Transport Assessments

We'll help you do a Transport Assessment (TA) for developments which create significant amounts of movements.

Why do a TA?

A TA ensures your planning application shows how your new development supports Vision Zero and the Healthy Streets Approach. It also helps us assess your application and give you, and the local borough, useful advice on how it fits with the London Plan.

The TA in a planning application must identify if transport impacts of a new development are likely to be 'severe'. This can mean planning permission is refused under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

In London, the TA for any planning application must also show how the new development would meet the transport policy requirements in the London Plan. It may need to include transport modelling done or checked by us.

We can advise the Mayor and local borough to refuse planning permission if your TA shows unacceptable impacts on:

All planning applications in London must show how they encourage higher levels of walking and cycling. These support greater social inclusion, community cohesion and healthier communities.

Your TA should now also consider how to create more space on streets for walking, cycling and social distancing. This may be important before, during and after construction.

When to do a TA

You should do a TA for all developments of strategic importance, legally referable to the Mayor, unless another approach is agreed in writing with us before your planning application.

A Transport Statement is a shorter, simpler version of a TA. You can use it when transport impacts are limited. Some boroughs have their own guidance on this which should always be followed.

We still use national guidance from 2007 to decide when TAs and Transport Statements are needed for different types and sizes of development:

A TA can still be required for non-referable planning applications in London.

Where to start

Our pre-application services help you identify and prioritize the most important transport issues and impacts for your TA and the rest of your planning application.

If you need us to suggest any changes or mitigation, you should book an initial screening meeting.

What to include

Our guidance is based on our role in planning and doesn't replace guidance by local authorities or national government.

It helps you create TAs and planning applications using Vision Zero and the Healthy Streets Approach. It also shows how your new development will meet the transport policy requirements of the London Plan.

The Mayor's Transport Strategy aims for 80% of Londoners' trips to be walked, cycled or use public transport by 2041. All development in London must support this because of Policy TI (strategic approach to transport) of the new London Plan.

The Mayor's Cycling action plan aim for 70% of Londoners to be within 400 metres of a London-wide network of high-quality cycle routes by 2041.

Healthy Streets TA format

You can use the content and chapters in our Healthy Streets TA format for your TA. You can also use our Active Travel Zone (ATZ) assessment with step-by-step instructions:

You should use plain English. Wherever possible, communicate using maps, photographs, drawings and diagrams instead of text.

The TA should be clear, simple and complete enough for a borough planning committee or member of the public to understand all transport impacts.

You can reproduce or reference things from other parts of the planning application, like the design and access statement. But, be clear and specify sources, pages and sections so we can easily find them. The clearer you are, the more effectively and quickly we can respond.

Appendices should only include technical background information, not any separate drawings, data or documents which are essential to assessing your planning application.

Don't produce lots of separate documents about transport for your planning application. Instead, try to include all the essential information on transport impacts in our Healthy Street TA format.

TfL is committed to challenging inequalities in the built environment. We are aware that some people change their route, mode or even refrain from travelling at all when it is dark. This particularly affects women and others with protected characteristics. It can undermine the success of new developments, particularly where there is no route choice.

We have included a recommendation to undertake a night-time assessment in the ATZ. Assessors should pay attention to the following Healthy Streets indicators:

  • Pedestrians from all walks of life. London's streets should be welcoming places for everyone to walk, spend time in, and engage in community life.
  • People choose to walk, cycle and use public transport. A successful transport system enables more people to walk and cycle more often.
  • People feel safe. The whole community should feel comfortable and safe from crime, intimidation or injury on any street, day and night.

These principles should also inform the public realm design within and around developments. It should include surrounding streets and pedestrian routes to key destinations.

What happens next

You may get further guidance from us if your proposed development could involve any planning obligations related to transport or highway works. At the same time, the local borough may assess your application using Vision Zero and the Healthy Streets Approach.

Our responses to you and the local borough show which policies in the Mayor's Transport Strategy and London Plan are relevant to the transport issues and impacts in your TA. We may dispute parts of your assessment and request more work from you before the application progresses.

The content and chapters in our Healthy Streets TA format match up with transport related policies in the London Plan as well as common outcomes including planning obligations. Our resources have guidance showing this relationship and other useful information.

After assessing your application, there's two basic types of improvement we may suggest - changes and mitigation.

Changes

Could include:

  • More cycle parking
  • Less or no car parking
  • New pedestrian crossing(s) to help people get from your new development to local bus stop(s)
  • Better conditions for cyclists getting to our local cycle routes
  • Entrances and exits for people and vehicles in different locations or with different features, to increase safety and make active travel easier

Mitigation

Could include:

  • Financial contributions to increase the frequency and capacity of local public transport services
  • Restrictions on the amount and type of new development until certain transport and travel conditions are met
  • Management strategies designed to make travel, deliveries and servicing at the new development happen in a certain way when it's constructed and once it's occupied

Contact us

Email spatialplanning@tfl.gov.uk if you have any questions.

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