§ Mr. FrenchTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on his policy on the control of development on motorways and other trunk roads in England and Wales.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyDepartment of Transport Circular 4/88 and Welsh Office Circular 42/88 set out the general policy which will guide the Departments in exercising their powers of direction under the Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1988, and in advising local planning authorities on the implications of development proposals for trunk roads.
Trunk roads are designed primarily to further the safe and free flow of long distance through traffic. This 158W necessitates limiting the numbers of junctions and accesses. No direct accesses to motorways are allowed other than for service area and related facilities.
In the case of other trunk roads, development of suitable sites to provide services for motorists is to be encouraged in areas where the necessary services are lacking, and it will not be appropriate to exercise the same severity of restriction on some of the older trunk roads as in relation to the newer high standard ones.
In all cases the implications of development for traffic on the trunk road should be taken into account in decisions on planning applications. This also applies to development at or near to junctions with trunk roads.
It is important to take into account the extent to which traffic generated by development may use up in whole or part the residual capacity of trunk roads or junctions with them. That aspect is of particular concern in relation to the more heavily used roads such as M25.
In cases where the developer considers that the traffic implications of development can be made acceptable by works which he is willing to fund, he is recommended to seek an early meeting with the Department concerned to explore the scope for an agreement under section 278 of the Highways Act 1980. Agreements cannot be used to cover departures from the general ban on accesses to motorways, or for multiplying access points on other trunk roads contrary to the policy in the circular.
They may be appropriate in circumstances where new or modified access arrangements to departmental standards would be acceptable from a road safety and traffic management standpoint, and the developer is willing to pay in whole or part for these and other improvements to deal with traffic generated by the development. Where such improvements are in prospect, it may be appropriate to impose a condition on the planning permission delaying implementation of the development until they are effective.
We shall shortly issue a guidance notice on section 278 agreements.