B4.1.1 Connected neighbourhoods

New development layouts must:

• provide safe and direct connections to existing walking, wheeling, cycling, horse riding, and public transport networks within and around the site to encourage active travel opportunities

• enable and support off site connections to key destinations, including schools, local centres and public transport links

• preserve and formalise existing pedestrian desire lines to promote active travel and maximise permeability

New major developments must consider how people move beyond the development site, and provide new or improved crossing points over busier roads or along key routes between surrounding neighbourhoods to reach key facilities including employment, education, retail, and healthcare. The type of crossing utilised must be appropriate for the street context and align to ‘List 3: Street Hierarchy’.

The proposed approach and rationale must be clearly highlighted on provided masterplans and demonstrated within the Design and Access Statement (DAS) when considering multiple developments and phasing as required under Code: 3.47c.

More information can be found on the Pedestrian Review System (PERS) Fact Sheet (Transport for London) and the Streetaudit Factsheet (TRL Software).

To enable opportunities for new developments to connect with surrounding communities, developments must create and provide new links to prioritise active travel (such as walking, wheeling, cycling, and horse riding). This must include providing direct links and access to sustainable transport modes like bus stops and routes. Any gaps in connectivity between the site boundary and the surrounding network must be identified through the Site Appraisal Assessment (1.1c, and where applicable 1.2g) and be addressed with appropriate new or enhanced links. Site layouts must provide an efficient balance between permeability and security, ensuring that new links improve connectivity without compromising the safety or cohesion of existing neighbourhoods.

New developments should be designed to support the co-location of key facilities (including community services, leisure amenities, and public transport access) to ensure convenient access by active travel modes. Where possible, these facilities should be located within 800 metres (approximately a 10-minute walk) of the outer edges of the development site to support active travel opportunities.

Developments must be designed to allow access to adjoining allocated Local Plan sites to support future development. Potential future connections must be clearly illustrated on site layout plans and must not consist of non-adoptable streets (such as private drives). To ensure a durable and future-proof street network, layouts must avoid the creation of ‘ransom strips’ or any gaps between the adopted highway and the site boundary.

For developments of over 200 dwellings or 5,000m² of floorspace, at least two points of vehicular access and egress should be provided to maximise accessibility, connectivity and efficient operation in emergencies.

Exception: Although the provision of more than one access is preferred, where this is not possible a single vehicular access may be acceptable providing the internal network forms a loop, with the shortest possible connection of suitable width between this loop and the point of access.

Where connections to existing streets are made, appropriate design measures must be incorporated to prevent through-traffic to create low-traffic neighbourhoods, whilst maintaining permeability for walking, wheeling, cycling and horse riding. This may include:

• modal filters

• buildouts

• planters

• pocket parks

Measures utilised to discourage through-traffic must also meet the requirements of the Equality Act 2010. This is to support local access and provide active travel opportunities for all users, whilst preventing developments becoming a through-route for general traffic.