Further Guidance and Information
Sustainable Travel Hierarchy
Mitigation measures can be specific to a particular mode, or they can be more broadly applied. Planning authorities should recognise the role of the hierarchy of modes in contributing towards their statutory duty to promote sustainable development. Additionally, planning authorities should take cognisance of the roles different modes have in contributing to behaviour change and the achievement of wider objectives such as eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, tackling the climate emergency and providing high quality and sustainable public services.
Walking, Wheeling and Cycling
Walking and wheeling are the most sustainable modes and require relatively little investment to make attractive, particularly if planned and designed into a new development from the outset. Planning can encourage walking and wheeling to become the prime mode for shorter journeys through arranging land uses, utilising urban design and encouraging specific schemes, such as those developed under the Cycling, Walking and Safer Streets or Safe Routes to Schools initiatives.
All cycling infrastructure should reflect the local surroundings and the requirements of residents and transport users. If cycling is to be a realistic choice of travel mode, plans for active travel infrastructure need to be incorporated into development design. Consideration should be given to bicycle storage and cycle parking at new and refurbished developments.
Walking, wheeling and cycling improvements should be installed as soon as possible.
Walking, wheeling and cycling improvements could include creating links and removal of barriers (for example road crossings / bridges). New development proposals should be designed in a way that enables connectivity to surrounding areas. Attention should be given to the development of safe, easy and direct key routes within neighbourhoods, villages, town and city centres, particularly in the context of the principles of local living and 20-minute neighbourhoods. Connecting strategic and local routes will enable connectivity to schools, higher education establishments and hospitals, so they are accessible to all.
Canals also have a role to play in active travel routes and tourism and plans should support their regeneration. Plans should consider the need for improved transport interchanges to support new development, where the existing infrastructure is inadequate.
Public Transport
The quality and affordability of public transport - principally bus and rail - should be taken into account if modal shift from private vehicles is to be achieved.
A change in mode can be encouraged through, for example:
- Ensuring that new developments are well served by a range of information on modes available including walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport.
- High quality infrastructure, for example multimodal / mobility hubs, transport interchanges, quality of vehicles, waiting and cycle storage areas.
- Integration of developments with walking, wheeling and cycling networks, mobility hubs schemes and existing or new rail stations.
- Rail infrastructure or service improvements in high demand corridors.
- Bus, taxi and cycle priority measures on main public transport corridors.
- Demand responsive services to fill gaps in public transport coverage.
Where public transport services required to serve a new development cannot be provided commercially, a contribution from the developer towards an agreed level of service may be appropriate. Discussions between the planning authority, public transport providers, developers, Transport Scotland where appropriate, and relevant Regional Transport Partnerships should be undertaken at an early stage in the planning process to determine how this will be delivered. In developments requiring a new service, this should be instated as early as possible in the build out, such that sustainable habits are embedded from the outset.
Where disused rail lines have a reasonable prospect of being reused for public transport these should be considered for preserving through the development plan. Consideration should also be given to their potential for active travel / green networks.
Mobility Hubs
STPR2 identified mobility hubs as a place where different types of transport modes and services come together to provide seamless, accessible and sustainable travel options, with the broader characteristics of mobility hubs explored further in Mobility Hubs Guidance produced by CoMoUK. Development plans have an important role in supporting the development of mobility hubs. Careful consideration should be given to where these can be promoted, along with the services and communities they can support, whilst improving the public realm. Where practicable, they should seek to integrate a range of public and sustainable transport modes, such as bus and rail, Demand Responsive Transport (DRT), taxis, walking and wheeling networks, cycle parking and/ or bike hire, e-bikes and EV car charging.
Freight
The effective movement of goods is essential for trade and sustainable economic growth and should be considered as appropriate during plan preparation. Plans should locate land for economic development that generates significant freight movements on sites accessible to suitable railheads, harbours or the strategic road network.
