(6) 4 TRANSPORT

*Forthcoming

4.1 Policy context

4.1.1 The levels of growth and development envisaged in the plan will place additional demands on transport and highway networks and planning obligations can be used to mitigate against these effects.

4.1.2 The NPPF asks that transport issues be considered from the earliest stages to allow development impacts to be addressed and so that opportunities to promote more sustainable modes of travel can be identified and pursued^[14].

4.1.3 Hertfordshire County Council is the local highway authority and has the primary responsibility for delivering transport provision in the District. Hertfordshire County Council as Highway Authority is consulted on all applications and is a statutory consultee.

4.1.4 The County Council's Local Transport Plan (LTP4) states that sustainable transport modes such as walking, cycling and improving access to public transport are to be prioritised while working to reduce need for journeys overall. LTP4 is supported by a range of strategies. These are both topic-specific (e.g. rail strategy) and geographically based (e.g. area growth and transport plans).

4.1.5 The Local Plan sets out policies that align with LTP4 to ensure that transport provision across the District is sustainable, efficient and safe and that environmental impacts, such as noise and air quality impacts, can be avoided and mitigated against.

4.1.6 Local Plan Policy T1: Assessment of transport matters requires Transport Statements, Transport Assessments and/or Travel Plans along with supporting documents where required. These documents provide an assessment of the likely transport impacts of the development in question. Where impacts cannot be fully mitigated, sustainable transport and highways planning obligations will be sought.

4.1.7 The Plan is supported by a proposed Transport Strategy. This identifies a number of potential projects, recognising that these will be reviewed and refined on an on-going basis.

4.1.8 Highways England is responsible for the strategic road network. In some instances, private landowners may be responsible where the provision is not on public highway.

4.2 Financial and non-financial obligations

4.2.1 The District Council will be guided by the response(s) of Hertfordshire County Council in determining measures required to mitigate transport impacts. The County Council's Guide to Developer Infrastructure Contributions provides an indication of the scale of requests they are likely to make in response to planning application consultations.

4.2.2 (Prospective) applicants should review the relevant strategies and guidance documents to identify potentially relevant and suitable projects for which contributions may reasonably be sought. In particular, regard should be had to promoting modal shift as endorsed in LTP4, the Roads in Hertfordshire design guide, as well as the management of highway impacts arising from the Local Plan where those impacts would be directly related to the development proposed.

4.2.3 In addition to S106 agreements, Section 278 (S278) agreements can be used as a mechanism to secure highway measures that cannot be addressed through the design of the proposed development. S278 agreements are used when the proposed works relate to the existing highway network, and Section 38 of the Highways Act is used where new highways are to be created and this can be provided by way of commuted sum where necessary.

4.2.4 The applicant should discuss with the Council and other relevant service providers whether the developer is best placed to deliver the works on-site, or to provide a financial contribution for another party to deliver the infrastructure required.

4.2.5 The cumulative transport impact of development proposals will also be taken into account as set out in the Local Plan, which may mean that smaller schemes may be requested to make appropriate contributions towards schemes which are required to address the combined impacts of future growth.

4.2.6 Non-financial contributions towards sustainable transport may also be required and may include establishing car clubs, providing electric vehicle infrastructure, land for Rights of Way improvements, controlled parking zones and safe cycle storage. Where Travel Plans are required for a development, contributions may be sought for monitoring.