In-depth guidance for highways development

Developers are expected to manage the impact of their development. This is achieved by:

• designing the site and its connections to the neighbourhood so as to encourage walking, cycling and public transport
• actively encouraging and facilitating appropriate mode choice by all users
• assessing and mitigating the transport impacts to ensure the overall residual transport impact is not severe.

We recommend developers enter into early discussion with the Council’s Highways Development Management team to agree the scope of any assessments required, and get support and guidance. We would encourage entering into a Planning Performance Agreement (PPA) for larger or complex development proposals. For further information please refer to the Highways Development Management webpages.

The main appropriate management tools are:

Transport Assessments and Statements are ways of assessing the potential transport impacts of developments (and they may propose mitigation measures to promote sustainable development. Where that mitigation relates to matters that can be addressed by management measures, the mitigation may inform the preparation of Travel Plans).

Transport Assessments are thorough assessments of the transport implications of development, and Transport Statements are a ‘lighter-touch’ evaluation to be used where this would be more proportionate to the potential impact of the development (ie in the case of developments with anticipated limited transport impacts).

Travel Plans are long-term management strategies for integrating proposals for sustainable travel into the planning process. They are based on evidence of the anticipated transport impacts of development and set measures to promote and encourage sustainable travel (such as promoting walking and cycling). They should not, however, be used as an excuse for unfairly penalising drivers and cutting provision for cars in a way that is unsustainable and could have negative impacts on the surrounding streets.

Travel Plans should where possible, be considered in parallel to development proposals and readily integrated into the design and occupation of the new site rather than retrofitted after occupation.

Where there may be more effective or sustainable outcomes, and in order to mitigate the impact of the proposed development, consideration may be given to travel planning over a wider area.

The level of detail required in a Travel Plan and Transport Assessment is linked to the size of the development. As a guide, the table below shows thresholds (developed by the Department for Transport) for:

• transport statements; or
• transport assessments and travel plans

Developers must consider how people travel to, from and within the development as early as possible in the planning process.

All planning applications for major developments should be accompanied by a Travel Plan. Smaller developments (as defined in the table on this page) should contain travel plan measures in their Transport Statement. There are some circumstances where smaller developments will be required to provide a full Travel Plan.

The Travel Plan or Transport Statement should explain how people will be encouraged to travel sustainably and embed sustainable travel behaviour from an early stage. The Travel Plan must set out clear measures, targets and monitoring mechanisms.

Developers should refer to Buckinghamshire Council’s ‘Sustainable Travel Plans: Guidelines for Developers’.

All planning applications for major developments should be accompanied by a Transport Assessment and smaller developments (as defined in the table on this page) should be accompanied by a Transport Statement. There are some circumstances where the Highways Development Management team will require smaller developments to provide a full Transport Assessments.

Major planning applications should assess the highway and transportation impacts of the development, including associated infrastructure, for a suitable future year. This should include a cumulative assessment in line with the National Planning Policy Framework and Guidance taking into account other planning applications that may be under consideration at the time.

The scope of the Transport Assessment or Transport Statement will vary between sites. Developers should agree the scope of the assessment with the Highways Development Management Team before submission to the Local Planning Authority.

Generally, Transport Statements and Assessments should provide:

• a site layout
• a description of the proposed development
• details of the proposed transport access for all modes of transport
• information about neighbouring areas
• existing and proposed public transport provision
• current traffic flows on links and at junctions
• an assessment of travel changes due to the development
• an assessment of travel changes from all directly relevant committed development
• an analysis of road collision history
• measures to improve the accessibility of a development site
• a description of parking facilities in the area
• the parking strategy of the development
• proposals to reduce the need to travel
• measures to mitigate the residual impacts of development
• swept path analysis

The Transport Assessment will be used by the Highway Authority to determine the extent to which residual impact on the network might be “severe” as defined by NPPF and subsequent revisions and to understand the impacts of the development.

Buckinghamshire Council maintains a range of strategic transport models. These models already include a range of committed developments. Where these are suitable, developers are encouraged to use them to assess the impact of their proposals on the highway network. This avoids developers having to produce such models themselves (which is often slow and expensive) and makes it easier for the Council to review that assessment. In some instances the absence of strategic modelling could result in delays in determination of the planning application; as such as early engagement with the Highways Development Management team is recommended.

