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CHAPTER 4 - Transport
     
4.1 Background
4.2 The Heysham-M6 Link Road
4.3 Public Transport
4.4 Managing Private Transport
4.5 Morecambe
4.6 Carnforth and the Rural Areas
4.7 Walking and Cycling
 
This part of the Local Plan looks at transport in Lancaster District and at how current difficulties could change as reliance on the private car is reduced in future.
The Local Plan is based on the assumption that the promotion of public transport, walking and cycling, coupled with appropriate demand management measures, will gradually persuade people to use their cars less, particularly for local journeys within the main urban area.
Because the District covers a wide rural area, travel by car will remain important and most residents will continue to need a car for daily journeys.
 
  The City Council aims to:
 
  • limit car journeys in Lancaster centre to 1991 levels;
  • increase the proportion of people commuting by cycle to 10% and by bus to 12%;
  • provide for cyclists, pedestrians and buses in new development.
  The City Council proposes:
 
  • a Primary Bus Corridor between Lancaster, Morecambe and Heysham;
  • new bus stations in the centre of Lancaster and Morecambe;
  • to improve bus priority and accessibility to shopper car parks;
  • to ensure that the proposed Heysham M6 Link Road is not prejudiced by development;
  • to manage car parking in Lancaster City Centre to favour shoppers over commuters;
  • a new park and ride/walk car park at Kingsway, Lancaster;
  • a new pedestrian and cycle crossing of the River Lune in Lancaster;
  • extending the cycle path network though new housing areas and
  • to protect the potential for future investment in the District rail network
 
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4.1 Background
  The Current Situation
4.1.1 The ease with which people and goods can move around and across Lancaster District affects everyone who lives, works, visits or is seeking to invest in the area. Many everyday journeys to work, school or the shops are delayed by congestion, mainly due to traffic volumes on Lancaster's two river crossings. Cycling and walking can be dangerous and unpleasant and Lancaster City Centre can be difficult to drive into and park. People living or working near main roads suffer from fumes, noise and vibration. Buses caught up in congestion cannot run on time whilst delays to goods vehicles add to the costs of industry.
4.1.2 Ease of access by a choice of means of transport is essential for future inward investment in Lancaster and Morecambe. If accessibility is worse than in other areas the District's economy could suffer.
   
  The Future
4.1.3 Car ownership and use have grown steadily, both nationally and locally for many years. Figures 11 and 12 illustrate this trend.
  Figure 11 - Car Ownership, Great Britain, 1965 - 1989
 
Households with 1965 1975 1985 1989
No car 59% 44% 38% 34%
One car 36% 46% 45% 44%
Two or more cars 5% 10% 17% 22%
Total households 17.2m 19.1m 20.8m 21.7m
  Source: Department of Transport
   
  Figure 12 - Car Ownership, Lancaster District 1981-1991
 
Households with 1981 1991
No car 18,450 17,060
One car 20,655 23,662
Two cars 5,040 8,480
Three or more cars 855 1,574
Total cars* 33,300 45,344
Total households 45,000 50,776
  *This assumes 3 cars in the 3 or more category and is therefore a minimum figure.
Source:1981 and 1991 census.
   
4.1.4 The latest forecasts for car ownership produced by the Department of Transport (DoT) suggest that, if current trends continue, Lancaster District could see an increase of between 20.7% (low growth) and 32.4% (high growth) between 1991 and 2006. Figure 13 shows the potential implications of this level of growth for the District.
   
  Figure 13 - Car Ownership Forecasts, Lancaster District, 1991-2006
 
Households 1991 1996 Change 1991-1996
Households 50,776 59,100 8,324
Cars Owned – Low forecast 45,344 54,730 9,386
Cars Owned –High Forecast 45,344 60,035 14,691
  Source; Lancashire Structure Plan Report 16 - Transport Issues
   
4.1.5 As the number of people and cars in the District grows, Lancaster and Morecambe will continue to change as a result of new development, expansion in the education sector and re-organisation of health care provision. These changes will further increase demand for car travel in Lancaster and Morecambe. Rising car use has been particularly evident in local journeys to work, the main components of peak hour congestion. There has been a big increase in travel to work by car and a corresponding drop in bus patronage.
   
  Figure 14 - Means of Travel to Work in Lancaster District 1981-1991
 
1981 % 1991 % Change
Train 421 0.9 460 0.9 39
Bus 5940 12.7 3370 6.6 -2570
Car (Driver) 18193 38.9 27770 54.4 9577
Car (Passenger) 6407 13.7 4492 8.8 -1915
Motorcycle 1263 2.7 970 1.9 -293
Pedal Cycle 1450 3.1 2042 4 592
Foot 9307 19.9 7350 14.4 -1957
Other/home 3747 8 4471 8.7 730
TOTAL 46769   51050    
   
4.1.6 Figure 14 shows that between the 1981 and 1991 censuses, the number of people driving to work increased by nearly 10,000 and the number using buses dropped by over 2,500. There was a significant reduction in the number of people walking to work or sharing a car. The increase in the use of private cars to get to work is reflected in the number of vehicles in and around Lancaster City Centre at the peak morning and evening times.
4.1.7 Figure 15 shows how daily traffic flows on Lancaster's main roads have grown between 1977 and 1992. It also shows how forecasts prepared in 1980 for the year 2000 have already been exceeded on a number of central roads. Finally the table shows how these flows could grow by the year 2006 if current trends continue.
   
  Figure 15 - Traffic Growth in Lancaster Urban Area 1977 to 2006; Annual average daily flows (thousands)
 
1977 (1) 2001(1) 1992(2) 2006(3) 2006(3)
Count Est. Count Low Est High Est
23.9 30.4 South Rd Two Way 28 35 40
15.2 20.8 Greaves Road Two Way 17.4 21.8 24.9
17.3 22.3 King Street North bound 21.5 26.9 30.8
16.3 21.8 Thurn-ham St South bound 25.7* 32.2 36.8
18.8 24.9 Grey-hound Bridge North bound 25.8* 32.3 36.9
19.3 24.9 Skerton Bridge South bound 26.1* 32.6 37.4
24.5 32.5 More-cambe Rd Two way 34.7* 43.4 49.7
12.7 18.8 Caton Road Two way 19 23.8 27.2
  1992 flows exceed predicted flows for 2001 prepared in 1991.
  Source; (1) Lancaster Central Area Traffic Study (1981)
(2) Lancashire County Council
(3) Lancashire County Council Locally based traffic forecasts
  Note: (2) Incorporates updated rebased Lancaster City Council traffic forecasts when available.
   
4.1.8 Figure 15 illustrates what could happen by the year 2006 if travel demand grows as forecast. The main gyratory system and river crossings would be congested for longer periods of the day. More motorists may use residential streets to avoid congestion. The conditions that would result from the levels of traffic growth shown in Figure 15 would be environmentally and economically unacceptable. It is clear that other ways must be found to cater for traffic growth.
   
  The City Council's Transport Strategy
4.1.9 The Council's Transport Strategy is based on the following assumptions:
 
  • The Council's long-term aim of reducing dependence on the car will take time to implement and, in the meantime, it is an unavoidable reality that the car will remain an important means of transport particularly for people in rural areas;
  • Continued growth in car use is unsustainable due to the potential impacts on environmental quality, health, quality of life and the local economy;
  • There is unlikely to be major investment in road infrastructure during the early part of the plan period;
  • Measures to limit and reduce car use must be matched with the provision of attractive and realistic alternatives to the car.
  • The priority areas where the greatest potential exists to make an immediate impact on reducing car dependency are travel-to-work and travel-to-school within the urban area of Lancaster, Morecambe and Heysham.
4.1.10 The Council's strategy must make the most efficient use of existing transport infrastructure. This includes the District's road network, the local rail network, car parks and the District's cycle and pedestrian networks.
4.1.11 The Strategy will include;
 
  • Small-scale initiatives to tackle local problems;
  • Traffic management and traffic calming measures;
  • Schemes to give priority to public transport;
  • Improvements to cycle provision;
  • The management of car parking pricing policy;
  • The investigation of Park and Ride for Lancaster City Centre;
4.1.12 These measures should maximise the use of alternatives to the car whilst providing for reasonable levels of vehicular access within the District's urban areas.
4.1.13 The City Council cannot implement this strategy on its own. Of crucial importance is the role of the highway authority, Lancashire County Council. The County Council is responsible for strategic transport guidance via its Structure Plan and for obtaining funding for specific projects from the Government. The City Council proposes to work with the County Council and bus transport operators on a joint programme to maximise the use of, and integration between, existing transport systems through public sector projects and through working with the private sector and individuals to make more use of environmentally friendly forms of transport.
 
