WALKING IN TOWNS AND CITIES
PLANNING
139. A National Strategy for Walking can play a very
important role in stimulating local authorities and other organisations
to take the necessary actions to promote and facilitate walking.
The provision of funds which reflect the importance of walking
will enable them to implement the appropriate measures. It is,
however, unlikely, that the National Strategy and the increased
budget will reverse the decline in policy unless, as we have repeatedly
stated, the Government ensures that the right planning policies
are implemented which make it convenient to make short walking
journeys.
140. There are grounds for optimism. Planning policy
was the one area of policy which witnesses praised. Policies put
in place by both the last Government (PPG6 - Town centres and
retail development) and the present one (PPG3 - Housing) were
seen as important contributions to the creation of more compact
development patterns and preventing out of town sprawl. Although
implementation of the policies has not been as effective as witnesses
would have hoped, the Government has a set of land use policies
which are of a high standard. Nevertheless, even in this area
there have been a number of disappointments. In particular, policies
to reduce travel by co-ordinating transport and planning policies
have not been effective.
141. Large scale formats (large superstores, hospitals,
leisure and entertainment complexes), which are usually located
out of town because of their land requirements, have continued
to be granted planning permission. These out of town developments,
not only provide free parking and therefore attract large number
of customers travelling by car, they also force local authorities
to provide more and cheaper parking at competing town centre locations,
and more road capacity to accommodate the traffic seeking access
to the car parking. This undermines the pedestrian environment
in town centres. Competition is not just between town centres
and out of town centres, but between competing town centres. For
example, parking charges might be reduced in order to compete
more effectively with neighbouring towns.
142. To deal with these and related problems in 1994
the Government introduced PPG13 on Transport. Unfortunately implementation
was patchy and in 1999 a revised draft PPG13 was issued for consultation,
which proposed national maximum parking standards. Subsequently
little has changed. Local decisions seem characterised by confusion
and unpredictability. The British Property Federation reported
that 75% of planning authorities which responded to a survey it
commissioned allowed more business parking than was suggested
in the draft PPG13 on Transport. There is a wide divergence in
parking standards between those given in the draft PPG13 and those
set by planning authorities which have in some cases not been
changed for 5 years. 40% of local authorities which responded
to the survey are planning to review their policies without first
examining public transport accessibility.[214]
143. Given the confusion we are pleased that the
final version of PPG 13 is now published. Many witnesses had expressed
disappointment and frustration at the delay to publication, which
came only at the end of our deliberations. The Civic Trust's view
was not untypical:
"it is rather alarming
if as seems the case, Government is getting cold feet on this.
The consultation period ended 13 months ago, I can think of no
other reason why it taken such a long time to produce it. The
time lag required from publication of a planning policy guidance
note to its appearance in developments plans is years, so we can
not afford to wait."[215]
It is widely known that publication had been delayed
because of the Government's nervousness about representations
made by private sector development interests. These were mostly
to do with the effect that lower levels of parking provision would
have on the profitability of food retail stores and other businesses.
In evidence to us the Minister, Beverley Hughes, denied that the
Treasury had blocked PPG13, but as a supplementary memorandum
from the department made clear, she had apparently been confused
about the document.[216]
144. Our initial reaction is that the full revised
version of PPG13 in many respects differs little from the consultation
draft of October 1999. It has strengthened guidance on the role
of Transport Assessments in the land use planning process, and
this is to be welcomed. The main difference, however, is the setting
of national maximum levels of parking which are more generous
(and hence less effective as part of the shift to more sustainable
access) than in the draft. In particular the maximum provision
at food retail developments has been increased by 30%, and at
office developments by 18%. In terms of limiting parking in town
centres the final PPG13 has introduced a significant loophole
(which developers are bound to exploit) by allowing local authorities
to consider going above the "relevant maximum standards".
This could undermine policies to maximise access to town centres
by walking, cycling and public transport. We are also disappointed
at the introduction into PPG 13 of separate student parking at
new higher education establishments. This will encourage car use
to a land use that has traditionally been accessed to a large
degree on foot, cycle and public transport. Moreover, the parking
provision is to be based on student enrolments rather than
full time equivalent student numbers, leading to still higher
levels of parking.
