Core Strategy Preferred Options (Revised October 2008)
Transport
(11) Introduction
The District currently has high-levels of car ownership, high levels of out-commuting and limited public transport, particularly in rural areas.
There are concerns that, with the projected population increase, car usage will increase to the detriment of the environment and lead to intolerable levels of congestion.
We will continue to work with Essex County Council - the Highway Authority - to ensure that the road network is maintained and upgraded where necessary. The addition of any major new highway infrastructure during the plan period is unlikely. However, highway improvementsto serve new developments and to mitigate their impacts will be required to come forward in a timely manner, along with improvements to existing east-west routes.
Whilst current economic and social needs must be met, the only long-term option for Rochford District is to try and reduce the need to travel by car and promote the use of alternative methods of transport. We cannot force people to give up their cars and must be realistic in terms of ensuring there is adequate highway infrastructure for development, but planning must aim to give people the option to use alternatives. The theme of reducing car dependency is highlighted in this chapter, but also runs through the Core Strategy as a whole.
(3) Highways
In order for development to be sustainable it must meet the needs of the present, as well as the future. Currently, the nature of the District does not lend itself to travel without the use of a private car. The District experiences high-levels of car usage and, whilst it is important that we plan development in a way that reduces this reliance on the car, the economic and social importance of car usage in the District at this time cannot be overlooked.
It is important that new development be accompanied by the requisite highway infrastructure improvements to mitigate their impact on the existing network. We will ensure that such highway improvements are delivered through a combination of planning obligations and standard charges for developers (see Preferred Option CLT1 for further details), and by working in partnership with Essex County Council. In addition, we believe that existing connections between the west, where the population is focussed, and the more rural east which nevertheless contains a number of local employment uses, is inadequate. We will work with Essex County Council to seek online improvements to east-west highways in order to help sustain employment uses in the east of the District.
(30) T1 Highways - Preferred Option |
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Developments will be required to be located and designed
in such a way as to reduce reliance on the private car.
However, some impact on the highway network is inevitable
and we will work with developers and the Highway
Authority to ensure that the requisite improvements are
carried out. We will seek developer contributions where
necessary.
We will work with the Highways Authority to deliver online improvements to east to west road networks, in particular, we will seek improvements to the highways serving Baltic Wharf in order to sustain employment in this rural part of the District. |
(9) Public Transport
One method of reducing the need to travel by private car is to ensure that residential areas are connected to destinations, such as places of work and town centres, by a reliable and efficient public transport system. As public transport in the District is privately operated, there is a limit to how much we can influence the provision of public transport.
Planning should, however, ensure that new development is well related to existing public transport where possible. Planning can also require developers to contribute towards public transport provision, in order to mitigate against possible impacts of new developments on the highway network.
We will work with developers, public transport operators and Essex County Council to ensure that new developments are integrated into the public transport system and, where necessary, public transport infrastructure is upgraded.
(21) T2 Public Transport - Preferred Option |
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Development must be well related to public transport, or
accessible by means other than the private car.
In particular, large-scale residential developments will be required to ensure that they are integrated with public transport and designed in a way that encourages the use of alternative forms of transport to the private car. Where developments are not well located to such infrastructure, and alternatives are not available, contributions towards sustainable transport infrastructure will be sought. |
(1) South Essex Rapid Transport (SERT)
Essex County Council, in partnership with the unitary authorities of Southend and Thurrock, have developed a programme for the delivery of a rapid transit system for South Essex - South Essex Rapid Transport (SERT). SERT will comprise of a network of corridors connecting the four main hubs, key development sites, major services and providing connections between the radial routes. The four main hubs are Basildon, Thurrock, Southend and London Gateway Port. While the initial route does not directly serve the District, future phases have the potential to do so.
SERT will involve high-quality bus-based vehicles travelling on a combination of specially dedicated routes and existing roads where SERT vehicles are given priority over other traffic. This service will provide rapid and reliable connections between residential areas and employment within the sub-region, helping to reduce car usage and ease congestion.
