Planning applications worth billions of pounds are submitted every year in the UK by both private business and the public sector. Each application when considered by planning officers and committees needs to take into account the potential implications on Transport.
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was introduced in 2012, in an attempt to simplify the planning system and to bring the power as well as decision making back down to a local level. As a result of this the previous guidance on best practice with regard to undertaking Transport Assessments has been revoked with very little if anything replacing it.
Guidance on the preparation of supporting documentation in highway assessment terms can be found in the Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) suite of documents. These guidance documents set out the methodology that should be used when undertaking a Transport Assessment and state the importance of entering into early discussions with the Local Planning Authority and other relevant authorities / consultees.
The PPG guidance is very general and does not provide as much guidance as before. As a result I-Select Consultancy has created a one-day course to help organisations develop a
better understanding of the process and details required for a successful Transport Assessment. The course has been prepared by Transport Planning Associates (TPA) and
will be presented by myself in four sessions, covering Policy and Guidance, Baseline & Impact Assessment, Mitigation and Sustainable Travel and Case Studies & Monitoring.
The course which is called “Rules for undertaking Successful Transport Assessments for Developments” has been designed to enhance attendees understanding of the language of the planning process, the principle of TA’s, the role of modelling and enable them to recognise what is a good rather than a bad Transport Assessment.
Daniel Ekstrand BSc TPP MTPS MCIHT
Associate Director
Transport Planning Associates