1.1 Planning and development process
This guide has been prepared primarily for designers and transport engineers to offer guidance on transport aspects of development of new residential areas within Gateshead, although the advice offered can be applied to all new development of any scale.
All development proposals should have regard to national, regional and local policy of relevance to transport. This guide aims to assist developers in finding the answers they may need to ensure investment in Gateshead is successful. First steps in any process are often the hardest to take and we want to help developers to achieve a successful development. The council encourages all those considering development in Gateshead to engage with officers as soon as possible through the pre-application process as set out later in this guide. This will allow assistance in the development process.
This document does not intend to cover all aspects of planning and development but only those specifically related to Transport and Development. It acts as a compendium of relevant information to direct Designers and Highway Engineers to up to date technical aspects of highways development. It does not intend to repeat the guidance which can be found in associated documents such as Manual for Streets and Design Manual for Road and Bridgeworks.
1.2 Pre-planning application process
The council offers a pre-application service whereby applicants can seek advice on proposed schemes and obtain feedback on proposals prior to the formal submission of a planning application. This includes the opportunity for applicants to secure Consultee Services on a range of topics, including highways.
It is essential that developers, their designers and transport consultants engage with council officers to determine the extent and scope of the Transport Assessment required. A scoping study in advance of a Transport Assessment will always be required for developments likely to generate more than 30 two-way vehicle trips in the peak hour or consisting of more than 80 residential units.
All requests for formal written advice should follow the details set down under the Pre application advice service. Transport officers may be available for brief informal discussion on potential applications.
The council welcomes and encourages discussions before a developer submits a planning application; experience has shown that meaningful discussions result in an improved application that is more likely to be successfully approved.
What are the benefits?
- Potentially reducing the time and cost involved in working up proposals including that of the Developer's professional advisers
- Reducing the subsequent cost of abortive applications
- Information on what developers need to provide with their application
- Help speed up the decision-making process once an application has been submitted
Please note that the council charges a fee for this service.
1.3 Planning process
The purpose of the planning system is to ensure that any development that takes place, including the infrastructure that supports it, is well designed, functional, sustainable and safe.
The overarching national policy framework for decision making is the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The NPPF encourages applicants to engage with local planning authorities at the earliest opportunity possible when designing schemes, especially where improvements to infrastructure will be required. It specifically states that transport issues should be considered in the earliest stages of development proposals. This is key as schemes which have well designed and inclusive highways layouts and include measures that promote genuine opportunities to use sustainable transport make a significant contribution to safe and healthy communities.
The adopted Local Plan sets out the planning policies which are also used to determine planning applications. These policies provide a local policy context, reflecting the needs of the area and the local circumstances.
The Development Management department is responsible for processing planning applications from validation through to determination.
Transport Planners within the council's Built and Natural Environment Team provide travel and transport consultation responses to a range of planning applications of varying sizes and types of uses.
When a planning application is submitted a formal assessment is made by Council officers on the nature and severity of the potential impacts (both positive and negative) on transport, paying particular attention to sustainable travel, road safety and highway capacity. As part of this assessment, officers consider a wide range of evidence including the Transport Assessment or Transport Statement report submitted with the planning application.
1.4 Transport assessments
As the Local Highway Authority, Gateshead Council has an obligation to assess the transportation impact of all development proposals to ensure that they can be satisfactorily integrated into the transport network. With all developments, the existing network and proposed access points to the site should be suitable for forecasted future traffic levels.
Where a new development is likely to have significant transport implications, a Transport Assessment (TA) must be prepared and submitted by a developer as part of the planning application. It will then be reviewed to determine whether the transport impact of the development is acceptable as proposed, or whether it could be made acceptable with some amendments to the scheme.
In cases where the scale of development is smaller and the traffic impact is likely to be less; development proposals may not require a full TA. Instead, a shorter and simplified report known as a Transport Statement (TS) can be used to inform the assessment process and identify suitable mitigation. With all developments the existing network and proposed access points to the site should be suitable for future traffic levels.
There may also be a requirement for applicants to submit a Travel Plan which outlines a long-term strategy of how the development will promote and encourage the use of sustainable travel.
