Proposed Residential Development Thomson House, Farnborough Travel Plan For Blackburn Properties Ltd Document Control Sheet Travel Plan Thomson House, Farnborough, Hampshire Blackburn Properties Ltd This document has been issued and amended as follows: Date Issue Prepared by Approved by 01/06/2015 Final Emma Stonard Steve Parsons 17/09/2015 Final Rev A Emma Stonard Devinda Kumarasinghe Motion 232 High Street Guildford Surrey GU1 3JF T 01483 531300 F 01483 531333 E [email protected] W www.motion-uk.co.uk Thomson House, Farnborough Contents 1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1 2.0 Policy Background ...................................................................................................... 2 3.0 Site Audit and Accessibility .......................................................................................... 5 4.0 Measures and Initiatives .............................................................................................. 9 5.0 Action Plan ................................................................................................................ 12 6.0 Summary .................................................................................................................. 13 Appendices A Local Amenities Map Travel Plan – September 2015 Blackburn Properties Ltd i 150111/bpfarn Thomson House, Farnborough 1.0 Introduction 1.1 This Travel Plan has been prepared on behalf of Blackburn Properties Limited to support a planning application for the extension and conversion of the existing office space at Thomson House, Farnborough and the erection of a new six-story building to the rear, to create a total of 145 residential apartments. The site falls within the administrative boundaries of Rushmoor Borough Council and Hampshire County Council. 1.2 The purpose of the Travel Plan is to provide a ‘manual’ for the Travel Plan Co-ordinator who will be appointed to oversee the implementation and development of the measures set out in the document, which will seek to provide a long-term strategy for encouraging residents and visitors to reduce their dependency on travelling as single occupancy car drivers in favour of more sustainable modes. Background 1.3 The increased dominance of the private motor car contributes to congestion, pollution, social barriers, increased risk of accidents and can also affect the health and fitness of people. Current travel patterns are unsustainable and future demands for travel cannot be satisfactorily met, particularly by car, unless they are managed more effectively. Objectives 1.4 The objectives of this Travel Plan are: ► To promote awareness of transport issues and the impact of traffic on the local environment; ► To show a commitment to improving traffic conditions within the local area; ► To influence the level of private car journeys to and from the site in order to reduce air pollution and the consumption of fossil fuels; ► To facilitate access to key amenities; ► To increase the proportion of journeys to and from the site by sustainable modes of transport; ► To promote walking and cycling as a health benefit to residents; and, ► To make all residents aware of the sustainable transport options available to them. Means of Achieving Objectives 1.5 The Travel Plan represents a long-term strategy for reducing the dependence of residents on single occupancy private car travel. The aims of the strategy are (a) to increase the awareness of residents and visitors to all the transport options available to them and to the potential for travel by more sustainable modes, and (b) to introduce a package of both ‘hard’ (physical) and ‘soft’ (behavioural) measures that will facilitate travel by other modes. 1.6 The remainder of this document is divided into the following Sections: ► Section 2 commences with a review of national and local transport policies; ► Section 3 provides a site audit and describes the existing provision of transport infrastructure and accessibility; ► Section 4 then sets out the Travel Plan measures and initiatives; ► Section 5 outlines an action plan for the measures; and, ► Lastly, Section 6 provides a summary of the Travel Plan. Travel Plan – September 2015 Blackburn Properties Ltd 1 150111/bpfarn Thomson House, Farnborough 2.0 Policy Background Introduction 2.1 It is acknowledged that the Travel Plan will need to encompass measures that are consistent with key policies and identifies objectives accordingly. This chapter reviews key national and local transport policies that are relevant to the Travel Plan. These are as follows: ► National Planning Policy Framework – March 2012; and, ► Rushmoor Borough Council’s Local Plan 2011 saved policies. National Planning Policy Framework 2.2 The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was published in March 2012, and replaces the previous national planning policies that were set out in the various Planning Policy Guidance Notes / Statements. With regard to transport, the NPPF replaces policy contained within PPG13 (Transport). 2.3 The NPPF sets out a presumption in favour of sustainable development that recognises the importance of transport policies in facilitating sustainable development, and that planning decisions should have regard to local circumstances. In this regard, paragraph 29 of the NPPF states that: “The transport system needs to be balanced in favour of sustainable transport modes, giving people a real choice about how they travel.” Moreover, paragraph 17 states that planning should: “...actively manage patterns of growth to make the fullest possible use of public transport, walking and cycling, and focus significant development in locations which are or can be made sustainable;” 2.4 In this regard, paragraph 36 states that: “A key tool to facilitate this will be a Travel Plan. All developments which generate significant amounts of movement should be required to provide a Travel Plan.” 2.5 A Travel Plan is a package of measures designed to encourage users of a site to travel by sustainable means other than single occupancy car use. A Travel Plan can bring a range of benefits, not only to staff and visitors but to the wider community. Benefits include improved health, cost savings, reduced demand for on-site parking and less congestion locally. Rushmoor Borough Council’s Local Plan 2011 saved policies 2.6 Planning applications within Rushmoor are assessed against the Rushmoor Core Strategy (RCS) that was adopted in October 2011. The policies that are relevant to the proposed development are as follows: 2.7 RCS Policy SP4 – Farnborough Town Centre: Development proposals will be permitted which maintain the vitality of Farnborough tow centre and contribute to the strategy of revitalising the town centre. To achieve revitalisation. The strategy for Farnborough town centre is: to encourage high design quality by implementing the Farnborough Town Centre Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). 2.8 RCS Policy CP1 – Sustainable Development Principles: Development will be permitted subject to: maximising development opportunities in accessible location. Travel Plan – September 2015 Blackburn Properties Ltd 2 150111/bpfarn Thomson House, Farnborough 2.9 RCS Policy CP19 – Reducing and Managing Travel Demand: The Council will work with Hampshire County Council, the Highways Agency, and other partners on a cross-boundary basis where appropriate, to ensure that development proposals are permitted subject to the location having maximum flexibility in terms of choice in the mode of transport available; identifying suitable alternative transport measures to help minimise traffic generation by reducing reliance on the private car; mitigating any adverse effects on the transport network arising from the proposed development; providing appropriate parking in accordance with the Council’s adopted standards. 2.10 Having regard to RCS Policy SP4, Rushmoor Borough Council adopted its ‘Farnborough Town Centre’ Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) in July 2007. The SPD was produced to guide future development in Farnborough town centre to ensure its “...vitality and viability is maintained and enhanced whilst providing for local needs such as new homes...”. With respect to transport, the SPD sets out an objective to “...enhance accessibility into and within the town centre by all means of transport.” It goes on to state that developments should seek to reduce the visual and physical impact of vehicles. 2.11 Furthermore, in regards to RCS Policy CP19, Rushmoor Borough Council adopted its ‘Car & Cycle Parking Standards’ SPD in March 2012. The Council’s approach is set out around a number of ‘key principles’. Principles relevant to the proposed development are as follows: ► Principle 2 – Meeting the car parking impact of new development: Where an increase in floor area or a change of use would result in a higher parking standard, additional spaces need only be provided to serve the extra demand, and not to make up for any deficiencies in the existing provision. ► Principle 5 – The provision of at least one car parking space per dwelling: Notwithstanding the size or location of the development, a minimum parking standard of one space per dwelling will be required. ► Principle 9 – Off-site car parking to serve residential development in town and district centres: Where the proposal would support the regeneration of a town or district centre, and parking could not reasonably be provided on the site, applicants many consider the use of