(4) T3 South Essex Rapid Transport (SERT) - Preferred Option |
| We will work with Essex County Council to support the implementation of SERT. We will seek to ensure that SERT connects the District's residential areas with employment opportunities and, where this is the case, assist Essex County Council in implementing dedicated routes and measures to ensure that SERT vehicles have priority over other traffic. |
Travel Plans
A travel plan is a package of practical measures to encourage employees / staff and pupils / residents/ patients to be able to use methods of transport other than the car, and to reduce the need to travel to and from work / school / places of residence / hospitals. A plan should be tailored to a particular site and use, and include a range of measures which will make a positive impact at that site. These could include, for example, setting up a car sharing scheme; providing cycle facilities; offering attractive flexible-working practices. The idea is to make the alternatives more feasible and more attractive to people.
(2) T4 Travel Plans - Preferred Option |
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Focus the requirement of travel planning on destinations
- schools, workplaces, hospitals, health centres and
visitor attractions. New schools, visitor attractions,
leisure uses and larger employment developments will be
required to devise and implement a travel plan which aims
to reduce private, single-occupancy car use. Existing
schools and employers will be encouraged to implement
travel plans.
Residential plans will be encouraged, but will not be compulsory due to the difficulties in applying them to such development. |
(3) Cycling and Walking
Increased opportunities for cycling and walking not only provide health and leisure benefits, but can also help reduce car dependency for certain journey types.
A two-pronged approach will be necessary to improve people's opportunity to cycle: an improved network of safe and convenient cycle paths, together with the provision of secure cycle parking and other facilities such as lockers, changing rooms, showers etc at destinations.
(15) T5 Cycling and Walking - Preferred Option |
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We will work with Essex County Council, along with other
organisations such as Sustrans, to ensure that a safe and
convenient network of cycle and pedestrian routes are put
in place that link homes, workplaces, services and town
centres. Where developments generate a potential demand
to travel, developers will be required to contribute to
such a network. We will also continue to require
developers to provide facilities for cyclists at
destinations.
We will also seek the further development of cyclepaths, footpaths and bridleways that, having regard to ecological interests, open up and develop the access network alongside the District's rivers. |
(4) Greenways
As part of ensuring that the regeneration of the Thames Gateway is sustainable, a strategy has been produced - the Green Grid Strategy - which has a number of aims, including to connect new communities with existing neighbourhoods, the regenerated riverside, local attractions and the countryside; create high quality new green spaces links in areas of opportunity and need; and plan and promote the Green Grid network as part of a sustainable transport strategy.
We are a member of the Green Grid partnership and, as such, are committed to seeing the aims of the Green Grid Strategy realised. Part of the Green Grid Strategy proposes the creation of "greenways" - footpaths, cyclepaths and bridlepaths that connect to and through towns and the rest of South Essex area which, in addition to leisure and recreational routes, also provide alternative transport options. A number of the proposed greenways are within Rochford District, and although not directly able to implement greenways alone, we will work with partners to see them realised.
It should be noted that the proposed Sustrans cycle network has the potential to deliver an element of the planned greenways.
(4) T6 Greenways - Preferred Option |
We will work with partners, including neighbouring
authorities, to aid the delivery of the following
greenways identified in the Thames Gateway Green Grid
Strategy which are of relevance to Rochford District:
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(1) Parking Standards
National government policy has made it clear that parking policies should be used as part of a range of measures to promote sustainable transport and reduce reliance on the private car, stating that Local Authorities should not apply minimum parking standards to development. However, we have always been concerned that limiting parking at the origin of trips, i.e. homes, may lead to excessive on-street parking, to the detriment of highway safety and efficiency. As such we have sought to maintain minimum standards in certain cases.
Our current parking standards are set out in SPD5 - Vehicle Parking Standards. This seeks to limit the level of parking at trip destinations and residential development in certain circumstances, whilst applying minimum parking standards to residential schemes within other situations.
The Essex Planning Officers Association is currently reviewing the impacts of parking policies across the County.
We believe that limiting parking provision at trip destinations can have a positive impact on sustainability and reduce congestion. However, we also believe that limiting car parking for residential development has little impact on the number of cars people use, and has predominantly negative effects. In such cases, a minimum standard is appropriate, although residential development within town centre locations or within close proximity to one of the District's train stations may not require such levels of parking.
(8) T7 Parking Standards - Preferred Option |
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We will apply minimum parking standards, including
visitor parking, to residential development. We will be
prepared to relax such standards for residential
development within town centre locations and sites in
close proximity to any of the District's train stations.
Whilst applying maximum parking standards for trip destinations, we will still require such development to include adequate parking provision. Developers will be required to demonstrate that adequate provision for the parking, turning, loading and unloading of service vehicles has been provided. |