"A Borough for Success"
Rugby Borough Development Plan
Adopted Local Plan - July 2006 - Written Statement - Chapter 6
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TRANSPORT
6.1 The economic vitality and the quality of life for residents of Rugby are linked to the effectiveness of the transport infrastructure. Personal mobility is essential for everyone and utilises public transport, the private car, cycles and walking. Traffic and transport infrastructure throughout and serving the Borough needs to secure this mobility and choice whilst not damaging the essential qualities of the natural and built environment. The responsibility for traffic and transport lie mainly with Warwickshire County Council as Highway Authority. The County Council has produced the Warwickshire Local Transport Plan 2000, which seeks to deliver a transport system that will promote a sustainable economy and more inclusive society, to reduce the impact of transport on the environment and to improve the environment of people when they are travelling. The Council can assist in delivering this vision through the policies in this Local Plan to influence transport and traffic decisions.
Explanation
6.2 The integration of land use and transport policies will play a vital role in creating more sustainable patterns of development for the future. WASP Policy T1 sets out the County Council’s overall transport objectives for land use planning. These aim to integrate transport and land use planning in order to improve the accessibility and physical relationship of homes, workplaces, services and facilities. It is recognised that development, which relies primarily on the private car, will be environmentally and socially unsustainable. For this reason, it is important to encourage development to be accessible by a range of transport modes. Integration between different means of transport will also help to create local and regional transport networks that are accessible to a wider range of people and contribute towards delivering social inclusion.
6.3 Traffic management measures can encourage modal shift, these include for example parking strategies and Park and Ride schemes. However, these have to be implemented in conjunction with improvements to public transport, cycling and walking. Encouraging means of transport other than the car can also assist economic and environmental benefits by reducing traffic congestion. For example, less traffic congestion can contribute towards economic regeneration by reducing business costs. Therefore, public transport has a key role to play in the local transport network, due to its potential to encourage modal shift from the private car to a more sustainable means of transport that will benefit the local environment through reduced pollution and favour businesses through decreased traffic congestion. The safe, efficient and easy movement of people and goods throughout the Borough is considered important to any development proposal.
6.4 Transport Assessments are important in achieving the aims of integrated transport and achieving access to developments in a manner that will support sustainable development principles. Assessments must accompany planning applications for developments that could have significant transport implications and their form and content should accord with requirements set out in national guidance. In particular, any development proposal likely to have a significant impact on the trunk road network should undertake an assessment that accords with Highways Agency policy as set out in PPG13 for Transport, Circular 04/2001 and A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England. However, determining whether a proposal is a major traffic generating development is dependent on various factors, particularly its scale and location. The thresholds identified in Table 3 will act as a guide to when a Transport Assessment will generally be necessary although there may also be circumstances where transport assessments are required of developments which do not exceed these thresholds.
Table 3: Transport Assessment thresholds
| Use | Thresholds above which a transport assessment will generally be necessary |
| A1, A2 and A3 retail development | 1,000 m2 |
| B1 including offices | 2,500 m2 |
| B2 general industry | 5,000 m2 |
| B8 storage and distribution | 10,000 m2 |
| Educational establishments | 2,500 m2 |
| D2 Assembly and leisure facilities, including stadia | 1,000 m2 |
| C3 residential development | 100 dwellings |
| Health establishments | 2,500 m2 |
6.5 Transport Assessments should illustrate accessibility to the proposed development and the likely modal split of journeys to and from the site. Assessments should also give details on proposed measures to improve access to the development by public transport, walking and cycling. Developments will only be permitted where there is sufficient capacity within the transport network. Therefore, to ensure no detrimental impact on safety or free flow of traffic, assessments should demonstrate that the transport network can accommodate the level of development proposed, or that the developer can provide appropriate mitigation measures where appropriate. Planning permission will be refused where the transportation impacts of significant developments cannot be mitigated by measures to reduce the impacts to acceptable levels, the delivery of an approved Travel Plan, or developer contributions that serve public transport infrastructure and service provision, cycling and pedestrian facilities.
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In the consideration of planning applications the Borough Council will require travel plans to be submitted for all non-residential developments that fulfil the requirements for a transport assessment. Travel plans should include: 1. Travel surveys; and |
Explanation
6.6 The Government wants to help raise awareness of the impacts of travel decisions and promote widespread use of travel plans amongst businesses, schools, hospitals and other organisations.