Planning authorities and other stakeholders, as appropriate, should work together to address planning and transport issues relating to the movement of freight. Where appropriate, plans should identify suitable locations for new rest and welfare facilities for HGV drivers, HGV charging facilities and new or expanded rail freight interchanges to support increased movement of freight by rail. Facilities allowing the transfer of freight from road to rail or water should also be considered.
Developers and planning authorities are expected to consider the impact of future developments on existing ferry services, as part of their appraisal of impacts on the Strategic Transport Network, and costs to mitigate any such impacts should be factored in by developers. The refreshed Community Needs Assessments will provide evidence to planning authorities and developers to be taken into account when making and approving such development plans and planning proposals.
In some cases, privately chartered vessels are used to provide more capacity or to deliver bulk or specialist cargos. There are also small volumes of freight being moved by air and growing interest in new options such as using drones to deliver small but vital loads such as medical supplies.
Taxis and Shared Transport
Sharing transport through taxi sharing, car sharing schemes and car clubs can be a more sustainable way to travel than a single occupancy private vehicle. In turn, this can lower congestion on the road network, whilst reducing greenhouse gas and noise emissions from private vehicle trips.
There are currently no standards relating to the minimum requirements for shared transport in new developments. However, to promote the sustainability of new developments, planning authorities should recognise the benefits of shared transport opportunities to aid in the delivery of more people-focused developments.
Private Car
Plans should consider identifying very accessible locations, in built up areas which could support low / no car parking in new developments, taking account of access by active and sustainable modes, type of development and local car ownership levels.
It is accepted that there will always be circumstances where cars have a role in providing for the transport needs of people or communities, including for those who rely on car use due to physical impairments. Planning authorities should consider how best to manage this demand in their area through an appropriate combination of measures to ensure that traffic from new development is balanced and contributes to the sustainability of that development.
Electric Vehicles/Charging
Whilst private electric vehicles represent the bottom tier of the Sustainable Travel Hierarchy, shared and public transport vehicles, for example buses, are increasingly electrically charged and charging provision is an important consideration to support the roll out of electric vehicles.
Development plans have a role in supporting the efficient roll-out of electric vehicle charging infrastructure by identifying potential locations for charging hubs, especially to support rural communities. Careful consideration should be given to where these are located, ensuring the best use of renewables and the electricity network and synergy with existing services and amenities where practicable. Electric vehicle forecourts are likely to become more prominent and preference should be given to the conversion and re-use of petrol stations for this use.
Parking
Car parking provision in new developments can have a direct influence on travel behaviour. A place-based approach to car parking provision should be taken, which aims to:
- Use appropriate design to ensure that parked cars do not dominate new places.
- Promote the NTS2 Sustainable Travel Hierarchy with access to developments by sustainable modes promoted and provided over car access. New developments should avoid repeating patterns of built-in car dependence through, for example, location choice, design, layout and provision of alternative modes.
- Ensure that provision responds to the local context, including public transport accessibility and walkability.
- Provide the lowest level of car parking appropriate in each location, with the aim of reducing reliance on the private car, recognising that what is appropriate will vary from place to place.
- Ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged by decisions on parking provision.
- Support well designed low / no car parking in very accessible areas.
In deciding on appropriate levels of car parking, planning authorities should be driven by the principle of the Sustainable Travel Hierarchy, reducing reliance on the private car, and supporting a modal shift to sustainable travel which will facilitate a reduction in car use. In some locations it may be appropriate to set maximum levels of parking, however these should not be targets. Planning authorities may also consider reallocating under-used car parks for another use and should support attempts to carefully reduce parking provision in areas where other options are available.
The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 also provides local authorities with discretionary powers to set up workplace parking licensing (WPL) schemes. It is noted that the Scottish Government supports WPL as a tool to reduce car journeys and emissions; implementation decisions sit with to local authorities.
Further Information
Further sources of information and details of data sets that can be utilised to support the preparation of an Evidence Report and transport appraisal are set out in the Local Development Plan Evidence Report: Transport Scotland Baseline Information Guidance sent to all authorities. A link can be sent on request.
Contacts
Transport Scotland welcomes greater collaboration and engagement in the planning system. For development plan related queries please contact: