Improving the Integration between Transport and Planning 

The UK needs an efficient and integrated planning and transport system to not only support a strong and prosperous economy but to reduce carbon emissions. The way we currently plan new developments and the associated transport is often too heavily car dependent, damaging our health, harming our towns, and contributing to climate change.

The advice document focuses on practical steps that can be taken by planning professionals, developers, advisers, and local councils to provide people with healthy and successful places to live. It not only works within the context of current planning legislation and the NPPF but also provides recommendations for the government for improving current policy.

Sue Percy, Chief Executive, CIHT said:

“We must improve the way we integrate planning and transport if we want to contribute to delivering sustainable places. If we get it right, it is possible to plan, design and build developments that will help the government achieve its housing targets whilst promoting health and well-being, social inclusion, support the economy and reduce carbon emissions.”

“We believe that through this advice it will be possible to create places that meet the critical elements of environmental, economic, and social sustainability while also delivering the homes we need. The effective integration of planning and transport is fundamental to achieving Better Places.”

To support this, the advice identifies a series of recommendations for local authorities and/or developers to implement, covering three key areas:-

1. Creating a clear place based vision - that integrates the needs of sustainable transport, health and the environment including a commitment to carbon reduction
   
   
2. Delivering the Plan - local authorities should be prepared to drive and manage the implementation of the Plan rather than reacting to planning applications.
   
   
3. Managing new developments - proposals should describe how they support the Local Plan’s place-based vision for access and movement, taking account of viability, deliverability, resilience to changes, and explicit sustainable development outcomes.

The advice has been led by CIHT in collaboration with the Transport Planning Society (TPS) and Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and a copy of the guidance is available here.