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Revised Draft Local Plan, Chapter 16: Accessibility

Creating a fairer Salford by:

  • Improving access for everyone to employment, retail and leisure opportunities within and around Salford
  • Providing increased opportunities for walking and cycling, thereby helping to support healthier lifestyles and reduce the costs of travel
  • Increasing the proportion of trips that can be made by public transport, to increase inclusivity (especially for the 37% of Salford households that do not have access to a car) and reduce reliance on the private car
  • Minimising the negative impacts of car use on quality of life

16.1 Improving accessibility is a central theme of the Local Plan, as it is fundamental to fairness. The overall approach is aimed at ensuring that people can easily access jobs and services, meet up with friends and family, and enjoy their leisure time. It also aims to ensure that businesses have good physical access to suppliers, markets and labour, and that visitors can fully appreciate the city. There is a focus on maximising the ability of this to happen by the most sustainable modes of transport. All of this will be an essential part of delivering sustainable development in Salford, supporting economic growth and promoting social inclusion whilst minimising environmental impacts.

16.2 Although Salford has good strategic road, rail, water and air infrastructure, these networks are already under significant pressure. Some parts of the motorway network are amongst the busiest and most congested in the country, and parts of the rail network are at capacity at peak times. Furthermore, although public transport services are relatively good for many areas of the city, other areas are less well-served. When combined with the costs of travel, these issues can reduce the ability of all residents to share in the benefits of growth. Improving the attractiveness and extent of low-cost travel alternatives such as walking and cycling will be important not just for maximising social inclusion but also supporting healthier lifestyles.

16.3 The scale of development proposed in Salford’s Local Plan and in adjoining local authority areas (particularly Manchester and Trafford) will further increase the pressures on the city’s transport networks, as people travel through the city to access employment and leisure opportunities. The careful location and mix of development, delivered at appropriate densities, can help to minimise journey distances and encourage the use of sustainable transport modes. The concentration of economic activity within the City Centre and Salford Quays will heighten the importance of the main, radial routes into the centre of the conurbation, and the ability to interchange easily at key locations along these.

16.4 Salford has a relatively settled urban form, and a well-established, fairly extensive transport network, and therefore the provision of a major transformation in the city’s transport infrastructure is unrealistic both physically and financially. The emphasis in the Local Plan is therefore around enhancing the existing network and adapting it to meet the changing needs of the city’s residents. This will be in part achieved through the successful integration of new development and its associated infrastructure, but also through supporting measures to improve the efficiency, capacity and sustainability of the city’s transport infrastructure, and technology and innovation will have a key role to play. The Greater Manchester Transport Strategy 2040 [1] sets out the long-term vision for how the transport system needs to change across Greater Manchester and the key priorities for achieving this. It will be supported by the development of more detailed strategies and delivery plans, and further proposals in Salford may emerge from this and the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework process.

Policy A1 - Sustainable transport strategy

Significant improvements will be sought in the ability of people and goods to move around and through the city in an efficient, safe and sustainable way.

This will be achieved by:

  1. Ensuring that the city’s transport networks are inclusive and accessible to all users;
  2. Reducing the overall need to travel by:
    1. Locating a significant amount of new development within the existing urban area;
    2. Maximising development densities, and promoting a mix of uses, in sustainable locations, such as the City Centre, the town centres and close to public transport interchanges;
  3. Encouraging a modal shift towards more sustainable forms of transport such as walking, cycling and public transport by:
    1. Ensuring that developments and neighbourhoods are designed to encourage walking and cycling; and
    2. Prioritising access improvements to and within the major concentrations of employment and leisure activity, with:
      1. The highest priorities being the City Centre and MediaCityUK/Salford Quays; and
      2. Other important priority destinations including Salford’s other town centres, Port Salford, the AJ Bell stadium, Trafford Park, the Trafford Centre, Manchester Airport, Logistics North and Bolton Town Centre;
  4. Promoting the sustainable movement of freight;
  5. Protecting, adapting and enhancing the city’s existing transport infrastructure and services;
  6. Designing development and transport infrastructure to promote and facilitate sustainable travel choices;
  7. Phasing new development with the provision of sufficient transport infrastructure and services; and
  8. Ensuring that development minimises any adverse impacts on transport networks.