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  POLICY T1
  THE CITY COUNCIL WILL WORK WITH LANCASHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL AND OTHER AGENCIES TO PREPARE AND IMPLEMENT A PROGRAMME TO MANAGE THE DEMAND FOR CAR TRAVEL, MAKE THE MOST EFFICIENT USE POSSIBLE OF EXISTING TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE, AND MAXIMISE OPPORTUNITIES TO USE MEANS OF TRANSPORT OTHER THAN THE CAR.
  DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS WHICH WOULD RESULT IN A SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE EFFECT ON THE EFFICIENT OPERATION OF A BUS OR RAIL SERVICE, OR THE EASE OF USE OF A BUS, RAIL, CYCLE OR PEDESTRIAN ROUTE WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.
  Policy wholly superseded by policies within the Core Strategy with effect from 23 July 2008
 
4.2 The Heysham-M6 Link Road
  Diagram 20 - Routes being examined by Lancashire County Council for a Heysham-M6 Link
   
4.2.1 The 1997 Lancashire Structure Plan identifies a proposal for a road linking the M6 with the Heysham peninsula. The strategic purpose of the road is
 
  • to provide a direct link for Morecambe and Heysham traffic (particularly for port and tourism traffic) and assist the regeneration of the Lancaster and Morecambe area (particularly Heysham) and;
  • to contribute as one of a number of measures, to solving the traffic problems of Lancaster, improving safety and environmental conditions there and enabling existing road space to be used more effectively to give priority to buses, cyclists and pedestrians.
4.2.2 The Structure Plan does not identify a specific route. Phase 1 of the scheme, the construction of a road between the A589 (Morecambe Road) and the Port of Heysham, was completed in 1994.
4.2.3 The need to complete the second phase linking Phase 1 with the M6 is becoming increasingly important. The Port of Heysham has continued to expand and has recently come under new ownership. The road is identified as a regionally significant transport proposal to be completed by 2007 in (draft) Regional Planning Guidance for the North West. Access to the Port of Heysham is identified as a Strategic Internal Route in the Regional Economic Strategy produced by the North West Development Agency. It is the single major road scheme put forward in Lancashire County Council's Local Transport Plan which also proposes a number of improvements to public transport, walking and cycling in and around Lancaster City Centre.
4.2.4 Following consultations on route options in 1997, which were required as a result of the Structure Plan Examination in Public Panel Report, Lancashire County Council, in March 1998 resolved that a Green Route (from M6 Junction 33 around the west side of Galgate and Lancaster and joining Phase 1 south of the Lancaster City Retail Park) be adopted as the preferred option for completion of the Heysham/M6 link. An alternative route (known as the Orange Route) from M6 Junction 34 around the north of the city joining Phase 1 at Lancaster and Morecambe College was rejected. A third option (the Blue Route) also running west of the City to a new motorway junction at Bailrigg was also rejected.
4.2.5 Following the County Council's decision, the City Council proposed in its Pre-Inquiry Changes to safeguard the line of the Western (Green) Route in the Local Plan. A large number of objections were received. Following a lengthy debate at the Local Plan Inquiry in early 1999, the Inspector, in his report of June 2000, concluded that, principally in the light of potential concerns about the landscape and nature conservation impacts of the Western (Green) Route (the route passes within 20m of the Lune Estuary SSSI which is a nature conservation site of international importance), there was no realistic prospect of a start on the project being made in the Plan period. In terms of the Northern (Orange) route, he concluded that, in the light of the County Council's commitment to the Green Route, there was similarly no prospect of the Northern (Orange) route being completed in the plan period. Accordingly, in line with Government advice in PPG12, he recommended the deletion of deposit plan policies T1 and T2 which safeguarded land for the construction of a Heysham-M6 Link.
4.2.6 In response to the Inspector's recommendations, the County Council made some adjustments to the Western route including the deletion of proposals to light the proposed road and its reduction to a single carriageway. Given the reduced environmental impact and cost of the revised scheme, the City Council took the view that there was a reasonable expectation that a start could be made on the construction of the road within the plan period. In response to the County Council's decision, the City Council proposed to safeguard this revised route as a modification to the deposit Local Plan. These modifications were published in June 2001.
4.2.7 In parallel with the Local Plan process, the County Council has been seeking funding for the Link Road through the Local Transport Plan process. In order to provide clarification requested by the Secretary of State in December 2000, the County Council in the summer of 2001, undertook a further public consultation exercise and comparative assessment between a revised Western (Green) Route including further changes to the route over and above those proposed in the proposed modifications to the Local Plan and a revised northern (Orange) Route.
4.2.8 Following the consultation process, the County Council resolved that;
 
  • The Heysham/M6 link should remain the County's top priority scheme for road construction in Lancashire.
  • In view of the environmental issues which need to be addressed in relation to the green route, the County Council should undertake environmental impact studies of both the green and orange routes.
  • If it proves impossible to proceed with the Green Route, the County Council should then pursue the Orange Route.
  • Meanwhile, the County will continue to invest in such traffic management measures and additional public transport options as will help to improve the situation in the interim.
4.2.9 This resolution was subsequently endorsed by the City Council. The environmental studies are expected to be completed in 2003.
4.2.10 The City Council wishes to see the implementation of the Heysham M6 link at the earliest possible opportunity. Because of the County Council's decision to commission further environmental impact studies, there is now less likelihood of implementation within the period of this Local Plan. The City Council cannot therefore formally safeguard a line for either route in the plan and still comply with Government Guidance in PPG12. The Council is however concerned that development should not take place which could prejudice the implementation of this scheme and that the Plan remains consistent with the Lancashire Structure Plan which forms part of the Development Plan for the area.
4.2.11 Both possible routes run predominantly through land identified as open countryside, Green Belt, Urban Greenspace and Green Corridor designations. In these areas, major built development is restricted for other reasons and there is little likelihood of the route being prejudiced.
4.2.12 Where there is a possibility that a development proposal could prejudice either potential route, the City Council will consult the County Council on the relevant planning application and resist proposals which the County Council considers could prejudice the implementation of the scheme. Indicative lines are shown on the plan opposite.
4.2.13 This Local Plan will be the subject of an early alteration. The route, if finalised, will be incorporated and safeguarded in a future edition of the Plan.
  THE CITY COUNCIL SUPPORTS THE COMPLETION OF THE HEYSHAM-M6 LINK ROAD AS A MATTER OF PRIORITY.
  THE CITY COUNCIL WILL CONSULT THE COUNTY COUNCIL ON ANY DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL WHICH COULD PREJUDICE THE COUNTY COUNCIL'S INTENTION, SET OUT IN LANCASHIRE STRUCTURE PLAN POLICY 34, TO PROVIDE A HEYSHAM M6 LINK ROAD.
  WHERE THE COUNTY COUNCIL, AS STRUCTURE PLANNING AUTHORITY, ADVISES THAT A DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL COULD PREJUDICE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF LANCASHIRE STRUCTURE PLAN POLICY 34 INSOFAR AS IT RELATES TO THE HEYSHAM-M6 LINK ROAD, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL REFUSE PLANNING PERMISSION FOR THAT DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL.
 
