Ben Simm in a chartered Town Planner and member of the Transport Planning Society and the RTPI’s Transport Planning Network. With over 20 years’ experience in the profession, Ben is currently Team Manager for Transport Strategy and Policy at Leicestershire County Council. Ben shares his reflections on the impact of recent policy changes for the transport sector.
Once again, the planning community received a few early presents in the run up to Christmas, and it could be argued that we have been spoilt rotten with a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), Integrated National Transport Strategy (INTS) Call for Ideas, and the publication of the English Devolution White Paper.
National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)
The new NPPF, published on 12 December 2024, looks very familiar overall in terms of transport, but with the significant addition of references to the need for a ‘vision-led approach’ at the earliest stages of plan-making, and transport assessments using planning applications to identify transport solutions (building on DfT Circular 01/22 – Strategic road network and the delivery of sustainable development – which first included this approach). This is welcomed: It shifts transport solutions for development away from being car-based and enables greater integration and inclusion of alternative modes of transport. However, it needs to be fully embraced and embedded in working practices by the profession.
A note of concern pertains to new paragraph 116 of the NPPF, which now states:
“Development should only be prevented or refused on highways grounds if there would be an unacceptable impact on highway safety, or the residual cumulative impacts on the road network, following mitigation, would be severe, taking into account all reasonable future scenarios” (emphasis added).
This wording could lead to uncertainty as different authorities, developers and stakeholders could have differing interpretations. This in turn may lead to an inconsistent approach and the potential for more legal challenges and delay, or the potential for development to be approved with minimal mitigation. It will be interesting to see how this situation evolves as the NPPF is implemented.
Integrated National Transport Strategy (INTS)
Launched by the former Secretary of State for Transport, Louise Haigh, the INTS ‘call for ideas’ presents the biggest change in developing a vision for transport since the launch of Local Transport Plans by John Prescott in 1999. Perhaps the announcement has similar undertones to that announcement.
However, this is different. It proposes to set a single national vision for transport which lays out the high-level direction for how transport should be designed, built, and operated across England over the next 10 years, following in the steps of Scotland, which has had a National Transport Strategy since 2006.
The call for ideas is an interesting approach. And it puts the community at the heart of the strategy, which must be applauded. But the INTS needs to recognise that an accessible, inclusive, reliable, and resilient transport network is a significant enabler not just of the movement of people and freight to support the economy and deliver economic growth, but of the wider benefits this can bring for people and communities.
In addition, there are some interesting questions about the INTS: will it replace existing arrangements for strategic transport infrastructure planning such as the Long-Term Planning Process (LTPP) by Network Rail or the Road Investment Strategy (RIS) published by National Highways? Will it clearly set out what their priorities are and what they must deliver? How will the INTS relate to Local Transport Plans and Local Plans? And will it directly influence them and provide a framework for strategic transport to aid their delivery?
Nevertheless, the approach for the call for ideas is the correct one, as this not only allows industry-related professionals to feed in, but also provides an opportunity to understand the public’s needs, requirements and barriers when using transport networks and how this impacts their daily lives.
Whilst the transport network can be an enabler, it can also be a significant determining factor on how people live their lives. For example, in certain cases, it can directly impact them by excluding people from employment opportunities and thereby force them into deprivation. Similarly, only being able to afford to live in areas where there is significant air pollution caused by traffic-related congestion can undermine health or create barriers, leading to social isolation, which can then impact on mental health and wellbeing.
The key way of addressing these challenges is to engage with people and communities across a spectrum of ages, diversity, and disabilities. Planners needs to understand what communities require from the transport network to enable them to undertake their daily activities. This same approach is needed for the INTS and therefore the commitment by the Government to place people and communities at the heart of the INTS is welcomed.
Summary
We are at an interesting juncture for transport planning. There is a greater emphasis on the transport network, its role and how it can support the delivery of the Government’s priorities. And over the next 12 months there will be greater evolution of these ideas, especially with the proposed publication of the INTS in the summer of 2025. At the same time we will understand how and what the local government reorganisation and devolution means across England and how this will impact the transport networks and their management. This makes 2025 an exciting year to be a transport planner.