Accessibility strategy

Existing and proposed transport infrastructure

Download a full size version of figure 14 - existing and proposed transport infrastructure (Adobe PDF format, 329kb)

Transport hierarchy

16.5 The transport hierarchy is an important way in which more sustainable and socially inclusive modes of transport can be promoted. It provides a useful basis for ensuring that the needs of more vulnerable groups, such as pedestrians, cyclists, disabled people, people living with dementia and those with pushchairs, are taken into account in decision-making. This will help to support a modal shift within Salford and improve overall accessibility and fairness. Planning applications should be supported by evidence which demonstrates how the development would implement the transport hierarchy.

16.6 In applying the hierarchy, the different functions of highways will need to be balanced and consideration should be given to how a street or area functions in terms of its ‘movement’ and ‘place’ roles, consistent with Policy A3. Even in areas that are strategically important to the movement network, a balance should be sought that delivers the required sense of place.

Policy A2 - Transport hierarchy

New developments and transport infrastructure schemes shall be designed to promote the following hierarchy (highest priority first), whilst ensuring appropriate access for emergency vehicles at all times:

  1. Pedestrians
  2. Cyclists
  3. Public transport users
  4. Commercial deliveries and specialist service vehicles (e.g. waste collection, taxis/private hire vehicles)
  5. Other motor traffic

The needs of all users, including those with impaired mobility and their carers, shall be taken into account within all levels of the transport hierarchy.

This hierarchy will be applied to highway design consistent with the function of the street.

Developments shall be located and designed so as to maximise the use of those modes towards the top of the hierarchy.

Sustainable streets

16.7 Streets are essential components of the life of the city, not just in terms of connecting people to opportunities but also providing important spaces where people can interact. Over recent decades, the role of streets has tended to focus increasingly on the movement of traffic to the detriment of its many other important functions. This process needs to be reversed in the future, so that streets more effectively fulfil a wide range of social, environmental and economic roles simultaneously.

16.8 This will require a conscious choice to prioritise people and environmental quality over motor vehicles, and so has important links to other policies such as the transport hierarchy set out in Policy A2 of this plan. Streets need to be made more welcoming, comfortable, pleasurable, sociable and inclusive, and recognised as places and destinations in their own right rather than just corridors of movement. This will be particularly important for enabling people to live healthier and happier lives.

Policy A3 - Sustainable streets

Opportunities shall be taken to deliver more sustainable streets, including by:

  1. Making it easier and more attractive to walk, cycle and use public transport, which may involve the reallocation of existing road space and the introduction of additional wayfinding signage and crossing points
  2. Providing varied spaces for people to meet, linger and rest, and for children to play, enabling greater social interaction
  3. Incorporating high levels of green infrastructure designed to bring people closer to nature, enhance biodiversity, enable the movement of wildlife, soak up pollutants, reduce flood risk, and improve quality of life
  4. Supporting local distinctiveness and identity through features and uses that provide visual interest and activity

Walking and cycling

16.9 Walking and cycling have the potential to replace a significant number of short car journeys, as well as contributing to healthier lifestyles, more vibrant places and social cohesion. The vision of Greater Manchester’s Cycling and Walking Commissioner to double and then double again cycling in Greater Manchester, and make walking the natural choice for short journeys [2], is supported by the Local Plan. The emphasis is on making walking and cycling attractive choices for short trips and for everyday journeys to work, school and leisure facilities. Maintaining and enhancing the city’s walking and cycling infrastructure will be an important part of this.

16.10 The overall development strategy will help to promote walkable and cyclable neighbourhoods by focusing development on previously developed sites within the urban area, and providing opportunities to deliver high density, mixed use developments which are within easy and convenient distance of local shops, facilities and employment opportunities. The design and layout of development, and the mix and location of different uses within it, should also create the conditions to encourage active travel.