4.3 Public Transport
4.3.1 Most transport problems stem from daily journeys in Lancaster, Morecambe and Heysham where around 100,000 people live in a tightly knit area of around 20 sq. km. This compact distribution of housing, employment areas, schools, shops and other services contributes to the high proportion of relatively short cross-town movements.
4.3.2 Over the next ten years, the number of short daily journeys will continue to grow. As many of these journeys could easily be undertaken by public transport, positive measures are needed to encourage people to use public transport for local journeys and to discourage car use.
4.3.3 Local public transport is provided by both bus and rail services. A frequent train service connects the centres of Lancaster and Morecambe. However, despite recent improvements to peak hour services and a centre to centre journey time which compares favourably with either car or bus, relatively few people use the train to get to work.
4.3.4 In the long term new railway stations could help provide more choice for local journeys. To allow this to happen, it is important that the long term prospect of opening new stations is not prejudiced by development.
4.3.5 Although some large cities such as Manchester and Sheffield have successfully introduced light rail and tram based transport systems, the limited size of the District's urban population and the topography of the area suggests that it is unlikely that such a system could be cost-effective in the District.
4.3.6 These factors have focused attention on ways of improving use of existing local bus and rail services.
   
  Railways
4.3.7 The District has a rail network which serves a large geographic area. The West Coast Main Line links Lancaster with London and Scotland. The branch lines to Heysham, Barrow-in-Furness and Leeds bring rail services to Morecambe, Carnforth, Silverdale, Bare, Heysham Harbour and Wennington. Off the main line, services are infrequent and fares relatively high and this is reflected in low levels of use. As Figure 14 illustrates, in 1991 only 460 people considered the train to be their principal form of transport to work.
4.3.8 Rail can, however, be a much quicker way of travelling between Lancaster, Morecambe, Heysham and Carnforth. A rail journey between Lancaster and Morecambe takes around 10 minutes and between Carnforth and Lancaster 8 minutes. At peak times, the corresponding journeys by car can both take well over half an hour to complete. Trains however struggle to compete with cars in terms of convenience and flexibility.
4.3.9 The Local Plan cannot directly influence the decisions of the rail operator. It can however put forward proposals that could encourage greater use of the railways. In particular it can identify opportunities for additional rail halts and look at ways in which these and existing stations can be made more accessible.
   
  New Railway Stations
4.3.10 Although greater rail use is not expected to make a significant difference to local travel patterns in the short term, scope does exist in the longer term to encourage greater rail use by introducing new railway stations in locations which could be attractive to commuters. Although the means of actually providing new stations is largely beyond the control of the City Council, it intends to ensure that the long term prospects of opening new railway stations are not prejudiced by development proposals and that, where appropriate, the development process contributes to the provision of rail facilities.
4.3.11 New stations require the support of the relevant train operating company, Railtrack or its successor and the Rail Regulator. The City Council will work with these bodies and Lancashire County Council to make the greatest possible use of the local rail network.
4.3.12 A recent County Council study looked at the potential for establishing new railway stations in Lancashire. In Lancaster District, the County Council considered that the potential existed for a new station at Hest Bank and estimated that this could attract as many as 45,000 single passenger journeys per annum and provide a valuable park and ride facility.
4.3.13 The Structure Plan requires land to be safeguarded for a new station at Hest Bank but does not identify a site. The City Council will work with the County Council to identify a suitable site which will be protected from development until it is required for a new station.
4.3.14 The City Council will also continue to protect the land at Mossgate currently reserved for a new station and will work with the Mossgate Development Company to find practical ways in which this initiative can be realised.
 
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  POLICY T2
  DEVELOPMENT WHICH COULD PREJUDICE THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW RAIL HALTS/STATIONS TOGETHER WITH ASSOCIATED CAR PARKING AND BUS STOPS AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS WILL NOT BE PERMITTED;
  HEST BANK; and MOSSGATE, HEYSHAM.
  Policy Not Saved with effect from 27 September 2007
     
4.3.15 The scope for new stations on the West Coast Main Line is constrained by capacity issues at the present time although, if design, siting, funding and capacity constraints can be overcome, there may be opportunities for a station in the Bailrigg area. The platforms on the West Coast Main Line at Carnforth are currently unused and may also represent a long term opportunity to improve rail services.
4.3.16 Away from the West Coast Main Line, the potential exists to provide new halts in locations such as Westgate and Broadway and elsewhere on the Morecambe and Heysham branch line. There may also be potential to make greater use of the Furness line and the Carnforth-Leeds line.
4.3.17 The design of any new stations and halts must be carefully controlled to maximise the potential for integration with other modes of transport and to ensure that they are appropriate to their surroundings.
 
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  POLICY T3
  NEW RAIL STATIONS WILL BE PERMITTED WHERE THEY;
    MAKE SATISFACTORY ARRANGEMENTS FOR VEHICULAR, BUS AND PEDESTRIAN ACCESS;
    PROVIDE ADEQUATE CYCLE AND CAR PARKING;
    DO NOT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE IMPACT ON THE AMENITIES OF NEARBY RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES; AND
    ARE APPROPRIATE TO THEIR SURROUNDINGS IN TERMS OF SITING, SCALE AND LANDSCAPING.
   
4.3.18 There is scope to increase the use of rail services by providing better facilities for car, cycle and motorcycle parking at stations, particularly at Morecambe and Carnforth in association with park and ride facilities. The Council will work with the County Council, local rail user groups and the railway companies to identify ways in which additional parking could be made available in these locations.
  THE CITY COUNCIL WILL, TOGETHER WITH THE COUNTY COUNCIL, LOCAL RAIL USER GROUPS AND THE RAILWAY COMPANIES, EXAMINE THE SCOPE FOR PROVIDING DEDICATED PARKING TO SERVE PARK AND RIDE FACILITIES AT CARNFORTH AND MORECAMBE STATIONS
   
  Movement of Freight by Rail
4.3.19 The City Council is strongly in favour of measures which would increase the proportion of freight carried by rail through the District. It considers that there is considerable potential in making greater use of the branch line to Morecambe and Heysham and, in particular, of establishing a rail freight terminal at the Port of Heysham. This potential should not be prejudiced by development proposals.
  THE CITY COUNCIL WILL SUPPORT PROPOSALS AIMED AT INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF FREIGHT MOVED BY RAIL THROUGH THE DISTRICT
 
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  POLICY T4
  DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS WHICH WOULD PREJUDICE THE POSSIBILITY OF UPGRADING THE WEST COAST MAIN LINE, THE MORECAMBE AND HEYSHAM BRANCH LINE OR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A RAIL FREIGHT TERMINAL WITHIN THE PORT OF HEYSHAM AREA WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.
  Policy wholly superseded by policies within the Core Strategy with effect from 23 July 2008
     
  Buses
4.3.20 Future travel growth in the District cannot be met by a corresponding increase in car use. The future development and economic prosperity of the District will involve a marked increase in bus use.
4.3.21 The District's local bus companies reach most of the urban area. Along the main routes between Lancaster and Morecambe, buses run fairly regularly although frequency drops on the more local services. The linear shape of Lancaster, Morecambe and Heysham means that the main bus routes directly link the District's town centres whilst serving a high proportion of the District's population. Bus operators, the City Council and the County Council are seeking to reverse the long term decline in travel to work by bus.
4.3.22 There has already been major investment, both in new buses, time-tabling and fare structures and in bus priority measures information and infrastructure. This has resulted in improvements to passenger comfort, reliability, image, value for money and journey times. Ensuring that this process continues is essential to encourage people to switch from commuting by car.
4.3.23 The City Council can only influence some of these factors. It cannot determine the routing, frequency and cost of bus services. It can, however, make sure that opportunities to enhance the bus service are not prejudiced by development proposals. It can identify the main bus routes and ensure that every opportunity is taken to protect and improve their operation and that major new housing and employment areas can be well served by bus. Most importantly, the City Council can work with the County Council to reduce delays experienced by buses by giving them an advantage over general traffic.
4.3.24 The City Council's strategy is based on the assumption that buses will be the main alternative to the private car and that in future more people will choose to use them for daily journeys. To help achieve this, the City Council;
 
  • has identified a primary bus corridor that will be safeguarded and freed from congestion and delay wherever practicable by providing dedicated bus lanes and giving buses priority at key junctions;
  • will seek to improve waiting facilities, passenger information and bus access;
  • will look to improve bus penetration in housing areas, places of work and town centres; and
  • has chosen development areas which are either close to, or can be served from, the main bus network.
4.3.25 It is clear that a major shift from car to bus will not happen immediately, and that, for the early part of the plan period at least, the Council will be putting in place foundations for a shift from private to public transport. A significant shift from cars to buses will only take place if people are convinced that buses are quick, convenient and comfortable. This means that in congested sections of road, buses must be given a clear advantage over cars with dedicated road space and priority at key junctions.
   
