Planning Applications – A Guide

A guide to submitting a School Travel Plan as a requirement for a planning application

Planning Applications from schools may require the preparation and submission of a School Travel Plan if the Planning Application is forecast to cause an increase in traffic to and from the school or a change of vehicle movements around a site.

For the Road Safety team to be able to support a Planning Application, the school must have attained an approved School Travel Plan.
When a School Travel Plan is required to accompany a Planning Application, the following criteria must be met.

(i) Working Group established, to include at least (and others as appropriate):

Nominated co-ordinator who liases with the Safer Routes to School team
Pupils,
Parents,
Governors,
School staff (teaching and site if appropriate)
Local residents (Parish Councillor/County Councillor/District Councillor) where relevant

(ii) School Travel Plan adopted by the full Governing body and included within the School Development Plan

(iii) Terms of Reference provided
Agreed by the Governors, the Head and the Working Group co-ordinator

(iv) Initial school travel survey completed and analysed and follow up data collection programmed eg through www.youngtransnet.org.uk/devon

(v) School Travel Plans should include

• Outline & surveys of the current situation including maps and/or details of the pupils catchment area and modes of travel
• Action plan and details as to how the new site arrangements will be managed to ensure safe access and egress of pupils and to support reduced use of the car whilst promoting the alternatives. This should include dates and responsibilities for the outlined actions
• Measurable targets
• Plans for monitoring and review

Please also see the School Travel Plan guide for more guidance on the Key Elements and Content of a School Travel Plan.

Schools submitting a School Travel Plan as a condition of a Planning Application should also include the following information:

1) What is the school’s status?

• LEA / Foundation / Voluntary aided / Private

2) What form of planning application?

• County Council or District Council

3) What type of school?

• Infant / First / Junior / Middle / Primary / Combined / Secondary / Upper / Grammar / Special

4) What is the planned development? Include a copy of the plans

• Enhanced facilities
• New facilities
• Expansion of existing site
• Relocation of school / new site
• Amalgamation of schools on one site

5) What are the implications for school travel and pupil access?

• School roll to remain unchanged – what is the current situation?
• New facilities may lead to wider / increased use or changed access – what level of extra use & what type of change?
• Expansion will result in increased roll – how can impact be managed?
• Relocation will result in impact on highways or movements on site – how can impact be reduced / negated?
• Amalgamation will result in increased roll – how can impact be managed?

6) How can implications be managed?

• Is there any alternative with fewer implications?
• If not, development of School Travel Plan leading to:
• Highway improvements funded by developer, agreed by Traffic Management, Safer Journeys to School team & District Council
• Additional provision and promotion of public / home-to-school transport
• Restriction of on-site parking facilities
• Promotion of and encouragement for walking, cycling, car-sharin
• Improved facilities for walking and cycling

7) What MUST be considered in all developments / improvements?

• Improved pedestrian and cyclist routes to school to enhance safety and reduce traffic speeds
• Improvements to highway network to discourage car use and reduce traffic speeds
• Segregated accesses and routes on-site (pedestrian, cyclist & vehicles) to enhance safety
• Traffic calming on site to reduce vehicle speeds
• Restrictions on visitor / parent parking on site
• Secure, covered, overlooked cycle storage facilities
• Lockers / storage facilities for wet clothing, helmets and equipment
• Wet weather shelters / waiting areas
• Bus / minibus / car-sharing priorities or facilities

(vi) Evidence of consultation
The STP including a detailed Action Plan should be circulated to the school community and they should be given adequate opportunity to comment.

(vii) Implementation and Monitoring Measures
Evidence will need to be provided to show how the plan will be implemented.
An annual review of the STP and annual progress reports are required, with evidence of progress achieved.

Preparing an Application

The application will need to include information about what is proposed for the site, including plans, sketches, and location of the proposed works. Some structures may need planning consent.

Pre-Application discussions with the relevant Planning Authority at an early stage are very important as these will identify any issues that need addressing and should make the passage of the application smoother and swifter. It is also far quicker and cheaper to change the application at a very early stage, should this become necessary, rather than to respond once the scheme is in the public domain and re-consultations are necessary.

There is a great deal of value and importance placed on schools doing community consultations as the proposals are drawn up. This can assist in giving a flavour of various planning and non-planning issues which may emerge later.

You need to liase closely with the architects to ensure that any issues arising are adequately addressed.

For additional advice on preparing an Planning Application, contact Capital Strategy on 01392 382000 who will be able to provide advice about:

• Application forms
• Plans (location, site, elevation, acceptable scales)
• Fees
• General design advice
• Design constraints – including architects’ considerations

The Department for Transport’s (DfT) Planning Policy Guideline 13 (PPG13) seeks to integrate planning and transport at the national and local level to promote more sustainable transport choices. Local Authorities have to consider whether planning applications will deliver this objective, and will attach either Planning Conditions or Planning Obligations onto a planning application.

The School Travel Plan will be made binding through Planning Conditions attached to the Planning Permission. Conditions attached to a planning permission will be enforceable against any developer who implements that permission.
A planning condition may be used to require that aspects of the School Travel Plan be implemented or to prohibit development on the application site until an event occurs. The measures that form part of the School Travel Plan may include:

• Provision of secure cycle parking and safe pedestrian and cycle routes
• Provision of facilities for public transport
• The provision of information to staff and students about public transport, walking and cycling access to the site This list is not exhaustive.

More information about PPG13 may be found at the following web site.
http://www.planning.odpm.gov.uk/ppg/ppg13/pdf/ppg13.pdf