16.11 Good quality cycle parking is a key element in developing a cycle-friendly environment. The absence of secure, convenient cycle parking can be a serious deterrent to cycle use and the provision of sufficient and well-located cycle parking can significantly reduce car dependence. Public cycle hire schemes also have the potential to increase the number of cycle trips within the urban area, as they remove some of the barriers associated with cycle ownership, including cost, maintenance and storage.

Policy A4 - Walking and cycling

A significant increase in the proportion of journeys made by walking and cycling will be achieved by:

  1. Maintaining and enhancing an integrated network of safe, convenient and attractive walking and cycling routes which allow everyone to be active, through:
    1. Addressing identified gaps within that network, with segregated routes where possible;
    2. Developing the potential of the city’s waterways as walking and cycling routes;
    3. Protecting and extending the city’s network of strategic recreation routes in accordance with policy R5;
    4. Reallocating road space where appropriate to provide wider footpaths and protected cycle lanes; and
    5. Introducing additional wayfinding signage and crossing points on the city’s streets and in the town centres;
  2. Significantly improving secure cycle parking facilities at all destinations that people wish to travel to, including railway stations, public transport interchanges, workplaces, town and neighbourhood centres and visitor destinations across the city; and
  3. Ensuring that new development makes appropriate provision to help maximise levels of walking and cycling.

All developments and, where relevant, transport infrastructure schemes shall:

  1. Contribute to the delivery of walkable and cyclable neighbourhoods;
  2. Be designed to give the highest priority to pedestrians and cyclists, in accordance with policy A2;
  3. Connect to the network of walking and cycling routes where practicable and support the improvement of the network, particularly in terms of enhancing pedestrian and cycling accessibility from the development to employment areas and local facilities such as public transport stops, shops and schools;
  4. Comply with the minimum cycle parking standards set out in Annex C;
  5. Ensure that any cycle parking:
    1. Is secure;
    2. Is provided in a location that is visible, has good natural surveillance, and is convenient and attractive to potential users;
    3. Allows sufficient aisle widths, turning spaces and clearance distances from walls; and
    4. Provides multiple locking points; and
  6. Incorporate facilities for cycle hire schemes where there is an identified demand.

Large-scale employment developments shall incorporate shower facilities wherever possible to encourage employees to cycle to work.

The loss or diversion of an existing public right of way will only be permitted where there would be no significant reduction in pedestrian or cycling accessibility within the local area.

Public transport

16.12 An attractive, efficient and well-integrated public transport network is an essential element of the infrastructure of Salford and the wider conurbation, and is vital in supporting long-term, sustainable economic growth. Salford has a number of well-used public transport routes. However, the public transport potential of the city is constrained by the quality and accessibility of services and facilities, the extent of the existing network, which is focussed on radial routes, and the level of integration between different modes and operators. If a modal shift away from the private car is to be achieved, then it will be necessary to address these issues, with Transport for Greater Manchester having a central role.

16.13 Interchanges both within and outside of the city provide opportunities to facilitate radial and orbital travel across Greater Manchester, thereby maximising access to employment and leisure opportunities for Salford residents. Manchester Piccadilly Station is the most significant transport interchange in the North of England, providing city to city connectivity and direct access to Manchester Airport, and as the proposed location for a new City Centre HS2 station it has the potential to become an even more significant gateway. It is therefore essential that access to this interchange for Salford residents is maximised.

16.14 Salford’s town centres and rail stations provide opportunities to interchange between different public transport modes, and there is significant potential for these interchange points to facilitate more travel by public transport provided that some of the barriers to using it are addressed. Eccles Town Centre, Salford Central Station and Salford Crescent Station offer particular opportunities in this regard. Investment in individual stations and key routes will be an important part of this, as will broader initiatives such as integrated ticketing.