6.7 The relevance of Travel Plans to planning lies in the delivery of sustainable transport objectives. A Travel Plan is essentially a means by which organisations manage, monitor and evaluate the transport needs of their staff and encourage, through an agreed programme, a shift from car based travel to environmentally friendly alternatives such as walking, cycling, public transport, and car sharing.
6.8 Organisations contribute significantly to transport problems, and therefore need to be part of the solution. By making Travel Plans a requirement of certain types of development the Borough Council is able to introduce the concept at the beginning of the development process. Furthermore, it enables the Borough Council to influence a change in the culture of developers to take into account the travels needs of the eventual occupiers at an early stage of the development process.
6.9 The County Council in partnership with the Borough Council will largely implement this Policy, and has produced a “Travel Plans for Developers – Practice Note”. To be effective, Travel Plans need to be monitored and requirements enforced to ensure that stated and agreed targets are achieved. Therefore, Section 106 Agreements will be used as a legal framework to ensure compliance with the requirements of a particular Plan.
Explanation
6.10 Warwickshire County Council, as the Highway Authority, has responsibility for the County highway network and is consulted by the Council on development proposals with implications for this network which are assessed against the authority’s standards for highway infrastructure published in ‘Transport and Roads for Developments’, as appropriate. With regard to development proposals affecting Trunk Roads the Council consults the Highways Agency.
6.11 Development should help to connect places with each other sustainably, providing the right conditions to encourage walking, cycling and the use of public transport. Sustainability, accessibility and safety have become important considerations in highway design, in particular through the encouragement of a range of alternative transport modes to the use of the private car. In this regard highway design should facilitate convenient and safe access to public transport services, including where appropriate provision within the development. Footpaths and cycleways within a development should enable safe and convenient access to facilities and services within the development and beyond, including public transport, pedestrian and cycle infrastructure. The design of access and highway layout should be designed so as to respect the landscape character and features of the area, in accordance with the Warwickshire Landscape Guidelines.
6.12 Access and highway design affects the quality of the street scene and the integration of the development into the surrounding area. Where mixed developments are proposed it will be necessary to consider the individual roads transport requirement for each use, then for optimum facilities to be provided. Therefore, enabling developments to be easily adapted and facilitating, as appropriate, mixed-use development.
6.13 The application of highway standards in the past has contributed to the poor quality of design and uniformity between and within developments. In particular the over-use of cul-de-sacs limits movement and accessibility within developments and beyond, and compromises the appearance and integration of development. Furthermore, excessive curve alignments, radii for access and turning heads and the set back of properties from the highway detracts from the quality of the street scene and the integration of development. A developments’ connectivity to its surrounding locality should be taken as the context for design. Therefore, the highway network needs to be seen as a fundamental component of the overall development and integrated from the outset with the buildings and open land it serves, contributing to the relationship between each and respecting the important features and character of the area.
Explanation
6.14 The provision of safe cycle and pedestrian routes should be taken into account in new developments. This will encourage alternative and more environmentally sensitive forms of transport. To achieve this, cycle and pedestrian facilities should be included at the outset in the development process. Such facilities must be safe and convenient to use, and well connected to other parts of the area and development to attract significant use. It is important that the function of existing cycle and pedestrian routes are not compromised and they should be maintained where possible, or re-routed.
6.15 The Borough Council will continue to work in partnership with the County Council to promote pedestrian and cycle routes. In promoting cycling and walking as alternative modes of transport to the private car, the Borough Council takes the view that the safety and convenience of cyclists and pedestrians should be paramount. In this respect, the Borough Council will seek, where appropriate, new or improved cycle and pedestrian facilities in the Borough where opportunities arise.
Explanation
6.16 The availability of car parking can influence people’s transport decisions and an excessive increase in car parking provision can reinforce car dependency, with the associated congestion, pollution and road safety issues. This is recognised by PPG13 for Transport, the Regional Spatial Strategy and the Structure Plan. The provision of parking as part of new development needs to be controlled to promote a modal shift from the use of the car to more sustainable means of travel, including walking, cycling and public transport. As a consequence the principle of maximum standards of provision is now promoted, which needs to be reflected in parking standards for new development.
