Joint transport guidance is a first
It is the first time in England that the same planning document has been proposed for neighbouring council areas in this way.
This joint approach will ensure that the same transport requirements for developers to secure planning permission are made in each council area in Merseyside. It will ensure consistency and more sustainable planning decisions across the city region.
The Supplementary Planning Document "Ensuring Choice of Travel" is part of the Merseyside Local Transport Plan 2006-11.
It will help ensure that all new developments are easily accessible by public transport, foot and bike, as well as the car. This will support regeneration by helping people get to workplaces easily and it will reduce congestion and carbon emissions by reducing the number of car journeys.
Liverpool City Council has just begun consultation on the document, and the other Merseyside councils - Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral will follow suit over this year and next year.
Neil Scales, Chairman of the LTP Partnership and Chief Executive and Director General of Merseytravel, said: "This guidance will play a big part in ensuring that future developments are easily accessible by a choice of sustainable transport.
"It will also help to improve design quality and encourage people to make healthy and environmentally-friendly transport choices."
Andy Wallis, of Merseyside's District Planning Officers and Sefton Council Director of Planning and Economic Regeneration, said: "This is the first time the same supplementary planning document for transport has been introduced across several council areas and it shows how we are working well together in Merseyside.
"Developers will know what to expect and standards will be applied consistently as a result."
The Supplementary Planning Document requires all developments to be accessible by walking, cycling, public transport, by car and to people with mobility difficulties.
It provides a simple to use checklist for developers and planners to assess what transport requirements are needed.
The checklist measures development is in a good location, whether a travel plan or improvements to accessibility would be needed and what information should be included as part of a planning application.
When it has been adopted, the Supplementary Planning Document will form part of each council's Local Development Framework - the planning policies that are used to assess planning applications.