Policy A5 - Public transport

Major improvements in Salford’s public transport network will be sought in order to maximise travel choices, enable the city’s growth, promote social inclusion, and reduce reliance on the private car. This will include supporting proposals that help to deliver enhancements to:

  1. Network capacity, including through improvements to the frequency, speed, directness, reliability and geographical coverage of public transport routes and services
  2. Service integration, including through the coordination of services, improved and more numerous interchange points, integrated ticketing, and enhanced marketing and information
  3. The passenger experience for public transport users, particularly in terms of passenger information and services, safety, security and comfort
  4. Access to public transport for all, including through improved affordability, enhanced accessibility for those with impaired mobility, and additional park and ride facilities
  5. Air quality, and reduce emissions associated with public transport, including through the electrification of rail lines and the use of low and zero emission vehicles

The following are identified as key transport infrastructure priorities:

  1. The expansion of the Metrolink system in Salford, including:
    1. The extension of the Trafford Park line to the AJ Bell Stadium and Port Salford
    2. A new Metrolink line from Victoria in Manchester to Salford Crescent Station, supporting the growth of City Centre Salford
    3. A new Metrolink line connecting Salford Quays and Salford Crescent Station, supporting the growth of Salford Quays and its integration with the City Centre and the rail network
    4. The conversion of the rail line between Salford Crescent Station and Wigan to tram-train use, bringing the north of the city and neighbouring Wigan into the Metrolink network
    5. The conversion of the rail line between Manchester and Warrington to tram-train use.
  2. The development of new and improved public transport interchanges, focusing particularly on the town centres and rail stations
  3. The continued improvement of Salford Central Station as the main western rail gateway to the central business district of the City Centre, including through works which enable more services and longer trains to stop at the station
  4. The transformation of Salford Crescent Station into a major public transport interchange for rail, Metrolink and bus services, with the continued improvement of the station itself as a key rail facility serving Chapel Street and the University of Salford and the investigation into the potential to increase the number of platforms
  5. The enhancement of the city’s other rail stations, particularly in terms of passenger facilities and disabled access
  6. The electrification of the city’s rail lines
  7. The further expansion of rapid transit routes along the A580 East Lancashire Road and elsewhere within the city, particularly where this improves the accessibility of the key locations identified in policy A1

The development of further passenger transport services on the city’s waterways is supported.

Freight

16.15 The distribution of goods by sustainable modes, and methods that reduce the number of vehicular trips, will be encouraged and supported. Innovative solutions such as urban distribution centres, last mile access by cargo bikes or electric vehicles, and emerging technologies, all have the potential to service the demand for deliveries in a more sustainable way.

16.16 The Manchester Ship Canal is a major port, extending from the Wirral to Salford Quays. The canal offers the only opportunity for significant water-based freight movement in the sub-region, providing a direct connection to the post-Panamax facilities at the Port of Liverpool. There is the potential to considerably increase freight traffic along its length, helping to reduce HGV movements on the region’s roads and support climate change objectives. It is therefore important that its freight potential is protected and enhanced wherever possible. The construction of the Port Salford inter-modal freight interchange at Barton, which will take advantage of rail access as well as provide new berths on the canal, will be an important part of this. The tri-modal connections will make Port Salford unique in Greater Manchester, and hence it is appropriate to consider the ways in which the benefits of these connections could be maximised. The Greater Manchester Spatial Framework proposes the expansion of Port Salford onto land that is currently in the Green Belt to the north of the A57 and south of the M62 motorway, immediately to the north and west of Barton Aerodrome. At least maintaining the current number of wharves on the canal will help to maximise its use, although it may be appropriate to relocate some of them if this is required to support increased water-based freight movements. Irwell Park Wharf has already established an important role for the sustainable movement of freight, providing access within the M60 motorway, and it will therefore be protected in the long term.

Policy A6 - Sustainable movement of freight

The sustainable movement of freight will be encouraged including by supporting:

  1. The development of urban distribution centres that reduce vehicle movements and utilise zero-carbon last mile delivery
  2. The increased use of the Manchester Ship Canal for freight movement, through:
    1. Controlling the loss of existing wharves along it; and
    2. Supporting the development of sites adjacent to it for uses that would utilise it for freight movement.