  Diagram 21 - The Primary Bus Route
 
   
  The Primary Bus Corridor
4.3.26 The main existing bus routes link Lancaster University and the centres of Lancaster, Morecambe and Heysham. Nearly half of the urban population live within a 250 metre walk of this route. These 48,000 people are potential users of an improved bus service. By identifying these roads as the Primary Bus Corridor, the City Council will work with the bus operators and the County Council to direct investment into improving this route. It will also concentrate efforts to provide bus priority measures on the key stretches of this route.
4.3.27 To achieve an attractive bus service along the primary bus corridor, it will be necessary to improve bus journey times through Lancaster City Centre where buses are often caught up in congestion. This will require the introduction of bus priority measures. As long as buses are caught up in the same traffic jams as other road-users, there is little incentive for drivers to leave their cars at home and use the bus instead.
4.3.28 It is clear that within the historic centre of Lancaster it will not be possible to introduce bus lanes throughout the entire one-way system. Bus lanes and other priority measures will, therefore, be introduced in locations where a significant advantage over general traffic can be achieved without harming the fabric of the centre. The first phase of measures proposed are;
 
  • a new southbound only bus lane linking the existing bus lane on Parliament Street to Lancaster Bus Station;
  • northbound bus priority measures along Ashton Road outside the Royal Lancashire Infirmary; and
  • an extension of the Morecambe Road bus lane at Scale Hall.
4.3.29 The City Council will work with the County Council to obtain funding for these proposals from the Government and will press for these measures to form a key element of future package bids within the County Council's Transport Policy and Programme.
4.3.30 The Primary Bus Corridor runs along normal roads through areas subject to development pressure. The City Council will ensure that development proposals on, or adjacent to the Primary Bus Corridor will not prejudice its operation. In particular new junctions serving housing or commercial sites will be kept to a minimum on the primary bus routes and new uses in town centres requiring on-street servicing along a bus route will be resisted.
 
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  POLICY T5
  THE ROUTES SHOWN ON THE LOCAL PLAN PROPOSALS MAP ARE DESIGNATED AS THE PRIMARY BUS CORRIDOR. DEVELOPMENT WHICH WOULD ADVERSELY EFFECT THE EFFICIENT OPERATION OF BUSES OR THE INTRODUCTION OF PRIORITY MEASURES WITHIN THIS CORRIDOR WILL BE REFUSED
  Policy wholly superseded by policies within the Core Strategy with effect from 23 July 2008
     
  The Primary Bus Corridor Action Plan
4.3.31 Designation of the Primary Bus Corridor is the first stage in a long process which will involve bus operators, local transport user groups, businesses and the County Council working in partnership to improve the Corridor. This will involve investment in the bus priority measures set out above; and
 
  • physical measures aimed at improving access to buses including raised bus stops to make buses more accessible to people with heavy shopping, prams, pushchairs or wheelchairs;
  • better bus shelters with accurate, passenger friendly and up-to-date route information;
  • better signing and well-lit footpath links to and from bus stops; and
  • provision of new or improved bus stations in Lancaster and Morecambe.
4.3.32 Some of these developments could be introduced as part of development proposals which affect bus routes. In other cases, funds raised via Section 106 developer contributions could also be used where those developments would benefit from improved public transport.
4.3.33 In conjunction with the County Council and the bus operators, the City Council will survey the Primary Bus Route and prepare a detailed action plan for introducing improvements to the route. The study will recognise that different sections of the route will perform different roles. For example, Morecambe Road and South Road carry the main through routes from outside the District. Here, there is a need for fewer stops than on Torrisholme Road or Bowerham Road which perform a more local function.
4.3.34 The Action Plan will also examine the scope for introducing more bus priority measures such as those on Morecambe Road and Parliament Street. The existing bus lanes have given buses a real advantage over cars. To date these measures have only been introduced on short stretches of road with space to construct a bus lane without closing the route to other vehicles. Buses still have no advantage on the river crossings or through Lancaster Centre. The Council's objective is to achieve a dedicated bus lane wherever practicable or necessary along the primary bus route, particularly on the approaches to Lancaster City Centre.
  IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE COUNTY COUNCIL, BUS OPERATORS AND LOCAL TRANSPORT GROUPS, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL PREPARE AN ACTION PLAN FOR THE PRIMARY BUS ROUTE
   
  Lancaster Bus Station
4.3.35 A key element of the action plan is the provision of a new bus station in Lancaster through the Capital Challenge Project. Lancaster bus station is in need of improvement. The City Council will work with the County Council and bus operators to develop plans for a better bus station in Lancaster. In particular it will look at ways in which passenger comfort and safety, especially for female passengers at night, can be improved.
4.3.36 This measure will require the support of the Department of Transport, the County Council, local transport user groups, bus companies and businesses. It will involve considerable consultation, drafting of road closure orders and inevitable fine tuning. All of this will take time. In the meantime, development which could prejudice the introduction of these measures will be resisted.
 
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  POLICY T6
  MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS FOR THE DAMSIDE AREA MUST MAKE PROVISION FOR A NEW OR IMPROVED BUS STATION. PROPOSALS WHICH PREJUDICE AN UPGRADED BUS STATION WILL BE REFUSED.
  Policy Not Saved with effect from 27 September 2007
     
  Park and Ride
4.3.37 For most people who live outside the urban area and who do not have access to public transport, there are currently no practical alternatives to the car. The Council has therefore looked at ways in which car parking can be provided outside the City Centre in locations that allow car users either to walk or to catch a bus for the rest of their journey. It has looked at the potential of sites located close to the edge of Lancaster City Centre and for park and ride sites on the periphery of the built-up area.
   
  Kingsway
4.3.38 The City Council considers that additional long-stay parking is only acceptable outside the City Centre and located in a position which allows users to access the site without entering the City Centre. The Kingsway development site, identified earlier in the plan, has the potential to provide a sizeable car park for commuters and longer stay visitors to the City. It is available for development and offers an early opportunity to introduce park and ride and park and walk facilities. Car parking provision on the Kingsway site will be limited to that required to support development on the site and the replacement of city centre car parking lost as a result of redevelopment. This will assist the intention set out the Lancashire Structure Plan to progressively relocate long-stay parking to sites outside the City Centre. Any development proposal must provide satisfactory access and egress to and from the site.
4.3.39 The Kingsway site is within walking distance of the City Centre, located on the Primary Bus Corridor and could intercept traffic arriving from Caton Road, the A6 north and Morecambe Road before it enters the main one-way system. Car users would have the choice either of walking to the City Centre or catching a bus. The site could provide additional shopper car parking and offers the potential to introduce a park and ride bus service at weekends and possibly at other busy times such as the Christmas period or during a festival or event.
4.3.40 This site could accommodate more than 300 vehicles on one level. Being close to the riverside and the Lancaster Canal, the site would also provide an ideal reception point for visitors to Lancaster. Redevelopment of the site should therefore also include toilet facilities as well as information boards, street plans etc. The site forms part of an area earmarked for comprehensive development in Policy EC18. Development proposals must therefore include better road linkages between the river crossings, Caton Road and the main one-way system and improved and safer pedestrian and cycle routes through and across the Kingsway area to the City Centre.
 