145. Now that PPG13 has finally been published
it is important that its daughter documents are published as a
matter of urgency. These are Guidance on Transport Assessments
(which will indicate the share each mode of transport should achieve
at new developments) and Planning and Sustainable Access (which
illustrates how new developments can be planned to reduce dependence
on the car for access). Both of these projects are complete.
Supporting research, which justified the parking standards set
out in the draft PPG 13, was under taken on the subject, but has
never been published. In view of the need to continue the debate
over this very contentious issue we recommend that the national
research on parking standards which supported PPG13 now be published.
146. During our inquiry, we became aware of what
seems to be a disturbing development, namely that the Treasury
had begun an inquiry into the impact of planning policy on the
economy following complaints from property consultants and the
business sector that planning policy restricts productivity.[217]
We were informed by the Treasury that
the press reports were wrong, that it had not commissioned research
and that it was working with DETR "to understand better how
the planning system impacts on the business community and economic
growth".[218]
It is a matter of concern that the Treasury's inquiry into
planning policy has been undertaken with the aim of undoing the
important policies to restrain out-of-town development which were
put in place in the last decade. If this were done, it would have
severe consequences for walking, congestion and the Urban Renaissance.
We note with approval the following conclusion of the Treasury
Committee:
"We are concerned
that the Treasury as an institution has recently begun to exert
too much influence over policy areas which are properly the business
of other departments and that this is not necessarily in the best
interests of the Treasury or the Government as a whole."[219]
We can think of few areas where these remarks
are more appropriate than land use planning, the complexities
of which should not be dealt with superficially. We trust our
successor Committee will monitor developments in this area keenly.
CONCLUSIONS
147. Walking in towns and cities is a very important
mode of transport, but it is under threat. People are spending
more time in cars, and less time on their feet. The number of
walking trips has declined by 13% in 25 years, while the number
of car (and motor cycle) trips increased by 48% in the same time.[220]
This has very serious consequences for traffic congestion and
the quality of life in cities and personal health. Poorer households
without cars are worst affected.
148. The convenience of the car means that it will
remain the dominant transport mode. Nevertheless it is possible
first to stop the decline in walking and subsequently bring about
a decrease in the number of car journeys and a corresponding increase
in the number of walking trips to bring English towns and cities
on a par with the best in northern Europe. To do this, the Government
should set about changing transport priorities. It should
- ensure that appropriate land use planning policies
are implemented
- make small schemes to promote walking a higher
priority for funding
- publish a National Strategy which would send
a message to local authorities and others that walking is a priority;
make local strategies mandatory; set national targets; and establish
a national forum.
149. We also recommend that the Government implement
a number of specific measures. In particular
- roads and streets should be re-classified to
take account of the activities along them, not just traffic flow
- priorities for design and spending should follow
from this re-classification
- consolidated guidance covering design and technical
matters should be issued
- the number of staff responsible for walking in
the DETR should be increased so that it is commensurate with the
importance of walking
- transport spending should be sanctioned when
local authorities have an appropriate walking strategy in place
- guidance to local authorities should specify
that staggered pedestrian crossings and guard railings should
not be used; and
- safety problems should be addressed by reducing
traffic and traffic speed and re-allocating road space rather
than by increasing pedestrian inconvenience
- addressing concerns about personal security should
be given a high priority; specifically the police should pay more
attention to ensuring that people feel safe when they walk about
our streets.
214 Business Parking Standards, Report of Survey, Symonds
Group for the British Property Federation, 2001 Back
215 Q357 Back
216 WTC40A Back
217 Urban
Environment Today, 15 February 2001 Back
218 WTC
104 Back
219 Third
Report from the Treasury Committee, 2000-01, HM Treasury (HC73-I),
para 21 Back
220 Transport
trends, 2001, p.29; the decline since 1985/86 is 20% Back
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