Land use planning and accessibility

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What Land Use Planners Do

A key role of the planning system is to enable the provision of homes, buildings, investment and jobs in a way that is consistent with the principles of sustainable development. To achieve this requires a framework which promotes consistent, predictable and prompt decision making. Development plans provide this framework and are the primary basis on which planning decisions are made.

Strategic Planning - Local

Development Plans - Development plans provide strategic and detailed policies to guide the development and use of land, although the exact type of plan depends on the geographical area. County councils, National Park authorities and some unitary authorities prepare structure plans setting key strategic policies and providing a framework for local plans prepared by second tier authorities. In London and metropolitan areas and some non-metropolitan areas, local authorities prepare Unitary Development Plans (UDPs) which set out both strategic policies and proposals.

See Planning Policy Guidance 12 (PPG12) on Development plans (Dec 1999) 1 for more details.

Local Development Frameworks - The Government's Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill proposes to replace Local Plans and UDPs with Local Development Frameworks (LDFs). LDFs will comprise a folder of local development documents which will collectively deliver the spatial strategy for the local planning authority's area. They will comprise Development Plan Documents, which will be subject to independent examination and will form part of the statutory Development Plan; and Supplementary Planning Documents, which will elaborate upon Development Plan Document Policies and proposals but which will not be subject to independent testing.

Policies relating to the delivery of the site specific allocations, such as any critical access requirements, any broad design principles or any planning obligations which may be sought, must be set out in a Development Plan Document. Local authorities should identify whether there are gaps in local service provision and if so identify suitable sites for the development of services to fill these shortfalls. In preparing them, authorities will need to work closely with key service providers and funders of services across the public and private sectors

Strategic Planning - Regional

Regional Planning Guidance

Regional Planning Guidance (RPG) notes currently set out the strategic planning framework for each of the regions in England outside London. RPGs set out land use planning policies in relation to a range of topics such as economic development, housing, transport, retail, leisure and culture. RPGs seek to promote accessibility through improved transport infrastructure and services and through setting public transport accessibility criteria for regionally or sub-regionally significant levels of development. Each RPG includes a Regional Transport Strategy which addresses these issues. See PPG11 on Regional Planning (May 2000) 2 for more details.

Regional Spatial Strategies

The Government's Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill proposes to replace Regional Planning Guidance with statutory Regional Spatial Strategies (RSSs). RSS should be shorter and more focussed than RPG, contain a stronger sub-regional element and provide a spatial strategy for the region rather than being solely concerned with land use planning issues.

Forthcoming Guidance

Revised draft guidance on drawing up RSS and LDF (PPS11 and PPS12) will focus on process and how to apply policies at a regional and local level, rather than setting out new policy. National policy is set out in topic-specific PPGs such as PPG13 on Transport. A number of these are currently being revised and will become shorter Planning Policy Statements.

Development Control - Responding to Proposals

Local planning authorities also respond to proposals for development, by determining planning applications: they can refuse planning permission, or grant permission with or without planning conditions. In determining planning applications, LPAs take account of material considerations which can include planning policies at national, regional and local levels. They are likely to consider the accessibility of a proposed development.

Developers are encouraged to discuss their proposals with the LPA and other relevant service providers such as public transport operators as soon as possible, and before submitting a planning application. This can help to ensure their proposal is consistent with policy, for example in promoting accessibility, and so make it more likely it will receive planning permission.

Land Use Planning and Accessibility

Land use planning has a significant role in promoting accessibility. It seeks to influence the broad patterns of settlement; and responds to individual development proposals. In particular, it has a significant role to play in accessibility planning such as ensuring that key services are sited in the most accessible possible areas. Land use planners will play a key role in partnership with local transport planners and other local partners in developing accessibility planning. The ODPM is also in the process of reviewing all the PPGs and will ensure that social inclusion and accessibility issues are an integral part of future planning policy

Sustainable development - National planning policy for England supports sustainable development. This involves supporting communities that: are economically prosperous; safeguard the countryside; enjoy a well-designed, accessible and pleasant living and working environment; and have a strong sense of community. Transport is also an important theme: planning policy supports sustainable transport, promotes accessibility and combats social exclusion by seeking to ensure everyone can travel to key services.