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  POLICY T7
  PROPOSALS FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT OF THE KINGSWAY SITE IDENTIFIED ON THE LOCAL PLAN PROPOSALS MAP WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED WHERE APPROXIMATELY 300 PUBLIC PARKING SPACES, APPROPRIATE BUS STOPS AND IMPROVED PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLE LINKS ARE PROVIDED AS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT.
  Policy Not Saved with effect from 27 September 2007
     
  Edge of Town Sites
4.3.41 Bus based Park and Ride schemes have been introduced in a number of towns around the country such as York, Chester and Bath. Most of these services have been introduced to cater for shoppers and tourists in towns where demand for car parking far outweighs supply. Latterly some towns have been looking to extend their service to cater for commuters. In Lancaster District, where many workers and shoppers live in areas poorly served by public transport, the car will continue to be the main means of transport for many people. Park and ride could offer a way in which many of these car drivers could be discouraged from entering the central area.
4.3.42 The County Council's current Transport Policies and Programmes sets out how Park and Ride services operating along Caton Road, Slyne Road, Scotforth Road and Morecambe Road could help relieve the District's transport problems. It does not, however, identify any specific sites.
4.3.43 It is unlikely that a park and ride service would succeed in Lancaster until the changes in car parking management proposed elsewhere in the Local Plan are implemented or until there is a significant boost to Lancaster's retail or tourist attractions. Travel patterns, parking demands and the impact of the policies set out in this plan will be monitored, therefore and, in conjunction with the County Council, the Council will investigate and bring forward proposals for Park and Ride when appropriate.
4.3.44 In the interim, the City Council will concentrate on the development of the Park and Walk and peak Park and Ride ideas for the Kingsway site set out under Policy T7.
4.3.45 Park and Ride sites may be extensive and generate a lot of local traffic. They should be satisfactorily integrated with their surroundings and avoid adverse noise and visual impact. Park and Ride sites may also require extensive landscaping. There is also a concern that Park and Ride sites may encourage existing public transport users to drive to park and ride sites.
 
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  POLICY T8
  THE CITY COUNCIL WILL, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE COUNTY COUNCIL AND BUS OPERATORS, EXAMINE THE CASE FOR PARK AND RIDE CAR PARKS IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS AND INTRODUCE PARK AND RIDE SERVICES WHEN APPROPRIATE AND GENERALLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROGRAMME CONTAINED IN THE LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN;
  CATON ROAD (A683)
MORECAMBE RD(A589)
SCOTFORTH RD (A6 SOUTH)
SLYNE ROAD (A6 NORTH)
  PARK AND RIDE SITES WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED WHICH;
    DO NOT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE IMPACT ON THE AMENITIES OF NEARBY RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES;
    MAKE SATISFACTORY ARRANGEMENTS FOR ACCESS AND CAR PARKING;
    ARE APPROPRIATE TO THEIR SURROUNDINGS IN TERMS OF SITING, SCALE AND LANDSCAPING AND;
    CAN BE DEMONSTRATED, BY MEANS OF A TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT, TO BE SITED AND MANAGED TO ENSURE THAT THE PROPOSAL RESULTS IN INCREASED PUBLIC TRANSPORT USE AND REDUCED CAR JOURNEYS.
   
  Providing for Buses in New Development
4.3.46 In the past, some new housing estates have been designed without fully taking into account the needs of bus operators. In the future, developers of new housing and employment areas will be expected to ensure that roads within the site allow buses to use them efficiently and that consideration is given to the integration of bus stops, local services and linking footpaths.
4.3.47 It is important that all dwellings within a new development area have reasonable access to a bus stop. Developers will therefore be expected to ensure that all dwellings are located within a 5 minute walk of an existing or proposed bus route. In most cases, this will be around 400 metres although this will be less if the route involves significant inclines in either direction.
4.3.48 On sites without existing bus services, it may be some years before the number of residents reaches a level which makes running a service a viable proposition. In these cases, developers will be asked to subsidise the operation of a bus service so that new residents will have access to the bus network from an early stage. This will be achieved by the use of planning obligations under Section 106 of the 1990 Town and Country Planning Act.
4.3.49 The policy considerations set out below will apply to major developments which are likely to significantly increase the demand for travel. The need for and scope of public transport measures will depend on the nature and scale of the development, the size of the site and its relationship with existing and proposed public transport networks.
 
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  POLICY T9
  ALL NEW HOUSING AND OTHER DEVELOPMENT WHICH WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THE DEMAND FOR TRAVEL SHOULD BE DESIGNED TO MAXIMISE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR USING PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND SHOULD BE LOCATED AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO EXISTING OR PROPOSED BUS SERVICES. WHERE APPROPRIATE PEDESTRIAN/CYCLE LINKS TO BUS STOPS SHOULD BE PROVIDED.
    ON THE PROPOSED LANCASTER MOOR (NORTH AND SOUTH) HOUSING SITES, DEVELOPMENT WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED WHERE THE ROAD LAYOUT ALLOWS THE OPERATION OF A FULL BUS SERVICE THROUGH THE SITE ON AN EXISTING OR PLANNED BUS ROUTE.
    WHERE A SITE IS CURRENTLY POORLY SERVED BY BUS, THE COUNCIL WILL NEGOTIATE WITH DEVELOPERS A CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THE OPERATION OF A LOCAL BUS SERVICE TO START DURING THE EARLY STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT.
  WHERE A DEVELOPER IS UNWILLING TO MAKE REASONABLE PROVISION FOR MAXIMISING THE USE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT, DEVELOPMENT WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.
   
  Carnforth and the Rural Areas
4.3.50 In Carnforth and the rural villages and countryside, the City Council has little influence over transport matters. It can encourage better public transport and innovative measures such as Dial-a-Ride services. It has, however, little opportunity to subsidise bus routes or to make the bus companies run a particular service.
4.3.51 The City Council is however, through its development strategy, seeking to strengthen local service centres such as Carnforth, Galgate and Caton and to direct housing growth in the rural areas to locations where there is potential for employment growth. In selecting these settlements for growth, the City Council has also sought to capitalise on existing bus routes and will work with the County Council and the bus operators to try and improve bus services to these areas. It will also seek to improve facilities for buses in Carnforth including better stops in the centre of the town.
  THE CITY COUNCIL WILL WORK WITH THE COUNTY COUNCIL AND LOCAL BUS OPERATORS TO IMPROVE BUS SERVICES AND WAITING FACILITIES IN CARNFORTH AND THE RURAL AREA
 
4.4 Managing Private Transport
  Lancaster
4.4.1 The City Council considers that major new road building is inappropriate in Lancaster City Centre. It has therefore looked at ways in which existing road space can be better used by making relatively minor changes to the road network and how improvements can be achieved through better management of road space and car parking. The City Council proposes to complement the proposals for bus priority measures by working with the County Council to;
 
  • create a new road link between Back Caton Road and St Leonardgate to provide relief for the residential Bulk Road and Alfred Street area and better access for shoppers and visitors to and from the east side car parks. The necessary land for this road link will be reserved. This road will not be designed as an alternative route for through traffic;
  • create an all purpose route between North Road and Cable Street, improving access to the northern part of the City Centre for traffic from the north and east and thereby reducing the need for this traffic to use the central one-way gyratory system.
4.4.2 Details of the alterations which will have to be made to the highway to accommodate these changes will be agreed with the County Council and implemented through the Lancashire Local Transport Plan.
 
