Agenda item

Planning and Sustainability – (C-034-2021-22) - to endorse the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town Transport Strategy.

(1)           The Cabinet considered the HGGT Transport Strategy together with the accompanying appendices including the high level programme, consultation report and equality impact assessment;

(2)        The Cabinet agreed that the HGGT Transport Strategy would be considered as a material planning consideration in connection with the preparation of masterplans, pre-application advice, assessing planning applications and any other development management purposes for sites within the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town;

(3)        The Cabinet agreed to delegate to the Planning Portfolio Holder for Planning and Sustainability in consultation with the Director of the Garden Town to make any minor text or design amendments to the HGGT Transport Strategy prior to publication should there be necessity for clarification or changes proposed by the respective decision makers of East Herts, Harlow and Epping Forest Districts and Essex and Hertfordshire Counties in order to ensure a consistent document.

(4)        The Cabinet acknowledged that the ambition, mode share objective and principles in the Transport Strategy should help shape existing and future work programmes of the Highway Authorities and the Local Planning Authorities across the Garden Town, and can provide supporting justification for funding submissions and spending commitments in relation to transport. Content will also be relevant to initiatives undertaken by Epping Forest District Council.

In the absence of Councillor Bedford for this item, the Finance, Qualis Client and Economic Development Portfolio Holder, Councillor Philip, introduced this report.

He noted that the report concerned the endorsement of the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town (HGGT) Transport Strategy. The HGGT Transport Strategy had been prepared on behalf of the five HGGT Authority partners (Epping Forest, Harlow and East Herts District Councils, and Essex and Hertfordshire County Councils). The new communities in the Garden Town which were within Epping Forest District would deliver 3900 homes in the Local Plan period (to 2033), over a third of the allocated housing in the District.

The Transport Strategy was crucial in meeting the ambitions for sustainable movement set out within the HGGT Vision, against the backdrop of the challenges of future travel demand linked to planned growth in new Garden Communities, as set out in the Council’s emerging Local Plan.

The Transport Strategy would assist decision-makers in transport matters, enabling Members to review and determine masterplans and planning applications against the objectives, principles and actions within the document. The Strategy will also be used to secure funding from developers, central government and other bodies.

In response to a member’s question on the rapid transit system, its connection to Epping and what would differentiate it from a normal bus service. Councillor Philip noted that a key part of this was a Harlow and Gilston Garden Town Transport Strategy, contained within the boundaries of the garden town and places surrounding the garden town such as North Weald and Epping. The rapid transit service could be all sorts of other transports solutions other than a bus, such as a light rail service. This strategy set out the principals in which we can all work together in partnership.

Councillor Lea asked that consideration be given to the amount of extra traffic that may be generated. She was told that a lot of work had been done on traffic modelling in and out of the garden town; so, they had considered this and worked it out in detail.

Decision:

(1)           The Cabinet considered the HGGT Transport Strategy together with the accompanying appendices including the high level programme, consultation report and equality impact assessment;

(2)        The Cabinet agreed that the HGGT Transport Strategy would be considered as a material planning consideration in connection with the preparation of masterplans, pre-application advice, assessing planning applications and any other development management purposes for sites within the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town;

(3)        The Cabinet agreed to delegate to the Planning Portfolio Holder for Planning and Sustainability in consultation with the Director of the Garden Town to make any minor text or design amendments to the HGGT Transport Strategy prior to publication should there be necessity for clarification or changes proposed by the respective decision makers of East Herts, Harlow and Epping Forest Districts and Essex and Hertfordshire Counties in order to ensure a consistent document.

(4)        The Cabinet acknowledged that the ambition, mode share objective and principles in the Transport Strategy should help shape existing and future work programmes of the Highway Authorities and the Local Planning Authorities across the Garden Town and can provide supporting justification for funding submissions and spending commitments in relation to transport. Content will also be relevant to initiatives undertaken by Epping Forest District Council.

Reasons for Proposed Decision:

To ensure that the HGGT Transport Strategy was afforded suitable planning weight through endorsement as a material consideration in the planning process. This would ensure that development proposals across the Garden Town contribute to the Council’s and HGGT’s sustainable mobility ambitions, and that clear parameters were established for future pre-application advice, preparation of masterplans, assessing planning applications and any other development management purposes.

Other Options for Action:

Not to agree the HGGT Transport Strategy or endorse the HGGT Transport Strategy as a material consideration in the planning process, which would mean that there would be no guidance to support the delivery of development proposals and achieve the objectives set out in the HGGT Vision and Council’s emerging Local Plan.