Through the development of Port Salford at Barton, the city will play a major role in the movement of freight within Greater Manchester and the North West. New berths and a rail spur running from the Manchester to Liverpool rail line into the site will be provided as a central part of the scheme and, together with highway improvements, will ensure that Port Salford provides a fully integrated tri-modal freight facility.

Irwell Park Wharf is specifically protected as an important facility that enables the sustainable movement of freight.

The loss of any other existing wharf on the Manchester Ship Canal within Salford will only be permitted where:

  1. It would be replaced elsewhere along the canal; or
  2. It can be clearly demonstrated that there is no current or likely future demand for the wharf or any replacement facility.

Highways

16.17 Salford will experience significant population growth over the next 20 years, and it will be important to ensure that this is not accompanied by a similar level of growth in the use of cars, which would lead to increased congestion, poor air quality and reduced quality of life. A key priority of the Local Plan is to encourage a modal shift towards more sustainable modes of transport and to reduce the overall need to travel. There will however be a need for some investment in the city’s highway network to ensure its reliable, safe and efficient operation, which will be vital in ensuring that people can access opportunities across the sub-region and supporting Greater Manchester’s economic success. This may include the need for additional bridges across the Manchester Ship Canal, to support growth at Salford Quays and to provide improved access for Salford residents to employment and leisure opportunities in Trafford.

16.18 Salford’s motorways are amongst the most congested in the country, and addressing capacity issues on the north-west section of the M60 and the junctions along it is a particular challenge and priority. A number of approaches to managing, maintaining and improving the operation of the motorways are being considered at the conurbation-wide level and beyond [3], which may identify the need for further highways infrastructure. The environmental and highways impacts of any proposed schemes will be carefully considered, and appropriate mitigation measures identified where required.

Policy A7 - Highway network

The efficient, effective and safe operation of the city’s highway network will be supported through:

  1. Requiring developments that would be likely to generate significant amounts of movement to be supported by a Transport Statement or Transport Assessment, including transport modelling where appropriate;
  2. The refusal of development on transport grounds if there would be an unacceptable impact on highway safety or the residual cumulative impacts on the road network would be severe, having regard to issues such as likely traffic generation, access, parking and servicing arrangements and proposed mitigation measures;
  3. Encouraging a modal shift towards more sustainable forms of transport by enhancing the city’s public transport, walking and cycling network in accordance with policies A4 and A5; and
  4. Investment in the city’s existing highway network, with key priorities being:
    1. Measures to address congestion on the motorway network, key route network and surrounding local road network, which complement each other, whilst ensuring that any schemes seek to maximise improvements to the city’s environment, particularly with regards to air and noise pollution;
    2. Investigation into the options for improving the capacity of the highway network at Salford Quays and its connectivity to the City Centre, Trafford and the M602 motorway.

New road links will only be permitted where:

  1. It has been clearly demonstrated that there would be no unacceptable impact on the capacity of the highway network in Salford, particularly in terms of congestion and the ability to accommodate the proposed scale of development in the Local Plan;
  2. The amenity of residents would be protected, including in relation to air and noise pollution; and
  3. In the case of a link across the Manchester Ship Canal, all junction and other highway improvements in Salford that are required to manage the resulting traffic flows are completed and operational before the opening of the cross-canal link.

Vehicle parking and drop-off

16.19 The level of parking provision within developments should ensure that sufficient car and motorcycle parking is provided to promote social inclusion and support the successful functioning of developments, whilst also discouraging unnecessary private car journeys and the inefficient use of land. Minimum standards for car parking for disabled people must always be met so as to ensure that developments are inclusive.

16.20 Car clubs can assist in embedding sustainable travel into new developments and give people the assurance that they can access a car when they really need one, but still travel by public transport, cycle or walk for most journeys. They can have a number of benefits, including helping to reduce congestion, improve air quality, implement lower levels of car parking in developments, and reduce costs for users, and so are encouraged as an alternative to general car parking provision.