The impact of land use patterns - Travel patterns are influenced by land use patterns. The location, accessibility, scale, density and mix of developments can influence the choice of mode, the distance travelled and the number of trips made, as well as the need to travel. A key principle in promoting accessibility through land use planning is to locate a mix of key uses centrally, with a choice of access by several modes.

Land use patterns change slowly so short-term impact can be small; but the cumulative change and impact over many years is considerable. Also, land use planning is most effective in promoting sustainable when supported by other measures such as availability of public transport.

National Planning Policy

National planning policy on transport for England is set out in PPG13 (March 2001) 3

Its objectives include:

  • promote more sustainable transport choices for both people and for moving freight
  • promote accessibility to jobs, shopping, leisure facilities and services by public transport, walking and cycling
  • reduce the need to travel, especially by car

It also sets out a number of policies which can help improve people's access to key services:

  • to focus major generators of travel demand in city, town and district centres and near to major public transport interchanges
  • to locate day to day facilities which need to be near their clients in local centres so that they are accessible by walking and cycling
  • to ensure that development comprising jobs, shopping, leisure and services offers a realistic choice of access by public transport, walking and cycling
  • to accommodate housing principally within existing urban areas, planning for increased intensity of development for both housing and other uses at locations which are highly accessible by public transport, walking and cycling
  • in locating retail and leisure, to give preference to town centre sites, then edge of centre and then out of centre sites which are (or will) be well served by public transport
  • to meet the accessibility needs of disabled people in all developments in terms of location, parking, design, layout, physical conditions and inter-relationship of uses
  • to focus mixed use development involving large amounts of employment, shopping, leisure and services in city, town and district centres, and near to major public transport interchanges; and to encourage a mix of land uses, including housing, in town, suburban and local centres

The above PPG13 policies support and re-iterate policies in PPG6 on Town Centres and Retail Developments (June 1996) 4 and PPG3 on Housing (March 2000) 5

Transport Assessment

Individual Developments - All planning applications for developments with significant transport implications must contain completed Transport Assessments:

  • for small schemes, TAs should simply outline the transport aspects of the application.
  • for major proposals, the assessment should illustrate accessibility to the site by all modes and the likely modal split of journeys to and from the site. It should also give details of proposed measures to improve access by public transport, walking and cycling, to reduce the need for parking associated with the proposal and to mitigate transport impacts. Where appropriate, a travel plan should be included.

TAs enable local planning authorities better to assess the application and provide a basis for discussion on details of the scheme, such as the level of parking, the siting of buildings and entrances, and the need for further measures to improve access arrangements to the site.

For full details of policy on TAs, see PPG13 (2001) paras 23-25.

ODPM intends to publish 'Transport Assessments: a good practice guide for development proposals' by end 2003/early 2004.

Regional and Local Plans - In drawing up strategic plans at the regional and local level, Regional Planning Bodies and Local Planning Authorities can find it helpful to map levels of accessibility throughout their area. This can help guide their decision-making on policies and on locations for development.

ODPM intends to publish 'Accessibility in Plans: a good practice guide for regional and local plans' by end 2003/early 2004.

Strategic Growth - ODPM also intends to publish 'Planning for Sustainable Access: strategic planning for urban growth' by end 2003/early 2004. This will outline case examples and principles for promoting sustainable development while expanding the capacity or coverage of an urban area.

Planning and Access for Disabled People

The Government's guide 'Planning and Access for Disabled People: A Good Practice Guide' (2003) encourages local authorities and developers to consider disabled access to the built environment when formulating development plans and when considering the planning and access aspects of different types of environment. It aims to produce an inclusive physical environment for those with disabilities.

The Guide reflects the Government's commitment to the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). It emphasises early consultation with disability organisations and explains the respective roles of the planning system, Building Regulations (Part M), and the DDA 6 .

Text provided by ODPM, August 2003

1 This can be found at http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_control/documents/contentservertemplate/odpm_index.hcst?n=3410&l=3

2 This can be found at http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_control/documents/contentservertemplate/odpm_index.hcst?n=3407&l=3

3 This can be found at http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_control/documents/contentservertemplate/odpm_index.hcst?n=3413&l=3

4 This can be found at http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_control/documents/contentservertemplate/odpm_index.hcst?n=3392&l=3

5 This can be found at http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_control/documents/contentservertemplate/odpm_index.hcst?n=3383&l=3

6 This can be found at http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_planning/documents/page/odpm_plan_609460.hcsp