Policy instruments (3) - Transport Policy and Planning in Great Britain - page 236

Box 14.3 Transport Assessments of development proposals
Guidance on Transport Assessments DCLG (2007), adapted from paras 1.18-
1.20
A properly prepared TA will help LPAs assess the development's compatibility with
the relevant planning policy framework and, in particular, the relevant transport
strategy (usually the Local Transport Plan). It will allow the transport implications of
proposed developments to be properly considered and, where appropriate, will help
identify suitable measures to achieve a more sustainable and environmentally sound
outcome. A TA can also address issues likely to be of concern to the local traffic
authority and/or the Highways Agency in performing their network management
duties.
In preparing a transport assessment the following considerations will therefore
be relevant.
Encouraging environmental sustainability
• Reducing the need to travel, especially by car
• Tackling the environmental impact of travel
• The accessibility of the location
• Other measures which may assist in inluencing travel behaviour.
Managing the existing network
• Making best possible use of existing transport infrastructure
• Managing access to the highway network.
Mitigating residual impacts
• Through demand management
• Through improvements to the local public transport network, and walking and
cycling facilities
• Through minor physical improvements to existing roads
• Through provision of new or expanded roads*
• * ... it is considered good transport planning practice to demonstrate that the other
opportunities above have been fully explored before considering the provision of
additional road space such as new roads or major junction upgrades.
• Consideration of these matters should take place at an early stage in the
process of preparing a development proposal. Work on developing the transport
assessment can then help inform, and be informed by, discussions about the
location of the site and the scale and mix of uses proposed.
A consistent approach on parking should be set out in the RTS (Regional Transport
Strategy) to avoid wasteful competition between different locations based around
the supply or cost of parking to the detriment of sustainable development.
(DETR 2001 paras 49 and 50)
A similar attempt to set national standards was applied in relation to parking
provision within residential development. PPG3 (Housing) published in 2000 asked