The Bus Centre of Excellence (BCoE) has published a new article, ‘Embedding public transport in new developments: time to adopt a new approach?’. The article is written by Michael Solomon Williams (Head of External Affairs, Campaign for Better Transport) and highlights the importance of embedding public transport in new developments from day one. The article notes that one of the key barriers to embedding public transport in new developments is late road adoption.  

Road adoption occurs when local authorities take ownership of private roads and become responsible for managing and maintaining the road. In the context of development management, road adoption often occurs when new roads are built by developers as part of new housing estates.  

The article emphasises the need for councils to adopt roads earlier in the construction process to prevent new developments being built in a way that virtually guarantees car dependency.  

Describing the issue, the article explains 

For years, estates can sit with unadopted roads, incomplete footpaths, and missing cycle links. Bus services are delayed, sometimes indefinitely. By the time proper connections are finally delivered, residents have already built their daily routines around the car, often helped along by generous parking provision that exceeds genuine household need. 

The planning system in England has become an increasing salient topic as the UK Government presses ahead with plans to build 1.5 million homes by the end of the current Parliament.  

This drive for housebuilding has been supported by a major focus on legal and policy reform, including reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) finalised in December 2024. In September 2025, the UK Government published the New Towns Taskforce: Report to government. As of December 2025, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill is currently at the final stages.  

Reforms are much needed given that the planning system has historically delivered car-centric development. It is vital that reforms ensure that the building programme over the next five years will deliver homes that ensure the availability of local services and provide people with real choices and appropriate alternatives to private car use to avoid delivering a glut of car-centric developments.  

Buses play a vital part in providing accessibility and connectivity for everyone and, through their efficient use of space, in supporting the viability of high-quality urban places. For buses to play their full role, however, new developments must be designed specifically to encourage their use. This involves bringing together the land use planning, the access routes to bus stops, and the bus infrastructure. For further guidance on designing developments to encourage bus use, read CIHT’s guidance document Buses in urban developments.  

Background 

The Bus Centre of Excellence (BCoE) is funded by the Department for Transport and run and managed by The Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT). BCoE is a place for all those working within, and around, the bus sector to access resources, develop skills, grow knowledge, and build understanding to support the delivery of excellent bus services across the country.