Reviewing Residential Travel Planning
Cheryl Ford Lyddon, Modeshift STARS Business, Healthcare & Residential Programme Manager talks Reviewing Residential Travel Planning:
‘Following discussions with our Residential Focus group, Modeshift have recognised that there is a need to evolve how we support those working on Residential Travel Plans across the UK. With a lack of any recent national guidance on Residential Travel Plans many are taking a best fit approach when it comes to how they are secured, managed, monitored and enforced, making it difficult to create consistent and comparable travel plans that achieve the best outcomes for sustainable and active travel long term.
The lack of national guidance is something that Modeshift want to address, and we have started down the route of identifying how this could be developed in consultation with our members and key stakeholders. Recently, this has involved discussions with the Department for Transport (DfT) and National Highways, in relation to how any new guidance can integrate with and relate to a move to a Vision Led approach to transport planning, as proposed in the recently published updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) draft. Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system – GOV.UK
Best practice in delivering Residential Travel Plans
At our National Convention last month, we held a session focusing on ‘Best practice in delivering Residential Travel Plans’ and heard from Team Modeshift Member Rachel Elliott at trailblazing Leeds City Council on how they are securing and enforcing Travel Plans through the planning process.
We were also joined by Laura Brooks, Senior Planning Advisor, and Samar Ali, Policy Advisor, Department for Transport who explored the shift towards vision-led planning and how it will shape the future of Travel Plans.
Things are changing in the world of STARS Residential Travel Planning
We also recognise that there is a need to review the STARS system specifically for Residential Travel Plans, which will be redesigned to ensure that it meets the needs of the residential sites and monitoring requirements.
Travel plans for residential developments differ in many ways from those developed in other sectors, such as education and workplace sites. It is essential that this is recognised and built into the STARS system and Guidance documents so that developers and LAs have a tool which allows details of Residential Travel Plans to be collected and managed in a consistent way, with an accreditation process to match.
Our Focus Group, which is made up of representatives from Local Authorities, consultancies and developers identified challenges in creating consistent Travel Plans for residential sites as expectations from planning departments vary.
To help support those working on Residential Travel Planning a new Discussion Forum has been set up, facilitating the sharing of best practice, knowledge, questions and thoughts. The first of these Forums have seen over 30 participants join us from across the UK, with discussions centred around key topics within the context of Residential Travel Planning.’
What’s next
We’ll will keep you updated on progress with reviewing Residential Travel Planning through Modeshift Matters, our website and in through our social media channels.
If you would like to know more of become involved in the focus group, please get in touch info@Modeshift.org.uk
