CONTEXT AND JUSTIFICATION

 

The Council will require the submission of a Transport Assessment (TA) to support development applications that are likely to have a significant transport impact.

 

The TA will be expected to cover all transport considerations, including public transport, walking and cycling. National Planning Policy Guideline 17: Transport and Planning (NPPG 17) and Planning Advice Note 57: Transport and Planning (PAN 57) stress that TAs must demonstrate how traffic generation can be minimised and that all modes of transport need to be covered. The PAN provides an outline of the broad scope of TAs.

 

Where a TA is required, the developer is advised to have early discussions with the Council concerning the matters to be addressed, prior to the commencement of the preparation of the assessment. The scope of a TA will vary depending on the type and location of the development. Small-scale proposals may only require a brief statement of the transport implications, whereas a large development may involve extensive and detailed studies. The TA may also need to outline the transport measures proposed to mitigate against any adverse traffic effects of the proposed development.

 

DEVELOPMENTS LIKELY TO REQUIRE A TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT

 

TAs are normally required for proposals meeting any of the following thresholds:

 

(a) Housing	100 units
(b) General Industry	2,500 m²
(c) Offices and Business	2,500 m²
(d) Storage and Distribution	10,000 m²
(e) Food and Non-Food Retail	1,000 m²
(f) Hotels	100 beds
(g) Cinemas/Bingo Halls/Theatres	500 seats
(h) Stadia	1,500 seats
(i) Universities and Colleges	2,500 m²
(j) Hospitals	2,500 m²

 

or criteria:

 

(a) generates more than 100 peak hour trips (two way);

(b) generates more than 150 peak hour person trips (two way); or

(c) provides more than 100 car parking spaces on site; and

(d) or where requested by the Council’s Land Services Area Engineer.

Account will be taken of the cumulative impact, within an area, of small developments below the thresholds.

 

A TA is likely to have to address the following issues:

 

1. Compliance with the locational policy in this Plan, the Joint Structure Plan and national guidelines.

 

2. Integration of the site with the network of pedestrian, cycle and public transport routes. Links should be short and direct. Account should be taken of service frequency for public transport, and of routes and areas served.

 

3. Non-residential development - demonstrate how the network of pedestrian, cycle and public transport routes serving the site links with the majority of the forecast catchment population. Public transport needs to be regular and frequent throughout the principal opening hours of the development, including evenings, weekends and public holidays.

 

4. Residential developments - demonstrate how a high degree of accessibility is achieved to local services (e.g. shops and other facilities) particularly by walking and cycling, and to town or other centres for services and employment, by walking, cycling and public transport.

 

5. Set an agreed mode share target to minimise private car use and carry this through to trip generation, transport provision and the development design, including parking.

 

6. Show how traffic generation and parking have been reduced to take account of the potential for pedestrian, cycle and public transport access. The TA should outline the measures proposed to achieve the above (see Supplementary Guide 5: Green Transport Plans).

 

7. Where the proposed location does not accord with the preferred development plan location, the TA should include an assessment of the relative performance of alternative sites in relation to accessibility by non-car modes.

 

8. Definition of the study area for analysis of the impact on the road network and specific traffic junctions.

 

9. Assignment of traffic to the road network.

 

10. Impact on the road (including trunk road) network.

 

11. The residual parking requirement should be justified and set within the relevant upper parking guidelines set out in policy TRANS 4: Vehicle Parking Guidelines.

 

12. Heavy goods vehicle and servicing implications.

 

13. Show how the Council’s road user hierarchy has been met.

 

14. Access, egress and circulation.

 

15. Road safety impact.

 

16. Local transport impacts during construction.

 

17. Developer contributions to overcome problems highlighted by the TA.