.

2.8 Transport Assessments

Traditionally, Traffic Impact Assessments have been required. These have focussed primarily on the impact of the development on the road network. Transport assessments take a more holistic view of the transport impact of the development to include walking, cycling, public transport and car trips. The aim of the transport assessment is to ensure the whole transport impact of a development is assessed, and if required, appropriate mitigation measures are developed.

Transport assessments, as described within the NPPG and PAN, should provide the following information:

• Compliance with locational policy described with development plans;
• Accessibility by all modes;
• Appropriate level of parking;
• The modal split which the development is capable of producing;
• The modal split which the development is expected to deliver in the short term;
• Local transport impacts;
• Any measures, set out in Green Transport Plans and planning agreements, necessary to reduce the level and impact of travel demand.

It is expected that national guidance will be required regarding the thresholds and factors, which will influence the decision for a transport assessment to be required and the level of information provided.

2.9 Green Transport Plans

Green Transport Plans are plans or strategies drawn up primarily to reduce the impact of travel related to a particular destination. Typically, they consist of a package of practical measures which will provide alternatives to single occupancy car use. They can be applied to the whole range of an establishment’s travel requirements, including:

• Staff travel;
• Visitor/Customer travel;
• Business travel; and
• Freight and Logistics.

Within the NPPG, it is stated that the government wants to promote the widespread use of Green Transport Plans amongst significant travel generated land uses, including airports, businesses, hospitals and schools.

It is envisaged that Green Transport Plans would be suitable subjects for a planning agreement, when associated with the granting of planning permission. This would enable the relevant local authority to ensure that the plan is being adequately implemented, managed, enforced and monitored.

2.10 Existing Parking Standards

2.10.1 South Wales Consortium of Local Authorities

Revised draft Parking Policy and Standards were published in July 1998. Policy principles included in the document are as follows:

• Parking standards are to be applied as maxima, rather than minima. Reduced standards are proposed in locations which benefit from good accessibility by means other than the private car;
• Local authorities are recommended to adopt a zonal approach to parking standards, with the appropriate level of parking to be determined by the accessibility of the area by public transport, walking and cycling;
• New approach to parking standards are to be complemented by land use location policies;
• Traffic Impact assessments should be expanded to encompass modes of transport other than the private car.

The policy describes five categories of accessibility profiles for locations, and then land-use types which would be compatible with these locations. Parking standards are then specified for each compatible land use type, in each category of location. Table 2.1 below specifies the location categories, and their associated compatible land use types.

Table 2.1 – South Wales Consortium – Parking/Locational Policies

Accessibilty Profile	Preferred Land Uses
A Locations Town/City Centre of national importance Focussed on rail station with 1 intercity train per hour on weekdays Comprehensive bus network Subject to most restrictive parking standards	Land uses with national, regional or sub regional catchments, which have high employment densities, and/or attract high numbers of visitors, do not require significant levels of cars, little reliance on freight. Convenience/comparison goods retail; national/regional offices; major educational facilities; hotels.
B Locations Whole of part of a regional or sub-regional town/city centre Focussed on railway station, acting as a node for national/local services Connecting bus services Maximum 25% of unrestrained parking standards	Very similar to A-location. Owing to less comprehensive public transport system, would not be appropriate for functions with a national catchment to be located there.
C Locations Secondary nodes in large towns, or central node in small towns – urban or rural areas Railway station with 1 regional/local train per hour, or node in bus service network Maximum 50% of unrestrained parking standards	Land uses with smaller catchments, moderate employment densities/visitor demand, do not require significant use of cars; little or no dependence on freight. Convenience goods retailing; small/branch offices; local leisure and entertainment; educational facilities; hospitals; hotels; banks; public administration; community centres.
D Locations Outside established town centres, not foci of public transport routes Designation governed by ease of access to the primary road network, and to rail freight network Bus service of 2 journeys/hour should be provided to residential areas and town/city centre Full, unrestrained parking standard applies	Land uses which have neither high employment densities, nor attract large numbers of visitors, and are generally dependent on road/rail freight. Transport companies; warehousing and manufacturing.
E Locations Areas not covered by any of the four above categories – will generally be residential, urban open space, or rural land uses.	Primarily suitable for land uses which do not attract significant numbers of trips by motorised transport, or which are primarily the origin of trips rather than a destination

2.10.2 SERPLAN – Transport Demand Managment

The London and South East Regional Planning Conference (SERPLAN) have developed a document, "Towards a Parking Strategy for the South East Region." This is contained within SERP 503, SERPLAN’s Additonal Transport Submission to the Public Examination Panel – An Integrated Regional Planning Guidance and Regional Transport Strategy.

The proposed strategy contains five broad objectives, set out below:

• To support locational policies aimed at reducing the need to travel, minimising car use and concentrating development so as to contribute to sustainable development
• To support urban renaissance and the vitality of rural areas, including supporting local shops and other local services
• To contribute to reducing car dependence, particularly for journeys to work, in order to achieve road traffic reduction and air quality management targets
• To support an overall transport strategy aimed at improving accessibility to goods and services by all members of the community;
• To promote a consistent approach to parking across the region which is compatible with adjacent regions, in order to prevent unfair economic disadvantage to some areas and enable appropriately located businesses to flourish economically.

The first stage of the parking strategy is the identification of the area or centre of interest. These have been defined as Central London; large self contained towns; large commuter towns; small towns; neighbourhood centres; residential areas; and villages. Once this has been completed, a measure of accessibility by non car modes is required. These would be defined as either high, medium or low.

The final stage of assessment would be the determination of the level of activity in an area, either high, medium or low. The criteria to measure this will be a number of factors including the level of economic activity, proportion of vacant street level properties; income levels; deprivation indicies; and the preceived economic fragility of an area and proximity to competing neighbourhood towns/centres. There will also be an assessment made on how congested an area is by looking at car use and movement patterns around the area, as well as the compactness of the urban form.

The final measure appears to be a relatively unique attempt to incorporate variations in car parking standards based not only on location, accessibility, land use type and size, but also on the vitality and viability of an area.

2.11 Summary

This chapter has set out the policy context for the study. It has also highlighted the Scottish Executive’s aspirations for an integrated transport and land use planning framework, and examined examples of current practice. The next chapter describes in detail the methodology used for the research.

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