Details for preparation of TA or TS and Travel Plan.
The requirement for Transport Assessments and Transport Statements is set down as part of the validation of planning applications that are submitted in accordance with the National Policy and the Tyneside Validation Checklist 2024 (PDF, 1 MB).
TS, TA and other supporting information are used to assess the suitability of a development and ensure it is in accordance with national and local policy and relevant technical requirements. The need for planning conditions, or relevant planning obligations will be based on the information submitted.
The table in the Validation Checklist provides guidance on when TA and TS submissions are required, relative to the developments use and size. However, in certain circumstances, the council's Transport Development team may determine that a lower threshold applies due to other factors such as existing congestion, site access, parking pressures, proposed parking, accessibility, and sustainability of the site.
Providing a realistic, useable and safe network of routes for travel should be the foundation of all transport assessments of schemes. Connecting education, employment and leisure destinations with a sustainable active travel approach must be at the forefront of thinking for all designers. The Department for Transport has developed a useful tool which provides a practical numerical measure of connectivity, and which should be used in assessments to determine the requirement and effect of measures that may improve connectivity.
1.4.1 Scoping study
The scoping study is an essential precursor to a TA or TS. This must be completed early in the planning process, ideally as part of pre-application consultation. Where a TA or TS is likely to be required, the scoping study should identify the issues to be considered, together with the extent and level of detail in which they need to be covered.
The council's Transport Development Team can provide a brief for Developers where required. A fee will be charged for this service.
The scoping study must be agreed before the TA or TS is prepared. This will lead to a better understanding of the potential problems to be examined and may avoid unnecessary work by all parties involved. For development that is likely to have an impact on the Strategic Road Network it will be important to liaise with National Highways at an early stage.
The basic components of the TA process are shown below.
Introductory facts
Policy context
Existing site
Proposed development
Scoping
Appraisal of proposals
Agree methodology
Background data
Existing travel patterns by mode
Accident history
Environmental base case
Public transport services
Committed development
Committed transport infrastructure schemes
Parking availability
Assessment
Trip generation
Assignment of trips
Accessibility assessment
Refine Step 1 (where appropriate)
Seek to reduce residual trips
Review:
Development mix
Scale of development phasing
Measures to influence travel behaviour
Parking availability and management
Improvements to non car modes
Travel plan initiatives
Capacity management
Identification of impacts and mitigation
Capacity assessment identifies problems
Preliminary design of mitigation measures
Stage 1 safety audit
Refinement step 2 (where appropriate)
Additional support or mitigation
Implementation of measures
S106/S278/S38 travel plans
The preparation of a TA or TS should not be treated as a linear process: it may be necessary to repeat stages of the assessment where the initial work demonstrates problems or where changes have been deemed necessary to the development proposal. A TA should look to improve the development proposal, minimise the impact of the development and protect road safety.
1.4.2 Contents of a transport assessment
A detailed Transport Assessment (TA) must address the following:
- reducing the need to travel, especially by car. Considering a balanced mix of development to encourage linked trips can be key to achieving this
- promote accessibility to all modes of travel especially walking, cycling and public transport
- develop appropriate measures to influence travel behaviour
- analyse the predicted impact of residual trips from the development and ensure that suitable measures are proposed to manage these impacts
- propose mitigation measures which avoid unnecessary physical improvements and promote innovative and sustainable design solutions
In line with the above list of components, development proposals should acknowledge and where necessary address the following transport considerations:
1.4.3 Accessibility and sustainability
When considering the design of all forms of development, developers should adopt a hierarchy which considers the needs of different transport users in the following order of priority:
- pedestrians
- cyclists
- local buses
- service and delivery vehicles
- coaches
- taxis and private hire vehicles
- motorcycles and mopeds
- cars
Development should be accessible to all including mobility impaired by all modes of transport. Developers are required to promote and develop infrastructure and initiatives which encourage a move away from private single occupancy car use.
All new developments should be designed to allow adequate access for people whose mobility is impaired for one reason or other. Mobility impaired people include anyone whose movement is restricted either by physical disability (including visual and hearing impairments) or by other personal circumstances, for example age, restricting injury, or the use of pushchairs.