16.21 In addition to parking, the successful long-term functioning of developments relies on appropriate opportunities for motor vehicles to perform various types of ‘drop-off’ functions. Taxis and private hire vehicles play an important role in meeting the city’s transport needs, particularly for those without access to a private car, visitors to the city and, in the case of both hackney carriages and some private hire vehicles, wheelchair users. They can also help to support increased public transport use. Given the increasing amount of shopping conducted online, and to reduce the need for car ownership, it will be important that developments make appropriate provision for the efficient delivery of goods that ensures the safe operation of the highway network. The incorporation of secure delivery facilities in new housing development can also assist by minimising the need for repeat delivery attempts (see Policy D7).

Policy A8 - Motor vehicle parking provision and drop-off facilities in new developments

The amount of parking provided within new developments shall:

  1. Ensure that the development is inclusive and accessible to all users;
  2. Support the efficient use of land;
  3. Reflect the type, mix and use of the development;
  4. Have regard to the accessibility of the development by modes of transport other than the private car;
  5. Not discourage the use of more sustainable modes of transport such as walking, cycling and public transport;
  6. Not lead to a level of off-site car parking that would have an unacceptable impact on:
    1. The safe and efficient operation of the highway network; or
    2. The environmental quality or residential amenity of the local area; and
  7. Not exceed the maximum car parking standards set out in Annex C.

Where development would be likely to lead to levels of off-site car parking that would have an adverse impact on the surrounding area, appropriate mitigation measures will be required. This could include, for example, developments funding resident parking schemes, on-street parking restrictions and their enforcement.

All developments shall make provision for:

  1. Car parking for disabled people in accordance with the minimum standards set out in Annex C;
  2. Secure motorcycle parking with suitable anchor points in accordance with the minimum standards set out in Annex C; and
  3. Where appropriate, proportionate to likely demand and in a suitable location:
    1. General user and delivery vehicle drop-off points;
    2. Hackney carriage taxi ranks;
    3. Private hire vehicle drop-off points; and
    4. Car clubs/car sharing bays (including the use of low emission vehicles where possible).

The need for car parking, drop-off points, taxi ranks and car club/car sharing bays within developments shall be considered through a transport assessment or statement. This shall consider all relevant evidence of likely demand, including knowledge of taxi operators and private hire associations where available.

The design and layout of all parking shall promote safety and security for all users.

City Centre car parking

16.22 Car parking can represent an inefficient use of land, particularly in the most accessible locations such as in and around the City Centre. Although it will be important to maximise the number of people using more sustainable modes of transport to access the City Centre, it is also recognised that there will always be some demand for car parking and it can support the area’s economic function. It is anticipated that the amount of surface car parking within the City Centre will continue to reduce significantly, with new provision normally in the form of high quality multi-storey car parks, undercrofts and basements.

Policy A9 - City Centre car parking

The city council will work with partners including Transport for Greater Manchester to take a coordinated approach to car parking within and around the City Centre, in accordance with the latest City Centre transport strategy, supporting the objectives of minimising congestion and increasing the use of sustainable modes of transport. Within Salford, the total amount of land used for car parking to serve the City Centre will continue to be significantly reduced, and this will be a particular priority within the Inner Relief Road.

The provision of surface and public car parking serving the City Centre will be carefully controlled, with the emphasis being on:

  1. Meeting short-stay parking needs to support the attractiveness of the City Centre as a business, tourism, retail and leisure destination;
  2. Maximising the accessibility of the car parks from the Inner Relief Road; and
  3. Utilising land as efficiently as practicable.

Where sites are identified in a regeneration framework adopted by the city council for alternative uses, the further expansion or intensification of existing car parking facilities will not be permitted.

