Active Travel SPD
7. Planning Application Expectations
The Council expects applicants to demonstrate how the active travel principles set out in this SPD including the provision of good quality infrastructure, improvements to existing infrastructure, cycle and wheel parking proposals and other sustainable travel measures, have been incorporated into the design of the development proposal. Where relevant, compliance with the principles set out in this SPD should be shown on the relevant application plans, e.g. the location and type of cycle parking.
Applicants must submit the Climate Emergency Checklist in support of their application. This Checklist covers the issues included in this SPD, the Climate Change SPD and the Biodiversity SPD. It is a means for applicants, Development Management officers and Planning Committee Members to understand the measures that have been incorporated into a development proposal to ensure compliance with the three Climate Emergency SPDs and the policies they build upon, and to demonstrate that they have been considered.
Opportunities to promote active travel modes should be identified at the earliest stages of development proposals.
Developer Contributions
Developer contributions is a collective term mainly used to refer to Planning Obligations (commonly referred to as Section 106 or S106 obligations after S106 of the Planning Act) and the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). At present Colchester City Council does not charge a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). The Colchester Local Plan contains policies setting out contributions expected from development. These policies (Section 1 Policy SP5 Infrastructure and Connectivity; and Section 2 Policy SG7 Infrastructure Delivery and Impact Mitigation) ensure new development supports delivery of required infrastructure.
Essex County Council (ECC) is the Highway Authority for the Colchester City area, and Colchester City Council consults ECC on planning proposals that affect the highway network. ECC provide advice on the scope of obligations for highway infrastructure works where it is considered that there is a need to mitigate the impact of new development on the highway network. Development proposals need to mitigate their own impact through the provision of appropriate measures which may include footway and cycle links, crossings and contributions to car clubs. The Essex County Council 'Developer's Guide to Infrastructure Contributions' provides details of the impacts that development may have on ECC services and infrastructure.
The principles outlined in the previous sections provide the basis for ensuring that good quality active travel infrastructure is proposed and provided as part of new development. In addition to the provision of infrastructure, contributions where appropriate towards active travel infrastructure on site as part of the development proposal, and a contribution where appropriate towards provision or enhancement of facilities off site to ensure that the development is linked to the existing walking and cycling networks may be required. The precise level of any contribution will depend on the size of the development and the infrastructure required.