Developers must ensure they do not cause road safety or severe network operational issues. Proposals to address these issues should be provided and agreed with the Highways Development Management team. Sometimes, more than one development has an impact at the same location. In these cases, developers may be required to work together to mitigate their cumulative impact.

Development proposals are likely to be acceptable, in terms of highway capacity, if:

• they can be accommodated within the existing capacity of a section of highway (link or junction); or
• they do not increase demand for the use of a section that is already operating over-capacity, taking into account of any traffic management and/or capacity enhancement measures that may be agreed

Even where proposals do not result in capacity issues, the continued safe and appropriate operation of the network will remain a significant consideration.

Capacity enhancements and infrastructure may be required to deliver strategic growth which is identified at Local Plan stage. Strategic infrastructure needs should be considered alongside development aspirations

When a development will be brought forward in phases, any mitigation measures will be identified based on the opening of the final phase. However, it will be necessary to implement mitigation in a phased approach (according to their impacts).

Appropriate mitigation should contribute towards (and in no way act to frustrate) the relevant local transport strategies, in accordance with national and local planning policies. Mitigation can be provided in many forms and may be a combination of measures. These could include carriageway improvement works, junction improvement works, funding for public transport routes, equipment or facilities, pedestrian and cycle improvements, subsidies for public transport, and/or support for travel plans.

Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) will be responsible for considering whether otherwise unacceptable development could be made acceptable through the use of conditions or planning obligations. The Highway Authority can make recommendations to the LPA regarding conditions and obligations related to transport.

Planning Obligations are a legal agreement entered into under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to mitigate the impacts of a development proposal. These will normally only be used where it is not possible to address unacceptable impacts through a planning condition.

Planning Conditions refers to conditions imposed on a grant of planning permission (in accordance with the Town and Country Planning Act 1990) or a condition included in a Local Development Order or Neighbourhood Development Order. These will be kept to a minimum and only imposed where they are necessary, relevant to planning and to the development to be permitted, enforceable, precise and reasonable in all other respects. Conditions will not normally be imposed that are required to be discharged before development commences, unless there is a clear justification.

Agreeing conditions early is beneficial to all parties involved in the process and can speed up decision making.

Any new signal controlled junctions should include the appropriate technology, such as:

• i) Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) equipment suitable to the location and local network. These may include Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), Variable Message Signing (VMS) and Bluetooth detectors
• ii) CCTV linked to the Council’s control room
• iii) MOVA /SCOOT traffic signal control systems
• iv) Cycle pre signals should be considered
• v) Communications links to the county’s control room must be included
• vi) Automatic traffic counters on primary routes
• vii) Connections to other appropriate data collection systems, such as real time passenger information

A commuted sum will normally be required to meet the ongoing costs of this new infrastructure.

Buckinghamshire Council has a duty to protect all road users and the road network. During construction activities, developers are required to demonstrate they are not likely to cause an adverse effect on either.

Major developments (as defined in the table on this page) must provide a Construction Management Plan. Smaller developments may also require a plan and this will be agreed on a case by case basis between the developer and the Highways Development Management team.

Buckinghamshire Council must agree this plan before work can begin and it should include details on:

• temporary construction access
• Management of the site access
• Haul roads
• Hoarding
• Signage
• Routeing agreements and appropriate signage and enforcement proposals
• Delivery times appropriate to the location and the network peak hours, where possible minimising peak hour traffic road condition surveys
• Managing the safety of people
• Wheel cleaning facilities
• Types of vehicles to be used
• Traffic Regulation Orders
• Appropriate working practices and facilities. This could include hours of operation, loading and unloading practices, and facilities for drivers Parking and turning facilities for all construction vehicles within the development site
• Site traffic marshals (banksmen) and crane oversail licences where appropriate
• Phasing of the development and construction

Buckinghamshire Council’s Freight Strategy (and any replacement strategy) provides more information on how developers can manage any freight movements generated.