Planning application - local requirement
A Travel Plan is an essential management tool to deliver sustainable access and transport objectives for an organisation or development site.
Local Plan Partial Update Policy ST7 (Transport Requirements for Managing Development) requires applicants to provide a Travel Plan, in line with our Transport and Development Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). We will require a different type of Travel Plan, depending on the size of the proposed development and stage of the development application.
When the requirement applies
Figure 6.1 of the Transport & Developments SPD (page 122) outlines the process for identifying when you will need to submit a Travel Plan, as well as what it should contain, delivery options and associated costs.
Residential developments
- Up to 20 dwellings: exempt from this requirement
- 20 to 40 dwellings: Residential Travel Plan Statement
- 40 dwellings or more: Full Residential Travel Plan
Non-residential developments
Figure 6.1 provides indicative thresholds for Travel Plans and Travel Plan Statements by Land Use Class. You should refer to this for Travel Plan requirements relating to non-residential developments.
Please note that any development requiring a Travel Plan is likely to also need a Transport Assessment, including an Active Travel Checklist.
What the plan should include
The Travel Plan could include the following key elements, with details appropriate to the scale and nature of the site and development proposals:
- Site description, including location, accessibility by all modes, size and nature of development
- Survey and baseline modal split data
- Objectives and targets
- Details of proposed measures, budget and campaigns within an action plan
- Management arrangements
- Marketing and communication strategy, including appropriate user group differentiation
- Monitoring and review proposals
- Costed action plan for implementation
Appendix F of the Transport & Developments SPD contains a set of checklists for different types of Travel Plan, to help you to ensure you prepare your Plan appropriately. You should submit the relevant checklist for review alongside the Travel Plan, with comments providing rationale for any aspects not completed, where appropriate.