6.17 The Council’s Parking Standards, contained in Appendix 3, sets maximum levels of car parking provision for different land uses, according to the accessibility of the site by public transport. If it is in an area of high accessibility the lower the maximum provision. However, the need for flexibility is appreciated and the importance of local factors in determining the level of car parking provision is recognised. A number of local factors are identified which exceptionally could justify some deviation above or below the maximum figures. These relate to the need to revitalise an area, the extent to which an area is environmentally sensitive, to the availability of infrastructure for cyclist and pedestrians, and the availability of public parking facilities.
6.18 The value of cycling as a sustainable mode of transport is appreciated and the standards contain minimum levels of cycle parking provision for different land uses, to encourage this mode of travel. Guidance for the parking of motor cycles, heavy vehicles and provision for people with disabilities, as well as the design of facilities, is also provided by the Standards.
6.19 In considering the change of use of existing premises with parking provision or the development of existing car parks, the Council will seek to apply its standards to ensure that an appropriate and sustainable level of provision is maintained. With regard to the latter a reduction in the amount of car parking to an unacceptable level could increase on street parking leading to highway congestion, with adverse safety and amenity implications and should be avoided.
Explanation
6.20 Both existing and proposed industrial and commercial premises generally need to make appropriate provision for servicing by vehicles making deliveries and collections. Service areas should be off the highway to avoid congestion and in the interests of highway safety, with adequate access arrangements and of a size and configuration to facilitate the parking and easy manoeuvring of commercial vehicles off the highway.
Explanation
6.21 The Borough Council will support, in principle, the Strategic Rail Authority, Network Rail and other private and public sector bodies in their long-term ambitions to upgrade the rail system, for passengers and freight travelling through the Borough as part of the wider rail network. Therefore, the Council will, in principle, support proposals for the widening and upgrading of the West Coast Main Line through the Borough, and facilitating the movement of freight from roads onto rail to decrease traffic congestion on the regions highway network.
6.22 Nevertheless, the upgrading and improvement of rail services can make a positive contribution towards economic development and regeneration, as well as sustainable transport objectives. As part of this strategy, Rugby Train Station will be redeveloped and passenger patronage increased with more frequent better services. Therefore, in accordance with the Warwickshire Public Transport Interchange Strategy and the Warwickshire Local Transport Plan 2000, the Council will seek the development of a high quality bus/rail interchange, which can make a positive contribution towards improved accessibility across the Borough and the wider West Midland region. Furthermore, the development of a bus/rail interchange will be beneficial towards the regeneration and redevelopment of the surrounding area, including the Leicester Road and Livestock Market Opportunity Sites (Policies A1 and A2).
Explanation
6.23 In accordance with the Structure Plan Policy T3, the transport corridors incorporate commuting corridors into the West Midlands conurbation and the main radial routes into the Rugby Urban Area. These are the main commuter routes in and around Rugby and link the Borough to neighbouring areas, and therefore encompass the main bus, cycle, pedestrian and car infrastructure. These routes are multi-modal, in that they include both significant public and alternative transport modes, as well as major road links. Furthermore, these routes link places of need and economic development to areas of opportunity, creating social and economic regeneration.
6.24 The trunk road network performs an important role and the Borough Council will work in partnership with the Highways Agency in its statutory role where the trunk road corridors are affected. However, the County Council in partnership with the Borough Council will be largely responsible for improvements to transport corridors. Contributions from developments towards public transport, park and ride, cycling and pedestrian will be pursued where appropriate. The Borough Council will work with the County Council to improve the quality and quantity of public transport services within these corridors so that they can provide an attractive and realistic alternative to the private car.
6.25 These transport corridors carry the majority of the flows of people and goods into and around Rugby. All development will benefit greatly from the corridors functioning effectively. Therefore, it is important that development affecting them does not significantly reduce the transport corridors’ capacity, and consequently their ability to operate efficiently. For example, current capacity constraints relating to Corridor 3: A426 from Rugby town centre to M6 junction 1, mean that further substantial development in the town could place additional pressure on the route. Where development has an impact demonstrated, through a Transport Assessment, the relevant Highway authority in partnership with the Borough Council will seek contributions towards such improvements, or for mitigating measures. Where necessary, the Borough Council will seek to enter into a planning obligation to secure contributions for these improvements.
