Policy information sourced from the The Dartford Plan
Policy M16: Active Travel, Access and Parking
Development must be of a design and layout to promote walking, cycling and public transport use through provision of attractive, well-designed and safe routes which address the needs of users. Segregated cycle routes should be considered where possible. Guidance set out in the Manual for Streets, or any future equivalent, must also be applied. Bespoke access and transport approaches may be agreed at large regeneration sites, where forming a suitable alternative.
Transport assessments and travel plans must take account of applicable guidance by Kent County Council. A travel plan will be required where there are anticipated significant or negative impacts of transport movement arising from a development. In this respect, the following will apply:
- Travel plans should set deliverable actions for the promotion and delivery of safe and attractive active travel and public transport measures to increase their uptake, and reduce demand for less sustainable/ efficient forms of transport.
- An effective and robust travel plan should feature clear measures and actions to enable objectives to be met, including ongoing monitoring/ review with additional measures applied where outcomes are not being achieved, taking into account the operational characteristics of a development, and be capable of applying over a prolonged period as necessary.
Safety, Impacts and Cycling and Walking
Adverse effects from the travel and movement issues associated with any development, including on amenity or the environment, must be minimised. Development will be supported where the layout and siting of all forms of access is acceptable in terms of residential amenity, highway capacity and safety, free flow of traffic, cycle and pedestrian provision, and visual impact. Provision should be made at applicable developments for loading, unloading and the turning of service vehicles to ensure highway and pedestrian safety.
Development must ensure that the following requirements are met:
- Provision is made for safe and convenient access to footpaths and cycle routes, with public rights of way protected including, where opportunities exist, delivering new or upgraded routes between key facilities, the Green Grid network, and to existing neighbourhoods. Urban area and village footpaths/ cycleways must be safe, overlooked and well lit.
- Supporting facilities for cyclists, including secure cycle parking/ storage and lockers, are provided, and in major developments which attract significant numbers of people (such as schools and large scale employment, retail and leisure developments), changing areas and showers should be included.
- Design features are provided for people with mobility and sensory difficulties, especially at road crossing points, public transport stops and changes in level on walking routes.
Off-Street Parking
Development must provide an appropriate level and form of vehicle parking provision, taking into account any existing provision as relevant to the development, and in full accordance with the applicable Parking Standards SPD. In this respect, the following will apply:
- Electric vehicle charging points must be provided for all new residential properties with dedicated/ allocated parking spaces, and for a proportion of parking spaces provided as part of new employment, leisure and retail development. Charging points or cabling to allow their future installation must be provided for all shared car parking spaces provided on new residential developments.
- The conversion of front gardens for car parking is only allowed where it includes provision of a vehicle crossover and only where the garden is capable of accommodating a parking space in accordance with the parking bay minimum standards set out in the SPD, plus space for soft landscaping, and with unobstructed pedestrian access to the dwelling. New car parking must make use of appropriate permeable paving materials, in line with the SPD, and water quality protection objectives where applicable.
Policy information sourced from the The Dartford Plan