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  POLICY T10
  LAND BETWEEN BACK CATON ROAD, ST LEONARDGATE AND EDWARD STREET SHOWN ON THE LOCAL PLAN PROPOSALS MAP IS RESERVED FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND JUNCTION IMPROVEMENTS. DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS WHICH WOULD PREJUDICE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE CHANGES WILL BE REFUSED
 
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  POLICY T11
  DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS WHICH WOULD PREJUDICE THE CITY COUNCIL'S INTENTION TO RELIEVE THE BULK ROAD/ALFRED STREET AREA FROM THROUGH TRAFFIC, IMPROVE ACCESS FOR SHOPPERS AND VISITORS TO THE EAST SIDE CAR PARKS AND IMPROVE LINKS BETWEEN NORTH ROAD AND CABLE STREET WILL BE REFUSED
     
  Church Street Pedestrianisation
4.4.3 An important element of the Council's proposals for the Damside area is improving pedestrian links between the bus station and the main shopping streets. To help achieve this and to provide a boost for traders, it is proposed to pedestrianise Church Street between New Street and Cheapside.
 
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  POLICY T12
  ACCESS TO THE SECTION OF CHURCH STREET BETWEEN NEW STREET AND CHEAPSIDE SHOWN ON THE LOCAL PLAN PROPOSALS MAP IS RESTRICTED BY TRAFFIC REGULATION ORDER.
  THE CITY COUNCIL WILL, AS A MATTER OF PRIORITY, IMPLEMENT A SCHEME OF RESURFACING AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS TO ENABLE THE USE OF CHURCH STREET IN ACCORDANCE WITH THAT ORDER.
  Policy Not Saved with effect from 27 September 2007
     
  Car Parking
4.4.4 The creation of the Primary Bus Route will lay the foundations for a future in which the bus will play a more prominent role. Encouraging more people to use the buses however will involve a range of measures. In particular there must be complementary measures to discourage car use where the bus provides a realistic alternative. One of the main ways in which local plan policies can be used to discourage non-essential car-use is through the provision and management of car parking in Lancaster City Centre.
4.4.5 The supply and management of car parking in the centre is a crucial element in the City Council's transport strategy. As long as parking is freely or cheaply available in or near the central area, many people will continue to use their cars. Changing travelling habits will be a gradual process. Bus priority measures will take some time to achieve a major shift to public transport and will not, in any case, meet all transport needs. There will still be a need to cater for shoppers and other visitors to the City and to provide for people who do not have access to public transport.
4.4.6 The Council's proposals are based on the need to provide sufficient parking to meet the economic needs of the centre and to progressively reduce all day parking for people working in the centre as measures such as bus priority and edge of centre parking are introduced. These policies are in line with Lancashire County Council's policies as set out in the Structure Plan. These propose that there shall be no overall increase in car parking levels in major centres such as Lancaster and that provision should progressively switch from long to short-stay parking.
4.4.7 If Lancaster is to maintain and develop its shopping and tourism role, it must compete with nearby centres for trade. To help reduce the need for travel, Lancaster should provide as many services as possible for local residents. One of the main factors which influences where people shop is the ease with which car parking can be found and how much it costs to park.
   
  Figure 16 - Off-Street Parking Provision in Lancaster Centre 1996
 
  Shopper /
Visitor Spaces		 All Day Commuter No Time Restrictions Total
City Council Owned 810 short-stay
890 long-stay		 235  
Privately Owned 25 short-stay
50 long-stay		 1060  
Attached to major retail stores 500    
Total 2275 1295 3570
   
4.4.8 Surveys of car parking usage carried out in November 1995 show that most off-street public car parks in Lancaster were used to capacity for much of a typical weekday and on Saturdays. The surveys also revealed a significant increase in usage since a similar survey was carried out in 1991.
4.4.9 There is evidence to suggest that Lancaster Centre has insufficient car parking to cater for current and likely future demand. However the large scale development of new car parks within the City Centre would be inappropriate in Lancaster and be contrary to the Structure Plan. It is important therefore that existing public car parks within the main commercial centre of Lancaster are used to their maximum potential and that spaces lost to development are replaced.
 
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  POLICY T13
  WITHIN THE LANCASTER CENTRAL PARKING AREA, PROPOSALS WHICH WOULD REDUCE THE LEVEL OF SHOPPER/VISITOR PARKING WILL BE REFUSED.
  EXCEPTIONS WILL ONLY BE MADE WHERE ADEQUATE COMPENSATORY PROVISION IS MADE ELSEWHERE IN THE AREA.
  PROPOSALS FOR ADDITIONAL SHOPPER/ VISITOR CAR PARKING WILL ONLY BE ALLOWED WHERE THIS IS ACCOMPANIED BY AN EQUIVALENT REDUCTION IN THE ALL DAY COMMUTER PARKING
  Policy superseded in part by policies within the Core Strategy with effect from 23 July 2008 – both this policy and Core Strategy policies need to be taken into account when proposals are being determined
     
  Managing Car Parking in Lancaster Centre
4.4.10 As the provision of major new car parks in Lancaster City Centre is not considered appropriate, additional shopper and visitor car parking can only be created by using spaces currently occupied by long-stay commuters. This would have the additional benefit of encouraging commuters to seek alternative forms of travel. Surveys have shown that on a typical weekday, commuters occupy at least 1300 spaces in and around the City Centre using;
 
  • public off-street parking spaces (300);
  • residential streets close to Lancaster City Centre (500);
  • private non-residential car parks within the central core area of the City (500).
4.4.11 Many of these car users could use other forms of transport or out-of-centre car parks such as Kingsway. The City Council will assist this process by:
 
  • progressively introducing residents parking schemes in streets close to Lancaster City Centre;
  • increasing the proportion of short-stay parking for shoppers and visitors on its off-street car parks;
  • encouraging the redevelopment of privately owned commuter car parking and Council owned contract parking;
  • providing alternative spaces on the Kingsway development site.
  CAR PARKING IN CENTRAL LANCASTER WILL BE MANAGED. ENCOURAGE SHORT-STAY SHOPPER AND VISITOR CAR PARKING AND REDUCE THE USE OF SUCH PARKING BY COMMUTERS.
   
  Coach Parking
4.4.12 Coach parking will become more important as Lancaster develops its role as a visitor destination. At the moment, coaches can drop passengers off in the City Centre and lay up at Water Street. This is however only a temporary arrangement and the site at Water Street has been earmarked for development for a number of years. The City Council will work with the County Council and coach operators to identify potential sites once a timetable is known for the redevelopment of the Water Street site. In particular, it will look at the opportunities presented by the redevelopment of the Kingsway and Damside areas to see if coach parking space can be located in these areas.
  THE COUNCIL WILL WORK WITH LANCASHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL AND COACH OPERATORS TO IDENTIFY A NEW COACH PARK IN LANCASTER
   
  The Redevelopment of Non-Residential Car Parking
4.4.13 In Lancaster, privately owned car parking accounts for most of the off-street spaces in and around Lancaster City Centre. There are currently around 2600 spaces located either in the centre or within a short walk of it which are available for all day use by commuters. The high proportion of privately controlled parking makes it difficult to manage commuter parking. As these spaces tend to fill and empty at peak times, cars using these spaces contribute significantly to peak hour traffic.
4.4.14 The amount of private commuter parking in Lancaster, including contract parking spaces in both public and private ownership, could be reduced by encouraging the redevelopment of such car parks to other uses. In many cases, this could also have the added benefit of improving untidy areas and result in a significant improvement to the character and appearance of the surrounding area. Redeveloping such sites could also provide small sites for housing and business uses in the centre of the City. Provided that proposals comply with local plan policies regarding access, residential amenity etc and are compatible with the historic environment, proposals to redevelop non-residential car parks will receive favourable consideration.
 
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  POLICY T14
  WITHIN THE LANCASTER CENTRAL PARKING AREA, PROPOSALS TO REDEVELOP NON-RESIDENTIAL CAR PARKS FOR OTHER USES WILL BE PERMITTED WHERE THEY COMPLY WITH THE OTHER POLICIES OF THE LOCAL PLAN.
  Policy Not Saved with effect from 27 September 2007
     
  Parking Standards
4.4.15 In June 1997 Lancashire County Council adopted new parking standards for the County. The standards were revised to bring them into line with the policies of the new Structure Plan and to better reflect current Government guidance. The standards differ from previous versions in that they set maximum amounts of parking that may be permitted to accompany development rather than setting minimum targets.
4.4.16 The new targets encourage lower provision in centres such as Lancaster whilst still acknowledging that seaside resorts like Morecambe have differing requirements. Of particular importance is the fact that the new standards formally recognise that it is legitimate to negotiate contributions from developers instead of requiring car parking to be provided. These contributions can be used to fund initiatives such as better public transport, improvements to city centre car parks or other city centre enhancements.
   
