Sustainable Transport Accessibility

otection. Policy ID.5 Sustainable Transport Accessibility In addition to the safeguarding of sustainable transport initiatives set out in Policy ID.3, development proposals must prioritise walking, cycling and public transport, to encourage a modal shift away from the private car and ensure that sustainable transport options are inclusive and accessible to all users having regard to the infrastructure requirements within the IDS.  A. Requirements Proposals will be supported where they:  1. Demonstrate that they are in sustainable locations where travel distances can be minimised, and the use of sustainable travel modes maximised. This means minimising additional travel demand and where demand is generated, maximising the use of sustainable travel modes through safe, secure, and convenient public transport, walking, and cycling links, and ensuring effective integration with existing infrastructure.   2. Are supported by suitable Transport Statements or Transport Assessment and Travel Plans or Framework Travel Plans, along with additional supporting documents as required. These must provide robust evidence that opportunities for sustainable transport will deliver meaningful connections and align with the broader strategy set out in the STA.  They must also ensure that access points are safe for all users and that impacts on the transport network have been mitigated. This also means making significant improvements to public and active transport modes as part of any transport arrangements to make the development acceptable in planning terms. Where footways are required, including alongside existing highways, they must be installed with operational street lighting (if appropriate) prior to occupation to ensure the safety of residents from the outset. 3. Utilise Green and Blue Infrastructure when providing active travel connectivity, using green verges, linear SuDS and tree planting along streets, transport routes and other active travel links. Where applicable, opportunities to enhance and expand the South Warwickshire Greenway network should be utilised. 4. All development proposals must have regard to the Infrastructure Delivery Plan, and where applicable, contribute towards its identified objectives, such as the provision of infrastructure as set out in Policies ID.1 and ID.2. B. Proposals for Major Development In addition to Part A above, applications for major development must demonstrate:  • Direct and high-frequency public transport links to key service centres and employment sites or demonstrate provision for high frequency services as part of the development proposal, and over its lifetime.  • The provision of high-quality, segregated, and intuitive routes for walking, wheeling and cycling achieving linkages with the wider network, including linkages between other major developments identified in this Plan.   • That infrastructure is barrier-free and accessible to all, specifically considering the needs of the elderly, those with disabilities and low-income groups. C. Sustainable Transport Corridors In order to enable the modal shift away from the use of the private car, sustainable transport corridors will be delivered along key arterial transport routes within South Warwickshire. These will utilise improvements to bus, rail and active transport connections to ensure parity between these modes and the private car. Examples of schemes include: • Improvements to the South of Coventry Corridor as part of the wider ‘multi- modal transport corridor’. This extends the length of the A452, including the Kenilworth Road south of Kenilworth, north of Royal Leamington Spa and A46 access into the University of Warwick and the COV .1 Site Proposal (IDP Ref STC -1). • Improvements to the West of Warwick Corridor to Hatton and Hampton Magna along the A4177, improving connectivity with the town itself and to Warwick Parkway Railway Station (IDP Ref STC-2). • Improvements to the South of Leamington Corridor along the Europa Way/A452, enabling the creation of a new gateway to the south of the town, and improving sustainable connections between Bishop’s Tachbrook Parish and the centres of Warwick and Leamington (IDP Ref STC-3). This list is not exhaustive, and it is recognised that as part of further work in the plan period additional routes may be identified. Where the need for significant improvements to routes elsewhere is identified, these will be prioritised through planning decisions and obligations, in line with the improvements to transport corridors set out above. Policy ID.5 ~ Development Management Considerations To ensure that new development provides a high-quality, safe and attractive environments for walking and cycling, all infrastructure must be designed in accordance with Local Transport Note (LTN) 1/20: Cycle Infrastructure Design (or any subsequent national guidance). LTN 1/20 sets out five key principles for the design of active travel links, they should be coherent, direct, safe, comfortable and attractive. Development proposals will be expected to demonstrate how these principles have been applied to their scheme. Likewise, Local Transport Note (LTN) 1/24: Bus User Priority, sets out 6 design principles to enable passenger access needs are met and bus journeys are reliable. Development proposals will be expected to demonstrate how these principles have been applied to their scheme, plus demonstrate how they will contribute towards bus measures identified in the IDP for bus improvements along key corridors to/from the development site. Development proposals