Highways Agency

• Introduction
• Policy Objectives
• Route Functions
• Land Use and Development Control Statement
• Route Problems and Issues
• Route Outcomes
• What Happens Now

Land Use and Development Control Statement

This Land Use and Development Control Statement outlines the Highways Agency's approach to future land use and development issues which materially affect the Route. The Statement includes:

• The approach to development plan representations; and
• The approach to individual plan applications.

Further details of this can be found in Appendix 5a.

It sets this out in the context of:

• The existing planning processes (see Appendix 5a);
• The land use and development pressures along the Route (see Appendix 5b); and
• The residual capacity of the Route for traffic (see Appendix 5c).

The Statement has a major influence on the overall RMS as it identifies and addresses the land use and development pressures that could affect the future function of the Route and the current constraints along the Route.

Development Control Strategy

The first aim of development proposals should be to achieve sustainability, for example through travel plans, alternative more environmentally friendly forms of transport, and demand management (which might, for example, include measures to discourage single occupancy car use, and restrictions on car parking). The Government wants to promote the widespread use of Travel Plans amongst businesses, schools, hospitals and other organisations to promote the delivery of sustainable transport objectives (PPG13). The residual highway infrastructure effects must, however, be fully allowed for in any development proposals.

Local and Regional Plans

All sections of this Route have Regional, National and International functions and as such are important for access within the local and wider area. Integration between transport policies and proposals and land-use planning is therefore vital; this is the goal of the Transport White Paper - A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone. Similarly, PPG 116 states that:

"...of key importance to achieving this integration is the preparation of a Regional Transport Strategy (RTS) as an integral and clearly identifiable part of the Regional Planning Guidance (RPG)".

Individual Planning Applications

The DTLR circular 4/2001 sets out the Government's policy on the control of development affecting trunk roads. The Highways Agency are not the authority that takes decisions on planning, this is the Planning Authority. However, under Article 14 (1) of the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995, the Secretary of State has the power to direct a Local Planning Authority to refuse a planning application, or to require it to attach a specified condition to the planning permission where a proposed development will have an impact upon the trunk road. On occasions, the Highways Agency on the Secretary of State's behalf is obliged to direct refusal because there is no practicable remedy to the traffic consequences of the development.