Developers and their designers must take into account the guidance provided by Department for Transport: Inclusive mobility.
1.4.4 Trip generation, distribution and assignment
The first step in quantifying the impact of a proposed development on the transport network is to provide an estimate of the person trips (for all modes) that are likely to be generated by the development. In preparing trip estimates, the travel characteristics of the proposed development should be established, and this should be based on a multi-modal assessment that identifies the number of person trips by mode and time period.
NPPF 2024 takes a new approach to transport planning emphasising the need for a vision led approach. Section 9 of the NPF (109) says 'transport issues should be considered from the earliest stages of plan making and development proposals using a vision led approach to identifying transport solutions.
Transport consultants appointed by a developer must be familiar with an assessment approach that focuses on a vision for the site and validation of assumptions for sustainable travel.
The council has produced interim requirements for TAs and TSs focussing on the Vision Led approach. This should be read and followed ahead of producing a scoping document and subsequent assessments.
Use of the TRICS decide and provide guidance and also help inform the vision process.
These aspects of an assessment (including both data sources and analytical method) must be agreed through the scoping process, and failure to meet this requirement will lead to a delay in the process.
Trip generation can be predicted based upon a first principles approach for larger developments, taking into account realistic mode share data where available, Failure to agree equivalent sites for use in this approach as part of scoping will result in delay in the process Mode share data in excess of 5 years old is not deemed admissible for the purpose of TA. Strong evidence will be required to justify any assumptions made if such an approach is used.
Use of TRICS as a generation predictor is acceptable. If average trip rates are to be used, surveyed sites should reflect as closely as possible the scale and size of the proposed development. If scale and size are not clearly representative an 85 percentile trip rate from a larger but less representative survey population should be used. Cross testing of mean/median rates must be reported in the TA together with all assumptions used to derive the TRICS rate.
Prior to the distribution and assignment of development-related person trips, it is important to establish a development catchment area and identify the main population zones within it.
It is recommended that the distribution of development-related person trips be based on an appropriate methodology. These include, but are not limited to, the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) based census data analysis, a gravity model, existing traffic flow patterns, area-wide traffic models (if available) and, by analogy, travel patterns for similar developments in the vicinity of the site.
Overall, assessments should be undertaken using the appropriate analytical tools and agreed methodologies. Local surveys may need to be undertaken. Assessments may need to take into account the different types of vehicular trips - new trips, pass by trips, linked trips, diverted and transferred trips.
The levels of trip generation used to carry out transport assessments should be justified against the levels of car parking proposed. Where development includes high levels of car parking trip generation rates may need to be adjusted to reflect the higher levels of car use likely to result, this is applicable to both residential and non-residential developments.
1.4.5 Road network assessment
An assessment of the available vehicular capacity of the road network in the vicinity of the site should where appropriate be undertaken to understand the potential impacts of the development. The extent of the assessment will be dependent on the trips generated and their assignment on the local network.
Assessments should be undertaken using appropriate analytical tools and methodologies agreed as part of the scoping process. Where microsimulation modelling is considered necessary, the council would expect VISSIM to be utilised.
Consideration should be given to the available parking facilities in the vicinity of the site and the impact that development could have upon them.
1.4.6 Traffic data and traffic forecast
The assessment should include recent counts for peak period movements at critical junctions. Queue Length Surveys are required with counts unless agreed otherwise. Classified Counts may be required in order to identify all vehicle types. Additional counts that may be required include, for example, 24hour counts, pedestrians, cyclists or manual traffic counts.
Traffic Data should reflect normal traffic flow conditions and thus be undertaken during school term time and during typical weather conditions. Recommended months for data collection are spring and autumn, which include the neutral months of April, May, June, September and October.
Where there is a need to project existing or historical traffic data for future year assessments, the preferred option is the use of appropriate local traffic forecasts (such as TEMPRO).
1.4.7 Assessment years
The assessment years will be agreed based on the location, size, scale and completion schedule of the proposed development, and that of other major developments in the vicinity of the site, as well as planned improvements to the transport system. Assessment should consider all committed developments which impact on highway capacity. Assessment years must take into account the likely scheme commencement and build out period. Growth of background traffic during the construction and operational phase must be informed by Tempro.