Explanation
6.26 The Western Relief Road links the A45 to the south of Rugby to the Leicester Road. It is included in Structure Plan Policy T8 and the Warwickshire Local Transport Plan 2000, and is essential to facilitate development at Cawston and Coton, and employment development at Central Park, Swift Valley and Malpass Farm. The route will also improve the movement of traffic in a north-south direction through Rugby town, provide links between new and existing housing and employment areas by-passing the town centre. In addition, it will remove traffic from Newbold Village, reduce traffic on the radial routes and enable the re-use of derelict land in the vicinity of Parkfield Road.
6.27 The Western Relief Road, which is shown on the Proposals Map, has planning permission. The Compulsory Purchase and Side Roads Orders for the Rugby Western Relief Road were published in October 2002. A public inquiry into objections to the Orders was held on the 29th – 30th April 2003 and 1st – 2nd May 2003. Warwickshire County Council received the Secretary of State’s decision on the Scheme and accompanying Inspector’s Report on Monday 16th February 2004. In July 2004 Warwickshire County Council petitioned the Secretary of State for Transport to reconsider the recommendations made by his Inspector. On 15th of September 2004 the Secretary of State informed Warwickshire County Council that he would re-open the Inquiry into the Orders for the Rugby Western Relief Road. The Inquiry reconvened in 2005, and the Secretary of State has now issued an interim decision letter indicating that he is minded to approve the scheme. Nevertheless, this scheme is important to the future of the Rugby Borough, and therefore it is necessary to safeguard the route until the scheme has been implemented.
Explanation
6.28 The Bilton Village By-pass, A4071, will remove traffic from the village centre and provide an opportunity to enhance the environment of the area. The road is needed to reduce conflict between through and local traffic and pedestrians, and also to facilitate environmental improvements to the traditional village centre. Removing traffic from Main Street will also provide opportunities for improvements to shopping, community and parking facilities to help cater for potential increase in demand from new residential development at Cawston. However, the need for the Bilton By-pass will be reviewed following the implementation of the Western Relief Route.
6.29 The Newbold Road A426 improvement is proposed to cater for the heavy traffic flows expected to remain on this route. However, the need for the road scheme will be reviewed following the implementation of the Western Relief Route.
Explanation
6.30 Ensuring the efficient movement of people and goods is a key factor in a prosperous economy. WASP Policy T11 seeks to ensure that the potential of freight to be moved by rail is protected and where possible realised. Most freight is currently carried by road and this is more environmentally damaging than by rail. Rail facilities have the potential to transport large quantities of people and goods and consequently reduce the reliance on roads and reduce the predicted increase in road traffic and congestion. Because of this, existing or committed facilities will be protected from inappropriate development so that their long term future and potential is safeguarded for the future. It is recognised, however, that the final alignment of the Rugby Western Relief Road may impact on part of the former Rugby to Leamington railway line.
6.31 The use of former railway land for sustainable transport purposes is acceptable, provided that the use does not prejudice the reinstatement of the railway in the future. Sustainable transport uses are considered to include cycleways, footpaths and railways.
Explanation
6.32 Motorways in and around the Borough are well served by Motorway Service Areas (MSAs), based on the 30 mile interval and also on the 15 mile interval. Having regard to Structure Plan Policy T13, Policy T12 is intended to provide a clear and unambiguous position in order to prevent a proliferation of unnecessary facilities that would generate additional traffic movements and compromise the free flow of the motorway system.
6.33 Government policy covering the provision of MSAs is contained in Highways Agency Motorway Service Area Policy Statement HA269, July 31st 1998, with additional advice and guidance in Roads Circular 1/94. The Government’s main aim is to complete the “thirty mile” MSA network on those stretches of motorway where this has not already been achieved. Planning permission for infill MSAs at around fifteen mile intervals should be granted only exceptionally and where a clear and compelling need and safety case for the MSA has been established.
6.34 The intent of Policy Statement HA269 is to move the emphasis for the justification for infill MSAs from convenience and choice to safety. In addition, the Circular states that where a new MSA is proposed less than 15 miles from an existing MSA the stronger the case will need to be for an exception to the 15 mile interval. Therefore, there must be a clear and compelling need and safety case for developing an MSA in the Borough.
Explanation
6.35 There are no airports in the Borough. However, the approach flight paths to Coventry Airport cross the Borough and the Daventry (Pailton) Radio Technical Site is located near to the M6. The Borough Council will consult the Civil Aviation Authority in respect of any development proposals that may encroach upon the efficiency and safety of these zones.