Park and ride

16.23 Park and ride schemes can play an important role in supporting the use of public transport, encouraging cycling and reducing vehicular traffic levels. However, poorly located and designed proposals can sometimes actively encourage more car journeys, and may generate significant traffic levels on surrounding roads to the detriment of residential amenity and highway function. In some locations, the high level of public transport accessibility may mean that sites are more suitable for built development, and this could potentially be more beneficial in terms of increasing public transport use and minimising private car use. Consequently, although the principle of enhancing park and ride is supported, individual proposals will need to be carefully assessed among other options to improve connectivity and promote sustainable travel.

Policy A10 - Park and ride facilities

Park and ride schemes will be supported where it can be demonstrated that they:

  1. Form part of a wider strategy for promoting public transport use and/or cycling, developed in conjunction with Transport for Greater Manchester and, where appropriate, other organisations such as Highways England and Network Rail;
  2. Would contribute to a reduction in overall traffic levels;
  3. Would not result in an unacceptable level of traffic congestion around the park and ride site;
  4. Would provide a high standard of vehicle security and personal safety;
  5. Would not represent an inefficient use of land in a highly accessible location, given the need to accommodate high levels of built development within the city; and
  6. Would manage the parking provision so as to maximise the use of public transport, which will typically involve no charge for users.

The redevelopment of existing park and ride facilities will only be permitted where:

  1. It can be clearly demonstrated that there is no current or likely future demand for the facility; or
  2. All of the following criteria apply:
    1. The facility represents an inefficient use of land in a highly accessible location;
    2. Its redevelopment forms part of a wider strategy for promoting public transport use; and
    3. It would be replaced by a facility of equivalent or greater capacity and with equivalent or improved connections to relevant transport infrastructure.

Electric vehicles

16.24 The use of electric vehicles is an important measure in reducing emissions locally whilst providing people with a high level of mobility. The Government aspires that by 2040 every new car in the UK will be an ultra-low emission vehicle, and is facilitating this through a range of measures. New development can make an important contribution to enabling the use of electric vehicles.

16.25 It is envisaged that the majority of electric vehicle charging should take place overnight at home, after the daily peak in electricity demand. Ensuring that residential properties with garages and drives incorporate a charging point will help to facilitate home charging, and the additional cost of providing this infrastructure is considered to be minimal. Non-residential development can also have a significant role to play, for example by providing dedicated charging points for a proportion of parking spaces to support workplace and visitor charging.

Policy A11 - Electric vehicle charging points

A network of electric vehicle charging points will be developed across Salford as part of a Greater Manchester wide scheme, with publicly accessible charging infrastructure focused in safe, convenient and accessible locations.

New development shall make provision for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, using dedicated charge points specifically designed for charging all types of electric vehicle, in accordance with the following standards (unless superseded by higher standards adopted at the Greater Manchester level):

  1. For dwellings with a garage or driveway, at least one dedicated charge point per dwelling
  2. For residential developments with shared parking areas, the provision of at least one dedicated charge point per ten dwellings
  3. For non-residential developments, the provision of at least one dedicated charge point per 1,000m2 gross internal floorspace, with a reduced requirement being permitted where it can be demonstrated that the specific characteristics of development would result in lower levels of demand for electric vehicle charging

These standards will be applied to the total scale of car parking provision that is proposed in the development, and additional car parking spaces should not be provided in order to meet them.

Charge points shall be located so that they can be accessed by the maximum number of parking spaces at the development.

Electric vehicle charging infrastructure within new development shall meet the minimum technical specification list published by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles.

Within major developments, opportunities to incorporate public electric vehicle charging points should be considered, having regard to existing provision in the local area.

Barton Aerodrome

16.26 Barton Aerodrome (also called City Airport and Heliport) officially opened in January 1930 and was the first municipal airport in England. It provides a unique aviation landscape, with the original grass runways surviving and three listed buildings on the site.

16.27 The aerodrome has a valuable general aviation role, serving business, recreational, training and emergency service needs, not just for Salford but also for the wider sub-region. This helps to reduce pressures on the nearby Manchester Airport. It will be important to ensure that Barton Aerodrome continues to function effectively as a general aviation facility for Greater Manchester, balancing the potential to increase its contribution to local economic growth with the high value of protecting and enhancing its distinctive heritage interest.