The appropriate horizon assessment year should be agreed as part of the scoping process. The default position is a 10-year design horizon, unless otherwise agreed.
1.4.8 Analysis period
The analysis should be related to known and anticipated peak patterns of demand both for the transport system and development-generated trips. A TA may need to consider the following periods:
- weekday morning and evening peak period trips for the adjacent transport system, with particular focus on the peak period traffic flows on the road network
- weekday morning and evening peak period trips for the proposed development
- an off-peak period selected to assess levels of greatest change resulting from the development
- weekend peak period if the development is anticipated to generate significant levels of new trips at weekends or the adjacent transport system suffers from greater levels of congestion than during weekdays
1.4.9 Accessibility assessment
The sustainability of a development's location is key. It is expected that the TA or TS will identify the current state of the existing transport network. The TA will highlight any deficiencies and/or improvements that could be made to accommodate the development and promote accessibility by all modes, with the view of minimising the need to travel by car. More specifically the following considerations will need to be addressed:
1.4.10 Walking and cycling assessment
Planning for walking routes and improvements to existing infrastructure can be informed by following IHT guidance 'CIHT - Planning for walking'
Basic data collection relating to existing routes (including convenience quality and accessibility to all users) is expected as part of all assessments. DFT Walking route audit tool should be used where appropriate. GOV.UK - Planning local cycling and walking networks
Active Travel England provide an effective toolkit for assessment of the active travel merits of a site. It is expected that all submissions requiring a TA or TS include a self assessment using the Active Travel England: planning application assessment toolkit.
As a starting point, to be considered a sustainable residential location, walk distance to a local primary school should not be in excess of 800m.
The maximum walking distance from any point in a development to the nearest public transport bus stop should not exceed 400m on a suitable paved and street lit route of adequate safety and security for all users.
The accurate assessment of walking and cycle infrastructure will inform the TA in relation to modal splits and determine the appropriateness of travel plan objectives. It will indicate what enhancements are required to the local pedestrian and cycle network.
1.4.11 Public transport
Transport Assessments for major developments will need to consider the available capacity on existing public transport infrastructure and where necessary provide new services. Information can be used to determine a modal split and overall mitigation package. It is important to identify peak hours, relevant services, capacity, patronage and measures required to support the development.
If new services or extension to existing services are proposed, funding of these changes for a minimum of 5 years post development completion will be required, unless operators specify otherwise. For significant sized development greater than 200 units a reduced funding period may be agreed with transport officers based on establishing a level of predicted patronage supported with acceptable evidence.
Existing infrastructure must be reviewed and where appropriate measures such as bus shelter upgrades and the introduction of bus boarders proposed.
Where possible bus routes should enter and leave larger development sites at different entry/ exit points to the development to avoid a user perception of unnecessary travel time.
1.4.12 Road safety
The assessment should identify any significant highway safety issues and provide an analysis of the recent accident history of the study area. The extent of the analysis will depend on the scale of the proposed development and its location. The need to minimise conflicts between vehicles and other road-user groups should be adequately addressed. Locations on the road network with poor accident records should be identified. This is to determine if the proposed development will exacerbate existing problems or, if proposed, whether highway mitigation works, or traffic management measures will help to alleviate the problems.
It may be necessary for accident records at a particular location to be compared with local average accident rates. Site inspections should be conducted to determine if the proposed location and design of access roads (including visibility/sight distance restrictions) would create an increased potential for accidents.
Northumbria Police Stats 19 database must be used for accident analysis. Crashmap and similar commercial tools do not provide sufficient detail for acceptable analysis.
Stats 19 data can be provided by the council's Traffic Accident Data Unit TADU.
Developers must take account of the likely effect on road safety of any modification to the highway, and the council will require independent road safety audits where appropriate.
Road Safety Audit - Gateshead Council protocol for developer led schemes (PDF, 109 KB)
1.4.13 Parking strategy
Parking proposals will be developed in accordance with the council's parking guidelines. A minimum and maximum requirement for car, cycle and motorcycle parking can be found in the policy document 'Making Spaces for Growing Places'. Policy MSGP15 5
Residential parking provision affects the overall streetscape and must take into account visual impact. The council will wish to see parking integrated into hard and soft landscape form of development with a maximum of 6 spaces in a block of car park separated by planting.