are also required to consider the opportunities identified in the Green and Blue Infrastructure and Open Space Study. It is recognised that the colocation of active transport links with Green and Blue Infrastructure allows for additional public health benefits, providing further improvements to mental and physical wellbeing. All applicants for major development are advised to submit a preapplication request to the Warwickshire County Council Highway’s Team (or successor organisation) to confirm whether one of the following documents will be required:  • Travel Plan/Framework Travel Plans  • Transport Statement/Transport Assessment  It should be noted that this guidance may change during the lifetime of the plan in keeping with national and local standards in terms of threshold requirements of specific types of development. The most up-to-date requirements, including highway design standards should be used. Development proposals are expected to have regard to Local Highway Improvements identified through the Strategic Transport Assessment, undertaking assessments in line with the Development Assessment and Modelling Protocol. Travel Plans must set out the funding for, and implementation of, sustainable transport options that ensure the delivery and long-term monitoring of transport requirements agreed during the determination of an application. Transport Statements or Assessments must demonstrate a safe and functional access for all users with appropriate prioritisation of active travel modes.   Developers should follow the Development Assessment and Modelling Protocol and must ensure that their models and results are incorporated into their transport assessments to effectively test scheme designs and implement the required mitigation to enable sustainable and safe transport accessibility. These findings will then need to be supplemented with local modelling to fully understand how the immediate context of sites would be affected by proposals, and that appropriate mitigation is in place. Development proposals must consider the highways access guidance. All highways access must be to a standard that is adoptable by the Highways Authority.   Strategic proposals that require Environmental Impact Assessment will be required to demonstrate that they have considered the in-combination effects of development alongside other environmental constraints such as biodiversity, flood risk and climate change in accordance with the national requirements for Environmental Impact Assessment. They will also be required to demonstrate that any disruption to the local and strategic road networks has been effectively minimised and mitigated. Consideration of all planning applications will be informed by their compliance with the guidance provided in the following documents:  • Warwickshire Design Guide • Warwickshire Local Transport Plan Policy Justification  3.2.6 The NPPF sets out the importance of sustainability in relation to transport, and the need for planning policies to prioritise transport solutions that allow for well- designed and sustainable places, focusing on development in locations that limit the need to travel and offer a choice of transport modes.   3.2.7 All new development influences travel patterns through the creation of new trips and through its impacts on existing trips. This occurs both in terms of site-specific access from developments and in terms of the broader impact. The South Warwickshire Strategic Transport Assessment (STA)is informed by transport models to model these trips and their impact particularly on key pieces of identified infrastructure outlined in the (STA) Mitigation measures necessary to support the plan are found in the STA and the IDP schedule. The modelling for various key areas can be found on the SWLP website under the heading a well-connected South Warwickshire. Major Development proposals will be expected to contribute towards mitigating the impact of new trips by providing for schemes set out in the STA and the IDP schedule using the Transport Hierarchy to prioritise mitigations. Site proposals should seek to encourage modal shift towards public and active travel. Site promoters and planning applicants must ensure that there is a joined-up approach across different modes, working with partners to secure optimum outcomes between specific sites, as appropriate. Outcomes should be demonstrated through site specific Transport Assessments. 3.2.8 A driving principle for the South Warwickshire Local Plan is the principle of 20- minute neighbourhoods, which is dependent on development delivering access from new communities into the surrounding area in a functional way that encourages a modal shift from the private car.   Development proposals will also be supported where they are co-located with high frequency transport links. This means locations with a 15- minute frequency of bus services from a bus stop, and 30-minute frequency for rail services from a train station during peak periods. It also includes schemes which demonstrate provision for high frequency services as part of the development proposal. 3.2.9 In terms of ID.5(c), parity means ensuring that differences in journey time, reliability, accessibility and cost in respect of active transport and public transport modes are overcome to improve the overall attractiveness of these transport modes to users. Each of the identified corridors will be subject to specific recommendations that form part of the submission version of the STA, and further work following the adoption of the SWLP . Where future evidence updates, transpor