Page contents
- About this policy
- Measures
- Contribution to LTP4 objectives
- Delivery
- How our policies will affect the way you travel
- Policy context
About this policy
Principle
Avoid and reduce the number and length of trips needed by improving land use planning, travel planning and levels of digital connectivity.
Purpose
To plan, design and improve local neighbourhoods and other parts of towns and villages to provide attractive environments for people, and to increase opportunities to live and work locally in order to reduce trip numbers and lengths.
Street planning and design has traditionally focussed on designing streets with the purpose of facilitating the movement of motor vehicles from one place to another, without focussing on how streets themselves are also important places. When we plan for place, we want to plan and design streets that reflect their importance to local communities as places for leisure, socialising, business and health. Well planned and designed streets will be local places that support wellbeing, sustainability and prosperity.
Policy statement
Redesigning existing neighbourhoods and designing new ones to provide attractive local public spaces and more local community, educational, leisure and other facilities. These are termed 'Liveable Neighbourhoods' as they create great places for people to live and maximise their potential, increasing their health, wellbeing, and connection to their communities. Planning places for people and liveability leads to less travel overall and makes travel by non-car modes an easier, more attractive option. More local services within walking and cycling distance can help to reinvigorate local communities and achieve health benefits, whilst benefitting local economies. This should be supported with planning to improve accessibility by active, public, and shared modes of transport (Policy Areas: Active Travel and Personal Mobility and Public and Shared Transport).
Measures
Establish 'Liveable Neighbourhoods'
'Liveable Neighbourhoods' are neighbourhoods that recognise their importance as places for people, and not just their importance for the movement of vehicles. Key characteristics of Liveable Neighbourhoods include: increasing the comfort, safety and accessibility of walking and cycling; creating space for community facilities like parks, gardens, play spaces and seating; creating attractive local environments and welcoming neighbourhoods that people want to live in; reducing the dominance of cars and goods vehicles resulting in improved safety, air quality and noise pollution to encourage more walking, cycling and social interactions.
Develop a ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø 'Street Family Framework'
The Framework will provide a basis for identifying the different functions of roads in different places, recognising that, on many roads, place-based activities (such as walking, cycling, social interactions, leisure and retail) are more important, whilst also recognising that some roads have important movement functions. It will also help to identify these different functions on different roads and enable the most appropriate solutions to be implemented. Additionally, the Framework will link closely to our Healthy Streets for ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø guidance, which will assist developers, the boroughs and district councils, and communities in understanding what we will be seeing when considering development proposals.
Produce guidance on Healthy Streets for ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø
Healthy Streets are streets which are safe, green, beautiful, and resilient. We have produced guidance on Healthy Streets for ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø, to deliver high quality, attractive, safe, accessible and sustainable development, that will contribute positively alongside other design elements such as Liveable Neighbourhoods to achieve a sense of place. The guide is aimed at better embedding health, wellbeing and sustainability into our street design. The guide allows a range of users, from residents to master planners and highway engineers, to access and understand design guidance that helps them to create streets as Healthy Streets. The guide sets out our design principles for streets in ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø to be used both in new build and retrofit areas.
If you would like to view the guide, please email surreytransportplan@surreycc.gov.uk to request a copy.
Ensure that new development is focussed around sustainable mobility options
We will work with partners to ensure that new development is located to promote sustainable transport use. This will include development near to public transport routes and walking and cycling infrastructure to support the use of sustainable travel modes, ensuring that residents can access opportunities such as employment and education by walking, cycling and public transport.
Contribution to LTP4 objectives
Net zero carbon emissions: Most of our travel is to access opportunities, activities, and services such as medical appointments, education and work. If more of these can be provided more locally, it will reduce the amount of travel and distances we need to travel, and allow us to combine more journeys. Improving local walking and cycling environments and providing more opportunities and services locally will also encourage more walking and cycling, reducing carbon emissions from transport.
Sustainable growth: Evidence shows that areas with better pedestrian and cycling environments experience increased foot traffic and consequently see higher spend in local shops. Creating better local places and facilitating more local travel will enable local high streets to flourish. Shorter journeys also cost us less to make in fuel and public transport fares and are more predictable in term