  Non-residential Development in the Lancaster Central Parking Area
4.4.17 Within the Lancaster Central Parking Area, allowing additional non-residential car parking would run counter to the aim of discouraging car use by commuters. Within this area, the Council will not permit proposals which include staff parking and will instead negotiate a contribution towards the Council's transport and city centre improvement proposals described elsewhere in the Local Plan. This requirement will only be relaxed in exceptional circumstances where the applicant can demonstrate an overriding need for car parking such as for the use of a disabled person.
 
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  POLICY T15
  WITHIN THE LANCASTER CENTRAL PARKING AREA SHOWN ON THE LOCAL PLAN PROPOSALS MAP, NON-RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED WHERE NO CUSTOMER OR STAFF CAR PARKING IS PROVIDED.
  IN CONSIDERING PROPOSALS WHICH WOULD INCREASE THE DEMAND TO TRAVEL INTO LANCASTER CENTRE, THE COUNCIL WILL NEGOTIATE WITH DEVELOPERS THE CONCLUSION OF A SECTION 106 AGREEMENT WHICH, IN CONFORMITY WITH THE ADVICE OF CIRCULAR 1/97 SECURES THE PAYMENT OF A COMMUTED SUM TOWARDS SECURING ADEQUATE ACCESSIBILITY TO THE SITE BY ALL MODES WITH THE EMPHASIS ON ACHIEVING THE GREATEST DEGREE OF ACCESS BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT, WALKING AND CYCLING.
  WHERE APPROPRIATE, THE COUNCIL WILL REQUIRE DEVELOPERS TO INSTALL, OR CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THE PROVISION OF, CYCLE PARKING FACILITIES.
  THE CITY COUNCIL WILL REFUSE PLANNING PERMISSION WHERE THE APPLICANT IS UNWILLING TO MAKE A REASONABLE CONTRIBUTION TO MEASURES TO MANAGE THE DEMAND FOR TRAVEL.
  Policy superseded in part by policies within the Core Strategy with effect from 23 July 2008 – both this policy and Core Strategy policies need to be taken into account when proposals are being determined
   
  Residential Development and other proposals outside the Lancaster Central Parking Area
4.4.18 For residential development and other proposals outside the Lancaster Central Parking Area, the City Council will apply the appropriate County Council standards. It will, however, take a flexible attitude to proposals for housing development in or close to Lancaster City Centre. In appropriate circumstances, proposals which are accompanied by reduced levels of parking will be permitted.
4.4.19 The Council will also take a positive approach to the needs of disabled drivers and people who transport disabled people. In these instances, the Council will ensure that parking spaces are the correct size, allow easy access in and out of cars and parking spaces and are located as close as possible to entrances with a level route between.
 
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  POLICY T16
  DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS OTHER THAN PROPOSALS FOR NON-RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE LANCASTER CENTRAL PARKING AREA WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED WHERE PARKING PROVISION SATISFIES THE LANCASHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL CAR PARKING STANDARDS AS SET OUT IN APPENDIX 6
  WHERE DEVELOPMENT IS LIKELY TO INCREASE THE DEMAND FOR TRAVEL, THE COUNCIL WILL NEGOTIATE WITH DEVELOPERS THE CONCLUSION OF A SECTION 106 AGREEMENT WHICH, IN CONFORMITY WITH THE ADVICE OF CIRCULAR 1/97, SECURES THE PAYMENT OF A COMMUTED SUM TOWARDS SECURING ADEQUATE ACCESSIBILITY TO THE SITE BY ALL MODES WITH THE EMPHASIS ON ACHIEVING THE GREATEST DEGREE OF ACCESS BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT, WALKING AND CYCLING.
     
  Monitoring
4.4.20 The policies set out above represent a radical change from existing policies and will take some time to implement fully. During this period, the City Council will monitor the effects of policy changes as they are implemented and review the Local Plan in the light of this information.
   
  On-street Parking
4.4.21 The 400 or so on-street parking spaces in Lancaster City Centre are popular locations for short-stay parking particularly with local drivers. The County Council has recently introduced charging on these streets with payment being made by pre-paid vouchers or pay and display tickets. The City Council, in conjunction with the County Council, will monitor the impact of the scheme and its effect on parking demand on off-street car parks and residential streets.
   
  Parking in Residential Areas
4.4.22 In and around Lancaster City Centre, many residential streets are used by motorists for free all day car parking. Most of these streets are made up of dense terraced housing with little or no off-street parking. Residents can find it difficult to park near their properties during the day and are subject to the dangers of motorists driving round the area looking for somewhere to park.
4.4.23 The City Council has begun to introduce residents parking schemes in these streets and, in conjunction with local residents, will continue to introduce more schemes where appropriate.
  A PROGRAMME OF PARKING MANAGEMENT SCHEMES GIVING PREFERENCE TO LOCAL RESIDENTS WILL BE INTRODUCED IN RESIDENTIAL STREETS IN AND AROUND LANCASTER CITY CENTRE FOLLOWING CONSULTATIONS WITH LOCAL RESIDENTS
   
  Green Travel Plans
4.4.24 A high proportion of peak hour traffic is generated by commuters, many of whom benefit from free or subsidised car parking. Many major employers are either located within or on the edge of Lancaster City Centre or close to the Primary Bus Corridor. The City Council will encourage all existing major employers and educational establishments to prepare green travel plans which set targets for reducing car use.
4.4.25 When considering development proposals which would be likely to generate large numbers of daily journeys, including the significant expansion of existing trip generators, the City Council will require a Green Travel Plan to accompany the planning application. A Green Travel Plan will be required for the following categories of development;
 
  • Retail and Leisure Development of more than 1000 sq. m gross;
  • Employment development of more than 2500 sq. m gross;
  • Hospital and Higher Education Development of more than 2500 sq. m gross;
  • Sports venues with a capacity of more than 1500 spectators;
4.4.26 Green Travel Plans may be required for smaller developments which are likely to generate significant amounts of travel or where there are particular local traffic problems.
4.4.27 The Green Travel Plan should address the number of trips likely to be generated by the proposal and the measures that will be taken to encourage travel by means other than the private car. The level of information required will depend upon the scale of development proposed and, in the case of existing places of employment, the net gain of jobs. Where appropriate, targets should be set for minimising car journeys. Where developers are unwilling to meet reasonable targets for reducing car travel, development will not be permitted.
4.4.28 The nature of a Green Travel Plan will vary according to the nature and scale of the development proposal and its relationship with existing public transport, cycle and pedestrian networks. Issues which Green Travel Plans might address could include measures to encourage employees to use public transport, cycle or walk to work, or to car share.
 
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  POLICY T17
  DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS LIKELY TO GENERATE LARGE NUMBERS OF DAILY JOURNEYS, INCLUDING THE SIGNIFICANT EXPANSION OF EXISTING TRIP GENERATORS MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A GREEN TRAVEL PLAN.
  WHERE THE DEVELOPER IS UNWILLING TO MEET REASONABLE TARGETS FOR MINIMISING THE PROPORTION OF JOURNEYS MADE TO THE SITE BY CAR, DEVELOPMENT WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.
   
