Active Travel England will assist planning authorities in putting in place quality infrastructure for walking, bicycling, and wheeling as a statutory consultee.

From : Active Travel England

Published : 1 June 2023

In order to encourage more people to choose healthier, greener and more affordable modes of transport, Active Travel England (ATE) will now assist in delivering infrastructure for walking, rolling and cycling on all upcoming big developments.

As of today, 1 June 2023, ATE is a statutory consultee on all planning requests for developments that include or exceed 150 residential units, 7,500 square metres of floor space, or 5 hectares.

As a result, ATE will evaluate about 3,100 applications annually, or about 60% of new dwellings.

With the new position, ATE will be able to support planning authorities in their efforts to put good active travel design into practise, such as by ensuring developments have connection for walking, bicycling, and rolling to schools and neighbourhood amenities. As a result, hazardous emissions will be reduced, saving individuals money, and promoting public health.

Including active transport in the design process can also help to prevent significant increases in vehicle traffic and lessen the need for future expensive renovations to important road intersections or other corrective action.

Chris Boardman, the commissioner of active travel, said:

To improve public health, reduce emissions, and address the challenge of rising living costs, active travel is crucial. We are trying to give millions more individuals the ability to walk, roll, or ride a bicycle from their doorway to their destination.

With careful planning, we can design areas where kids can get around independently and bring activity back to our neighbourhoods.

As a statutory consultee, ATE will engage with planning authorities and developers to make sure new estates provide people with the resources they need to receive fresh air and exercise, conserve fuel, and combat climate change.

Following a pilot project in which ATE collaborated with 30 local authorities to evaluate more than 60 initiatives during a nine-month period ending in November 2022, the agency was granted statutory consultee status.

80% of respondents to a survey at the beginning of the pilot programme agreed that ATE should play a part in the planning system.

Although ATE will be consulted on developments at and above its thresholds, it will be without any legal authority to control how planning applications are handled. Working with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities (DLUHC), Active Travel England has made sure that their thresholds as a statutory consultee are established at the proper level.