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Policy GESP23: Sustainable Travel in New Developments

To support the transport strategy (draft policy GESP22) and carbon reduction targets (draft policy GESP3), minimise environmental harm and support health and wellbeing, more than half of trips (or higher where specified in allocation policies) from major developments will need to be made by active and sustainable travel modes. Travel planning and investments will be based on the priority order of: 

  1. Provision for active travel (walking and cycling) by:
    1. Providing a dense and permeable network of walking and cycling routes within developments, including avoiding cul-de-sacs where they prevent permeability, and connecting into the wider active movement network beyond the development site
    2. Creating an environment which is safe and attractive to pedestrians and cyclists by providing a network of streets which prioritise active travel, using modal filters to reduce car traffic and create quieter, slower and safer streets, or segregated cycle routes on busier streets
    3. Including secure private cycle storage for all dwellings and secure public cycle parking
  2. Provision for sustainable travel (buses, rail, shared mobility and other public transport) including:
    1. Densities, design and layouts which allow provision of efficient public transport services to, and where relevant, within and through the site
    2. Appropriate well located bus stops, with raised kerbs for easy bus access and where appropriate suitable routes for bus priority
    3. Allocate spaces for shared mobility vehicles, including car clubs and e-bikes in central and accessible locations and to create new local multi-modal transport hubs and interchanges, making best use of existing bus and rail routes
    4. Providing private and public charging points for electric vehicles
  3. Highway enhancements will be supported where they are necessary for safety or where they promote an overall reduction in car journeys
  4. Provision of new local road capacity will be supported only where severe development impacts on the transport network cannot be avoided by the active and sustainable travel investments proposed with the development

8.10 Draft policy GESP23 supports the creation of a healthy active city region and great places for people. The Greater Exeter councils recognise and support the need to improve and encourage sustainable modes of travel. The draft policy proposes a travel hierarchy that supports and enables the most sustainable forms of travel for major new developments.

8.11 Draft policy GESP23 requires development proposals to encourage non-car modes of travel and make sustainable transport modes more convenient, attractive and safe. Walking, cycling and bus routes should link into wider networks and related infrastructure such as secure cycle parking and charging, and bus stops. Sites in the vicinity of the strategic trails identified in draft policy GESP25 should provide a suitable connection into these routes.

8.12 Site developers should work with planning authorities to identify the priority active travel connections and ensure the delivery of these connections as soon as reasonably possible in the development process, ensuring homes have suitable access to the wider safe active travel network from the first phase of occupations. Site promoters and developers are also required to work with the Greater Exeter councils where allocated or potential public transport infrastructure, such as a park and ride scheme, would benefit the site and wider area.

8.13 Modal filtering means using highway or street designs which enable permeability for some forms of transport, such as buses, cycles and pedestrians, but limit movement for other modes such as private cars or heavy goods vehicles. This can create streets and transport corridors focussed on enabling the flow of sustainable and active travel modes, whilst limiting vehicle traffic to local residents’ access only.

8.14 Opportunities to maximise sustainable transport solutions will vary between urban and rural areas, and this should be taken into account in decision-making.

8.15 New road capacity will only be supported and/or required where severe transport impacts are likely, such as on air quality, safety or congestion on the road network, as determined by a transport assessment.


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