The proposed parking strategy for a particular development must take account of the number of spaces, parking accumulation, parking layout in relation to other site elements, ratio of operational to non-operational spaces, method of car park operation, overspill parking considerations, establishment of/proximity to controlled parking zones, accessible parking, motorcycle parking, electric car charging and cycle parking.
New development needs to ensure that suitable servicing facilities, routes and turning facilities are in place. Swept Path Analysis using suitable software must be provided as part of the assessment. This will include designing loading areas off the highway.
1.4.14 Development phasing
Delivery of major developments may occur over a number of years. Development phasing must provide years of first and full occupation, as well as intermediate years if appropriate.
1.5 Transport statements
A Transport Statement (TS) is a simplified Transport Assessment (TA) and will be required where transport issues arising out of development proposals are significant but do not require a full TA. Table 1 can be used to get an indication of thresholds for when a TS will be required but this should be confirmed as part of the scoping process.
The TS will generally include assessment and appraisal of the following:
Existing site information
Baseline traffic data
Existing site use and means of access
Proposed land use and scale of development
Proposed means of access
Person trip generation and distribution of trips by mode of transport
Accessibility
Road safety
Proposed parking and servicing strategy
Transport implications of construction traffic (if there are specific local difficulties identified)
Any necessary mitigation resulting from the above.
Information on the requirements for each of these areas can be taken from the section above covering the contents of a TA.
1.6 Travel plans
What is a travel plan?
Government policy defines a travel plan as follows:
'Travel Plans are long-term management strategies for integrating proposals for sustainable travel into the planning process. They are based on evidence of the anticipated transport impacts of development and set measures to promote and encourage sustainable travel (such as promoting walking and cycling).'
A travel plan is a living document that aims to increase sustainable travel, usually with an emphasis on reducing single occupancy car journeys. A travel plan should be continually updated and reviewed as monitoring takes place to reflect the changes in travel patterns to the site. The plan must be fully costed and funding identified before it can be considered acceptable to support a planning application.
When is a travel plan required?
The need to manage transport in new developments is included within national, regional and local policy. The need to reduce car dependency, increase travel choices and encourage sustainable travel is supported by the National Planning Policy Framework which states that all developments which generate significant amounts of movement should be required to provide a travel plan.
The Travel Plans, Transport Assessments and Statements, states travel plans should be considered in parallel to development proposals and readily integrated into the design and occupation of the new site, and that they should support Transport Assessments in taking forward the identified mitigation measures which relate to on-going occupation and operation of the development.
Thresholds based on size and scale of land use triggering the need for a Transport Assessment and Transport Statement
Tyneside Validation Checklist 2024 (PDF, 1 MB)
Lower thresholds will be considered necessary in the following circumstances:
- in sensitive areas and locations. These include developments affecting the A1 (including those on Team Valley Trading Estate or at the Metro Centre), Gateshead town centre/Quays area and applications affecting traffic related air quality management areas; and
- where a travel plan would help address a particular local traffic problem associated with a planning application, which might otherwise have to be refused on local traffic grounds
Full guidance for the preparation of a travel plan: Travel Plan Guidance (PDF, 133 KB)
Travel plan targets
Setting targets prior to the occupation of a development can be difficult. However, it is important that the transport officers are able to determine the likely transport impact of a proposal and to what extent the travel plan is able to mitigate this impact, in order to determine whether the development is acceptable or not, for example, travel plan targets may help to ensure that traffic generated by the development does not exceed the capacity of nearby junctions, or that the development does not lead to excessive on-street parking.
