Why do I need to build one?
Introduction
Travel Plans are one of the Scottish Government's recommended ways forward to widen travel choice, to reduce reliance on the car, tackle congestion and reduce vehicle emissions. Organisations which develop and implement a Travel Plan can appear more responsible, environmentally aware and business orientated towards staff, customers suppliers and the local community.
The development of a travel plan will support one or more of the following initiatives:
1. Satisfying Planning Conditions
It is becoming increasingly common for planning authorities to ask organisations to develop a Travel Plan to demonstrate how they will minimise the potential traffic impact on their development. Planning authorities can manage future travel to and from development sites through regulatory controls including Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 'Section 75' agreements which enable planning authorities to agree development or expansion of an organisation's premises subject to certain terms and conditions.
2. Local Transport Policy
At a local level transport policy is governed by the Local Transport Strategies (LTS) developed by the Local Authorities.
Our Local Transport Strategy supports the widespread implementation of Travel Plans across the City as we believe they can help contribute to our aims of:
- Reducing congestion and improving journey times for essential services
- Minimising the environmental impact of transport in terms of emissions and air quality
- Ensuring sustainable development
- Encouraging healthy and active lifestyles
- Improving access to jobs, education and opportunities for all members of society.
Our Local Plan requires that travel plans are produced for all larger scale developments within the City submitting a planning application. Even smaller scale developments should be accessible by a choice of types of transport. Developers are required to provide a reasonable choice of types of transport and will be expected to provide appropriate measures to mitigate the adverse traffic and transport impacts arising from development, of which a travel plan is one tool. There is a presumption against developments which would be likely to increase the proportion of trips made in the City by private car.
3. Regional Transport Policy
Nestrans (North East of Scotland Transport Partnership) is the Transport Partnership for Aberdeen City and Shire. The purpose of Nestrans is to develop and deliver a long-term regional transport strategy and take forward strategic transport improvements that support and improve the economy, environment and quality of life across Aberdeen City and Shire.
Nestrans aims to encourage a shift away from single occupancy car use by promoting Travel Plans and travel awareness. Nestrans has already developed a Travel Planning Strategy and this needs to be taken forward with other measures in the Regional Transport Strategy, to tackle barriers to reducing car use. Nestrans has piloted projects such as a car share scheme, sustainable travel grant scheme and the Dyce Transport Management Organisation. The Regional Transport Strategy aims to ensure that Nestrans continues to pilot new and innovative travel planning and awareness projects.
4. Scotland's Transport Policy
Building on the Scottish Government's National Strategic Objectives: a wealthier, fairer, healthier, safer and stronger, smarter, greener Scotland and its commitment to sustainable development, the National Transport Strategy aims to deliver the following strategic outcomes:
- Improve journey times and connections between our cities and towns and our global markets to tackle congestion and provide access to key markets
- Reduce emissions to tackle climate change
- Improve quality, accessibility and affordability of transport, to give people the choice of public transport and real alternatives to the car.
5. Business Efficiency
Developing a Travel Plan can improve customer access and reduce costs.
- Human Resources - being a more responsible employer can have benefits in the recruitment and retention of staff
- Transport Costs - by minimising business travel
- Less car parking spaces can reduce capital, management and maintenance costs, and make the land for something else
- A healthier workforce means less staff absence.
Travel Plans may be implemented to enhance your organisation's image. Your organisation may wish to improve public relations and show that you are a conscientious employer by demonstrating your commitment to Sustainable Development. Within the context of the shifting culture towards sustainability there are increasing concerns for environmental, social and economic issues.
6. Environmental Responsibility
Travel Plans can reduce the environmental impact of your organisation's activities. Reducing travel reduces air and noise pollution, and traffic congestion.
Many organisations audit their environmental management through the ISO14001 scheme. This is an award which applies to standards of environmental improvements which the organisation can control. Transport plays an important role in most business activities and may, particularly in the service sector, represent one of the operation's main environmental impacts. Developing a Travel Plan is an important contribution to ISO14001 and other environmental management systems.
7. Social Responsibility
People are increasingly questioning the environmental and social ethics of an organisation.
- Corporate Social Responsibility - Includes looking after how your staff travel to and from work
- Investors in People - This national standard sets good practice for improving performance through employees. It requires employers to take specific actions to support and develop their employees. The widening of travel choices and the processes involved could motivate and support employees
- Work Life Balance - Tele-working and flexible and compressed hours not only help employees to better manage their work and home commitments. This can also reduce the amount of travel and peak period travel
- Equal opportunities - Free car parking is common but it is hardly equitable. It is a benefit to car users which is not available for non car users
- Social inclusion - A Travel Plan will help to ensure that your development is accessible to all.
8. Documents To Refer To When Writing Your Travel Plan
- National Planning Framework
- Scottish Planning Policy 11: Open Space and physical activity
- Planning Advice Note 65: Planning and open space
- National Physical Activity Strategy - Let's make Scotland more active', 2003
- Physical Activity workforce development plan
- Healthy Working Lives
- Active Travel Scotland
- Active Schools. Workplaces, homes and communities
- 'Changing our ways'; Scotland's Climate Change Programme 2006
- Consultation on the Climate Change Bill 2008 Scottish Climate Declaration
