Policy information sourced from the Islington Local Plan
T2 Sustainable Transport Choices
- Development proposals must demonstrate that negative impacts on the safe and efficient operation of existing and planned improvements of sustainable transport infrastructure – e.g. the public realm, cycle lanes (including the TfL Strategic Cycle network or lanes feeding into this network), bus routes/stops – are mitigated/prevented.
- All pedestrian and cycling infrastructure and facilities are required to be designed in accordance with relevant guidance and/or best practice standards.
- The use of shared space to jointly meet the needs of motorised traffic, walking and cycling will be resisted where it involves a single surface. Shared spaces may be acceptable where it has been demonstrated that they deliver logical, legible, inclusive and safe environments that respond to their context.
Walking
- All new developments in the borough must be designed to incentivise walking by:
- delivering high quality public realm improvements that are secure, safe, legible, inclusive and create permeable environments;
- resisting proposals that have a negative effect on public realm;
- ensuring that pedestrian crossings are convenient and avoiding (where appropriate) complex and/or long pedestrian crossings and unnecessary pedestrian guardrails; and
- ensuring safe, convenient and continuous routes for pedestrians that follow desire lines and form networks.
Cycling
- All new developments in the borough must be designed to incentivise cycling by:
- ensuring safe, convenient and continuous routes for cyclists that follow desire lines and form networks;
- demonstrating that there are no road safety conflicts between pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles entering, parking and/or servicing the development. Cyclist entrances to buildings, cycle stores and parking must be safe and convenient for all and cycle lanes must be demarcated from other pedestrian and road traffic;
- providing cycle parking and associated circulation space for ease of use of cycle parking, in accordance with Appendix 4; and
- providing inclusive and accessible end-of-trip facilities for cyclists, at a level proportionate to the size of the development and the required level of cycle parking.
Public Transport
- The Council will work in partnership with TfL, the bus and rail operators, developers and other relevant agencies/stakeholders in order to:
- implement measures to give buses priority over other private motor vehicles (including continuous bus priority measures along whole route corridors);
- create and enhance the public realm around bus and rail stations to improve pedestrian/public transport user and cycling experience;
- ensure network infrastructure and service improvements increase access (including step free access), capacity and public transport interchange improvements to local bus, rail and tube stations;
- develop the network of services to meet the travel needs of local residents and businesses; and
- ensure that bus stops and bus stopping areas are well located and designed, accessible and comfortable for all.
Minimising the impact of non-sustainable transport modes
- Developments which involve the ongoing use of private vehicles are likely to cause adverse impacts on the sustainable transport network and undermine the car-free policy aims to reduce congestion and vehicle emissions. Planning applications for developments involving the ongoing use of a private vehicle(s) – regardless of whether parking is provided in line with Policy T3 – will only be approved where:
- clear and compelling evidence is provided to demonstrate that use of a vehicle(s) is essential for the use to function effectively (e.g. Use Class B8 storage and distribution uses);
- the applicant can demonstrate that the transport impacts of the development have been satisfactorily mitigated, including consideration of potential for obstruction of the public realm and sustainable transport infrastructure;
- it can be demonstrated that the use of private vehicles has been minimised; and
- opportunities for using more sustainable alternative modes of transport are maximised as part of the design of a proposal.
For more information please see the Islington Local Plan