Policy instruments (3) - Transport Policy and Planning in Great Britain - page 233

context authorities are encouraged to prepare local air quality strategies in a multi-
disciplinary manner which
• outline the management structure for delivering air quality improvements
• identify the groups which will be engaged in consultation, e.g. organisations
represented in the Local Strategic Partnership (19.7)
• agree on the integration of functions such as transport planning, land use planning
and air quality action planning (Defra 2008a para 2.5)
The guidance reviews the various transport-related measures which local authorities
can implement to improve air quality. These include many types of traffic management
considered previously in this chapter, viz the regulation of traffic or particular types of
vehicle, traffic control systems, speed limits, traffic calming, the restriction of access
into certain areas and complementary measures such as parking controls. Additional
measures include powers for local authorities (on application to the Secretary of
State) to conduct roadside vehicle emissions testing and DFT sponsored programmes
to promote the availability and use of clean fuels, particularly amongst organisations'
vehicle fleets. Conditions on vehicle usage may also form part of s106 agreements
negotiated as part of granting planning permission for development (ODPM 2004c).
The various measures may be used selectively in combination to bring about a Low
Emission Zone (LEZ) which is 'a geographically defined area where the most polluting
of vehicles are restricted, deterred or discouraged from access and use'. LEZs tend to be
focused on town or city centres where land use is dense, traffic is heavy and population
exposure is high. The most common vehicles to target are diesel powered Heavy Duty
Vehicles due to their cost-effectiveness relative to schemes that would restrict other
vehicle types. The most significant scheme to date in the UK is the London LEZ which
from July 2008 required that all heavy duty vehicles achieve at least Euro III standards
for PM10.
Given constraints on revenue budgets a scheme which has low operating costs will
tend to be more attractive from a whole-life cost viewpoint. However this needs
to be carefully balanced against the resulting level of compliance by users with the
scheme emission standards, or the purpose and value of the scheme is undermined.
(Defra 2008b)
14.9 Control of development (including private off-street
parking)
The amount and type of traffic in an area, away from the main through traffic routes,
is predominantly a function of its land use characteristics. Hence the number of trips
arising from a proposed development (whether as a generator or attractor) and their
impact on local traffic and environmental conditions is one of the principal factors
considered by local authorities in determining applications for planning permission.
In areas of two-tier local government the district council (which determines these
applications) is required to notify and take into account the observations made by the
county council as local highway authority. In situations where development affects
conditions on a trunk road the planning authority is required to notify the Highways
Agency, although in this case the Agency is able to issue directions which the authority
has to abide by. A planning authority may approve or refuse an application or - more