Example travel plan targets
- To increase the mode share of staff cycling to work from 5% to 10% within two years of completion of the development
- Introduce flexible and home working into company policy within six months of occupation of the site
- To increase the number of employees walking to work by 10% (from the baseline of 18%) within one year of the baseline survey being undertaken
- Increase amount of secure cycle parking by 50% from 34 to 51 spaces by three months after first occupation
- The number of car vehicle trips per visitor/shopper will not exceed X at any time
- To decrease the number of single occupancy vehicles entering the site by 20% within three years of the baseline survey
- To reduce CO2 emissions of company fleet by 20% within three years, from the current baseline
- 80% of users within phase 1 of the development to be aware of travel plan within three months of full occupation
- The number of weekday vehicle trips generated by the site when site is completed will not exceed X
School travel plans
All new schools and some changes to schools will require a travel plan. School travel plans must be accompanied with survey data of existing travel modes for staff and pupils.
1.7 Transport costs associated with development
This section sets out the transport related costs developers are likely to face in implementing proposals for new development.
1.7.1 Background
Developers will be expected to meet the costs of changes to the transport network required by their proposals. These will be identified through the planning approval process and may include:
- Changes to the physical fabric of the network (for example new roads, cycleways or changes to junctions);
- Changes to the way the system is managed (for example installation of traffic signals; introduction of parking restrictions, changes to speed limits);
- Introduction of improved services (typically new or amended bus services);
- Promotional or other initiatives usually progressed through travel plans.
These costs will usually be one of three kinds:
- Direct costs, for example those associated with carrying out of works, provision of services or promotional information/campaigns;
- Indirect costs, reflecting the cost to the council of preparing legal agreements and carrying out the necessary checks and inspections;
- Insurance, where security is needed against default on incomplete works.
Direct costs will usually be readily calculable. They may fall directly on the developer or in some cases be paid through the council using relevant legal agreements (for example a S106 agreement). In some cases, the costs of transport provision may be pooled, for example as part of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) or other contributions.
The council's approach in relation to indirect costs and insurance against default can be found in the following link.
Fees and charges associated with indirect costs
1.7.2 Commuted sums
A commuted sum capital payment will be required in excess of reasonable additional future costs for maintenance of a highway feature which is not considered standard. These features are likely to include enhanced street lighting and enhanced paving/ surfacing materials, drainage soakaways, and Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS).
Traffic signals required to facilitate access to a development will require a commuted sum for future maintenance over a 15 year period.
The commuted sums will be secured through the s38 or s278 legal agreements. Commitment to a commuted sum shall be made at the signing of the s38 or s278 agreement. The commuted sum payment should be made prior to the issue of the Final certificate for the scheme.
The council will accept standard material specifications for highway to be adopted as set out in this guidance. Use of bituminous materials, concrete products and concrete block paved surfacing are considered standard. Street lighting designed in accordance with this guide is also considered standard. Use of non standard materials must be discussed and agreed with the councils Highway Adoption Section. Calculation of a commuted sum payment will be made in advance of signing a S38/S278 legal agreement and, depending on materials, will be based on an extra / over cost of standard maintenance for the design life of the product. For estimates of cost at the planning stage the commuted sum can be based on a minimum of 3% of the construction cost. Full commuted sum calculation will be made at the final design stage. Reference can be made to the following for commuted sum calculation. Adept commuted sum guidance
1.7.3 Other costs
There are a range of other transport related costs which may result from development proposals and for which the council will seek to recover its costs. Most commonly these include:
- The preparation, amendment or revocation of Traffic Regulation Orders
- Stopping up orders. Although most stopping up in relation to development are administered by the Department for Transport, costs may arise to the council, for example through necessary changes to Traffic Regulation Orders or recovery of highway apparatus. In any instances where s116 of the 1980 Highways Act 1980 is used to stop up highways the council will recover reasonable costs relating to the processing of applications, and any advice given upon them
- Footpath Diversion Orders
- Approval of designs for highway structures and any associated licences
- Undertaking scheme audits
- The preparation and issuing of highway licences
Costs associated with the above will be secured through s106, s38, s278 or other appropriate agreements.
1.7.4 Insurance against default
Developers will be required to secure an appropriate financial bond with an FCA approved provider to cover the full cost of the works to construct a road that will become maintainable at the public expense, along with any associated works to an adopted highway (if applicable), to enable the new development to take place. An alternative cash payment would be acceptable to cover works costs for smaller schemes. This is to ensure that funding is available to complete works in the case of any default.
