printer friendly | low graphics | increase text size | decrease text size
Environment and Planning banner
Home > Your Council & Services > Environment & Planning > The Environment > Better Buildings  > Key Topics > Transport
Transport

Transport
 
In 1995 the CBI calculated that traffic delays cost the country around £20 billion a year. Over the next twenty years car traffic could grow by more than a third, whilst van and lorry traffic is forecast to grow even faster.
 
Excessive motor vehicle usage causes congestion, air and noise pollution, dangerous conditions for pedestrians and cyclists and generally diminishes the attractiveness of the urban environment.
 
Inadequate alternatives to the car can cause hardship to the less well-off. Results from the 2001 Census show that over 42,000 households in Leicester do not have a car - 38% of the population. As a result Leicester has a higher than average percentage of employees relying on travelling to work by bus, cycle and on foot.
 
The UK and other developed countries are also experiencing problems with a deterioration in the health of the workforce due to an increase in obesity.  Part of the reason for this is an increasingly sedentary lifestyle with an increase in people making short trips by car rather than walking or cycling.  It is estimated that obesity costs the UK £3.7 billion a year.
There are benefits all round to be gained from promoting sustainable transport solutions such as:-
 
  • Improving accessibility increases the customer and employee base and makes development more desirable to potential occupiers
  • Reducing car usage reduces the cost of congestion and other costs such as car parking
  • Addressing sustainable transport issues can help ensure a smoother ride through the planning system and therefore prevent any expensive delays
  • financial savings to employers and workforce estimated at £33 bn pa
  • improved health for the population
  • reduced environmental degradation
 
Improving accessibility increases the customer base and can make developments more desirable
 
  • Greater accessibility to a range of facilities increases the range of customers and potential employees.
  • It promotes economic benefits for employees, customers, and residents and enhances competitiveness.
  • Residential development and places of work are more desirable and marketable if they are built close to facilities such as schools, shops and public transport routes.
 
Reducing car usage reduces the cost of congestion and other costs such as car parking
 
  • Reducing car usage reduces the cost of traffic congestion to businesses
  • Development in the centre of the City ensures that it is accessible by public transport and makes it a more attractive place to live and work.
  • Reducing the number of car parking space allows land to be developed for more beneficial use and at a higher density.
 
Addressing sustainable transport issues can help ensure a smoother ride through the planning system and therefore prevent any expensive delays
 
  • National, Regional and Local Planning policies increasingly require that alternatives to car travel are properly considered and reflected in planning applications. Thorough consideration of vehicle parking requirements, access for pedestrians and cyclists and any necessary Traffic Impact Assessments and Travel Plans will help ensure a smoother ride through the planning system.