Agenda item

The report of the Chief Planning Officer provides an update on the contents of the Transport SPD, and the Development Plan Panel are invited to provide comments, as part of the consultation period. The report highlights that the SPD review has taken place over a couple of years and it is essential to move this forward to give certainty to those implementing the policies. 

(Report attached)

The report of the Chief Planning Officer provided an update on the contents of the Transport SPD, and the Panel were invited to provide comments, as part of the consultation period.

The report highlights that the SPD review has taken place over a couple of years and it is essential to move this forward to give certainty to those implementing the policies; there are 4 related SPD’s adopted as part of the Leeds Development Plan (Public Transport Developer Contributions 2006, Street Design Guide 2009, Travel Plans 2015 and Parking 2016), and these are subject to review in order to streamline and combine all relating guidance into one SPD.

The Transport Development Services Manager presented the report, and provided the Panel with a short presentation, that highlighted the following key points and changes:

Climate Emergency SPD

·  Re-emphasised the design guidance in terms of tree planting

·  Removal of increase larger car parking standards for larger dwellings

·  Re-including garages as counting towards parking spaces

·  Re-introduced Sustainable Urban Drainage

Changes to existing SPD’s

·  To review all existing Transport SPD’s, and updating guidance to produce one streamlined Transport SPD

·  Amendments to the street layout advice

·  Stronger advice relating to linked street layouts

·  Advice on requirements for private streets

·  Ensuring maximum footway gradients

·  Updating of guidance on cycle infrastructure

·  Updating of residential parking

How the SPD seeks to help deliver carbon reduction

·  Ensuring development sites address this

·  Design for health and wellbeing

·  Assessing development against accessibility criteria

·  Promoting travel plans that seek the use of cars

·  Supporting highways tree planting and green streets

Consultation requirements

·  The initial consultation will specifically target developers and consultants 16^th January – 17^th February; with adoption of the SPD expected May 2020

Members considered the following matters during discussions:

Cycling and walking infrastructure. Members were informed that work had taken place with Public Health and Active Leeds, in putting together a walking strategy; the strategy would cover a wide remit in promoting walking and how this fed into planning. Additionally Members heard that policy CC1: City Centre Development, CC2: City Centre South and CC3: Improving Connectivity between the city centre and neighbouring communities, focused on improving connectivity, and the Transport SPD provided guidance on new buildings and linking accessibility. The Head of Strategic Planning suggested that a stronger reference be added to the Transport SPD, to better connect those policies referenced above, to strengthen the policies within the plan.

Residential Parking. A Member sought clarity regarding the dimensions of a garage. Officers reported that garages have an internal dimension of 3 by 6 metres and could also be used for cycle space. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the guidance now included the width of garage doors, 2.4 being the minimum.

Speeding. Members sought additional information on whether traffic calming measures would be designed into street layouts. Officers explained that the SPD required most streets to be 20mph, apart from those which are bus routes and they would be 30mph.

Shuttlebuses. Members questioned the effectiveness of this service where there wasn’t already pre-existing public transport, and provided examples where this hadn’t worked. In responding, officers explained that work with West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) is being looked at to provide options for transport demand.

Parking. Members discussed concerns of cars parking on grass verges and kerbs. Officers recognised this being an issue, and explained that the SPD provided a variation of using trees and higher kerbs.

Build out issues. In responding to concerns raised, officers requested that Members provide details of those developments in question, and this would be looked into by the relevant team.

Schools. In regard to additional parking concerns which were raised, Members queried parking expectations and the measures incorporated in the document to account for playstreets, and highways access. The Panel were informed that there is a separate Travel Plan SPD that included a section for schools, and there is also a tool-kit to enable schools to deliver.

Consultation. A Member expressed the need for consultation to be face-to-face as opposed to this primarily being via the internet. Officers noted this, and would take into consideration subject to resources.

The Head of Strategic Planning reiterated that there are two periods of consultation the SPD is required to undergo, and this provided an early understanding on what direction of travel is needed to be taken. The Panel were informed that an update would be provided at a later date, prior to a final version of the SPD being produced.

RESOLVED –

a)  To note the contents of the report and discussions held during the meeting;

b)  To note the indicative timetable attached at Appendix 1 of the submitted report;

c)  That an updated version of the Transport SPD, would be made available to Members prior to the final version being produced.