New guide to keep developers on track with their transport connections

Deputy Leader and Transport Cabinet Member Mark Shaw: helping growth to happen in the right way

New housing estates and business parks should be well-connected to transport, say Buckinghamshire County Council. And they’ve drawn up new guidelines to help developers meet these needs.

It’s all in the cause of keeping the county thriving and attractive, says Mark Shaw, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Transport.

He said the guidelines would help developers to understand the County Council’s ethos and values towards growth, and the high standards of community development expected, without having to wade through tomes of policies.

“We know growth is happening in Buckinghamshire and it’s important that we help this growth to happen in the right way,” said Mark. “These guidelines are signposts to make it easier for developers to provide well-connected housing estates and business parks that meet their own transport needs, are healthy, safe and sustainable.”

The guidelines, which will be available online, set out County Council policies that aim to ensure new housing estates:

• Minimise effectson surrounding roads.
• Encourage cycling, walking and use of public transport.
• Provide the right number of parking spaces.
• Connect well to existing services and facilities.
• Safeguard rights of way and create new public paths to improve connections.
• Ensure safe streets that encourage the right traffic speeds.
• Allow dustcarts and emergency vehicles good access.
• Incorporate sustainable drainage to avoid flooding, and…
• Are great communities to live in with a sense of “place”

Mark said that as highways authority, the County Council statutorily comments on planning applications, and he hoped these guidelines would help developers get the travel and transport aspects of their plans well-ordered to avoid time-consuming and costly alterations further down the line.

Mark is inviting residents, businesses and developers to have their say on these guidelines for growth in Buckinghamshire through a public consultation athttp://ow.ly/ysLp30epKqg which opens today (Monday August 14) and ends on Friday September 22.