16.28 In order to ensure that the operational integrity and safety of the aerodrome are not compromised, safeguarding zones have been notified to the city council by the operators. These define certain types of development that require prior consultation with the aerodrome operators, and the zones may be updated if the use of the aerodrome changes:

  1. All development within the zone identified on the Policies Map;
  2. Buildings exceeding 15 metres in height within the zone identified on the Policies Map;
  3. Buildings exceeding 45 metres in height within the zone identified on the Policies Map;
  4. Buildings exceeding 90 metres in height within the zone identified on the Policies Map; and
  5. Development within the zone identified on the Policies Map which is likely to attract birds, such as proposals involving significant tree planting, minerals extraction or quarrying, waste disposal or management, reservoirs or other significant areas of water, land restoration schemes, sewage works, nature reserves or bird sanctuaries.

Policy A12 - Barton Aerodrome

Barton Aerodrome will be protected and improved as a general aviation facility, in a way that maintains the amenity of the surrounding uses.

Development that would have an unacceptable impact on the operational integrity, safety or heritage value of the aerodrome will not be permitted.

Manchester Airport

16.29 Safeguarding zones for Manchester Airport have been notified to the city council by the Civil Aviation Authority, defining certain types of development which, by reason of their height, attraction to birds, inclusion of aviation activity or potential impact on radar and air traffic control (ATC) systems, require prior consultation with the airport. This is in order to ensure that the operational integrity and safety of the airport and aircraft operations are not compromised. However, the safeguarding zones are neither the responsibility nor the proposal of the city council.

16.30 Consultation is required for the following:

  1. Buildings, structures, erections and works exceeding 90 metres in height within the zone identified on the Policies Map;
  2. Any development within 13 kilometres of Manchester Airport, as shown on the Policies Map that:
    1. is likely to attract birds, such as proposals involving significant tree planting, minerals extraction or quarrying, waste disposal or management, reservoirs or other significant areas of water, land restoration schemes, sewage works, nature reserves or bird sanctuaries; or
    2. is connected with aviation use; and
  3. Any wind turbine development, anywhere in the city.

Policy A13 - Protection of aviation safety at Manchester Airport

Development that would have an unacceptable impact on the operational integrity or safety of Manchester Airport will not be permitted.

Former railway lines

16.31 Salford has a number of former railway lines, which have the potential to broaden transport choices in the future, particularly by accommodating public transport infrastructure. Any such use would need to be balanced with the important walking and cycling functions that they already provide. There are specific pedestrian routes associated with the former Carrington-Glazebrook railway line, which would need to be retained or otherwise satisfactorily diverted if it is to be re-used.

Policy A14  Safeguarding potential transport routes

Former railway lines shown on the Policies Map will be safeguarded from developments that would be likely to prevent their future re-use as transport routes.

Their use for public transport will be encouraged, conditional upon pedestrian and cyclist access being retained wherever practicable.

Monitoring

16.32 The main indicators that will be used to monitor this chapter are:

Indicator

Target

Proportion of journeys to work made by public transport, walking and cycling

Increase

(2018-2037)

Average cycle flows

Increase

(2018-2037)

Journey times on the key route network

Improve

(2018-2037)

Reliability of key strategic highways

Improve

(2018-2037)

Delivery of major public transport and highway infrastructure schemes

By 2037

Construction of a rail spur from the Eccles rail line to Port Salford

By 2025

Construction of new canal berths at Port Salford

By 2025

Number of electric vehicle charging points

Significantly increase

(2018-2037)

[1] Transport for Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership (February 2017) Greater Manchester Transport Strategy 2040: A sustainable urban mobility plan for the future

[2] Greater Manchester’s Cycling and Walking Commissioner (December 2017) Made to Move – 15 steps to transform Greater Manchester by changing the way we get around

[3] https://highwaysengland.co.uk/projects/manchester-north-west-quadrant/ (this link is no longer available)

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Revised Draft Local Plan chapters

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