Travel

Travel Plans

Paragraph: 009 Reference ID: 42-009-20140306

When is a Travel Plan required?

Paragraph 36 of the National Planning Policy Framework sets out that all developments which generate significant amounts of transport movement should be required to provide a Travel Plan.

Local planning authorities must make a judgement as to whether a proposed development would generate significant amounts of movement on a case by case basis (i.e. significance may be a lower threshold where road capacity is already stretched or a higher threshold for a development which proposes no car parking in an area of high public transport accessibility).

In determining whether a Travel Plan will be needed for a proposed development the local planning authorities should take into account the following considerations:

• the Travel Plan policies (if any) of the Local Plan;
• the scale of the proposed development and its potential for additional trip generation (smaller applications with limited impacts may not need a Travel Plan);
• existing intensity of transport use and the availability of public transport;
• proximity to nearby environmental designations or sensitive areas;
• impact on other priorities/ strategies (such as promoting walking and cycling);
• the cumulative impacts of multiple developments within a particular area;
• whether there are particular types of impacts around which to focus the Travel Plan (e.g. minimising traffic generated at peak times); and
• relevant national policies, including the decision to abolish maximum parking standards for both residential and non-residential development.

Revision date: 06 03 2014

Related policy

National Planning Policy Framework