4.5 Morecambe
4.5.1 Transport difficulties in Morecambe are less pronounced than in Lancaster. Most day-to-day problems arise from congestion tailing back from the river crossings and Lancaster City Centre. Heavy goods vehicles can now reach the Port of Heysham by using Phase 1 of the Morecambe-Heysham By-pass whilst the new section of Central Drive has improved access to the Central Promenade area. However, as Morecambe attracts more visitors, more cars may travel to the seafront area and queues could become increasingly common at peak times. Until a Heysham-M6 Link Road is completed, most of these vehicles will have to reach Morecambe via the existing road network and river crossings.
4.5.2 It is important that the regeneration of Morecambe is not hampered by poor access and that local residents are not inconvenienced by increasing traffic levels. It is therefore proposed to:
 
  • give greater priority to pedestrians and cyclists along Morecambe Seafront by managing road space, slowing traffic speeds and improving crossing facilities;
  • directly address the parking and servicing needs of businesses located in central Morecambe, particularly hotels and restaurants catering for car and coach borne trade; and
  • provide secure overnight coach parking for both day visits and overnight stops.
  Marine Road
4.5.3 Marine Road is an important part of Morecambe's road network catering for north-south two-way traffic and providing access to the central Promenade. However, its role as the main road between Coastal Road and White Lund has diminished after the opening of Phase 1 of the Lancaster and Morecambe By-pass. Given this, the central stretch of Marine Road between Lord Street and Central Drive could perform a more local function with greater priority being given to pedestrians and cyclists. To achieve this, it is proposed to remodel this stretch of Marine Road by;
 
  • implementing a comprehensive programme of traffic calming measures aimed at increasing pedestrian priority;
  • creating new safe and convenient pedestrian crossing points;
  • reducing the carriageway width and building lay-bys parallel to the landward side of Marine Road for coaches, parking and loading; and
  • on the seaward side of Marine Road, removing on-street parking and creating off-street parking areas.
4.5.4 The proposals will be implemented as a matter of priority and planning applications which fail to make a positive contribution to these improvements will be refused.
 
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  POLICY T18
  BETWEEN LORD STREET AND CENTRAL DRIVE, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL REMODEL MARINE ROAD TO IMPROVE HIGHWAY SAFETY AND FACILITIES FOR PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS.
  DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS BETWEEN THE LANDWARD SIDE OF MARINE ROAD AND THE FORESHORE WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED WHERE THEY MAKE A POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION TO THE COUNCIL'S REMODELLING PROPOSALS.
     
  Victoria Street and Euston Road
4.5.5 Construction of the new market and other attractions in the Central Promenade area have reinforced the need to provide attractive and convenient pedestrian links with the main shopping area around the Arndale Centre. The most obvious route between the two areas is across the car park at the rear of the Victoria Pavilion (Winter Gardens) and along Victoria Street. To encourage people to walk between these areas, the City Council will, in conjunction with local residents and businesses, implement a scheme of traffic calming and environmental improvements along Victoria Street and Euston Road aimed at removing non-essential traffic and improving the pedestrian environment. It will also work with the owner of the Winter Gardens Car Park to improve the appearance of this area and to provide a formal route between Queen Street and the Central Promenade Area.
  THE CITY COUNCIL WILL PREPARE A SCHEME OF TRAFFIC CALMING AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS FOR VICTORIA STREET AND EUSTON ROAD TO ENCOURAGE PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENTS TO AND FROM THE CENTRAL PROMENADE AREA
   
  Parking in Morecambe
4.5.6 Parking plays a very different role in Morecambe than in Lancaster. In Morecambe, the main need is for long-stay car parking to serve visitors to the town. This different emphasis is reflected in the Lancashire Structure Plan which allows for parking to be provided to meet visitor needs in coastal resorts. Whilst it is important to provide alternatives to the car by improving public transport, providing better facilities for pedestrians and cyclists and improving rail links to the town, it is inevitable, in the short term at least, that the bulk of visitors will arrive in Morecambe by car and, to a lesser extent, by coach. An adequate supply of conveniently located, easy-to-find car and coach parking will be a crucial element in sustaining Morecambe's economic recovery. For this reason, existing car parking in the town centre will be protected and additional car parking provided as part of the redevelopment process.
  CAR PARKING IN THE MORECAMBE TOURISM OPPORTUNITY AREA WILL BE MANAGED TO ENCOURAGE SHORT-STAY VISITOR AND SHOPPER CAR PARKING IN THE ARNDALE CENTRE, PEDDER STREET, CENTRAL PROMENADE AREA AND MARINE ROAD CAR PARKS AND DISCOURAGE THE USE OF SUCH PARKING BY COMMUTERS.
   
  Parking Requirements
4.5.7 Morecambe's car parks serve both visitors to the town and the day-to-day needs of residents using the shops and other services in the Town Centre. Whilst there appears to be sufficient car parking to meet the daily needs of residents, there is a shortage of parking to meet visitor demands. This is particularly so at peak visitor times when drivers looking for a parking space cause congestion along Marine Road and in residential streets in the Town Centre and West End.
4.5.8 As Morecambe increases its range of visitor attractions, it will attract more day-trippers who will spend longer in the resort. This will generate additional parking requirements. At the moment, there are around 1800 off-street and 600 on-street parking spaces in the central area (including the Battery Breakwater) which cater principally for visitors. If Morecambe attracted the same number of day visitors as it did in 1987 (900,000 per annum), this would generate a peak day requirement for around 2500 parking spaces which leaves a theoretical shortfall of some 700 spaces.
4.5.9 Although it will be possible to create some new car parking in future phases of development, the potential for major increases is extremely limited. This emphasises the importance of protecting and managing the existing stock of car parking spaces.
4.5.10 The main off-street parking areas serving central Morecambe are located within the Central Promenade area, along Central Drive and at Pedder Street. Some are in private ownership and have, in the past, been the subject of development inquiries. To ensure that Morecambe's regeneration is not undermined by losing valuable parking spaces, proposals to redevelop existing car parks within the Central Promenade area, which are currently available for public use, will not be permitted. As some car parks are not formally marked out or used to their maximum potential, in assessing what constitutes a net loss of parking, the City Council will take into account both the present capacity of the site and the number of vehicles it could accommodate if marked out properly. The Council will also manage its car parks in Morecambe to discourage the use of visitor and shopper car parks by commuters.
 
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  POLICY T19
  WITHIN MORECAMBE TOWN CENTRE, THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE VISITOR/SHOPPER CAR PARKS SHOWN ON THE LOCAL PLAN PROPOSALS MAP WHICH WOULD RESULT IN A NET LOSS OF COACH OR CAR PARKING SPACES, ACTUAL OR POTENTIAL, WILL NOT BE PERMITTED
     
  Coach Parking
4.5.11 There is a continuing need for coach parking in Morecambe. Within the Central Promenade area, coach dropping-off points are available on Central Drive and close to the new railway station. Secure coach parking is also available within the Frontierland Coach Park. These facilities should be sufficient to meet demand for the immediate future.
4.5.12 At the eastern end of Morecambe, there is a concentration of larger hotels which are particularly dependent upon coach trade. Here there is a need for dropping off points alongside Marine Road and for overnight parking reasonably close to the hotels. The previous overnight coach parking facility on the Poulton Market site is no longer available due to the redevelopment of the site. The City Council will therefore investigate options for alternative provision and ensure that proposals to redesign Marine Road in this area make adequate provision for coach dropping off points.
   
  Parking on Morecambe Seafront
4.5.13 The City Council is proposing a wide range of measures aimed at improving the appearance, safety and range of attractions on the central stretch of Morecambe seafront. These include remodelling Marine Road, Phase 5 of the Coastal Protection works and the development of the TERN public art project. These initiatives will radically alter Morecambe's seafront, attract more visitors and residents to this part of town and increase car-parking demands.
4.5.14 Along Marine Road, on-street parking on either side of the carriageway means that there is effectively only one lane of traffic in either direction. This flow is disrupted by constant movements in and out of parking spaces and by motorists driving slowly, looking for a vacant space. As Marine Road will continue to be an important local distributor road, ways of improving pedestrian safety and access to the Seafront should be developed which do not compromise this role.
4.5.15 The extensive engineering works associated with the coastal works and remodelling of Marine Road provide an opportunity to improve car parking provision along the central stretch of the seafront by switching the emphasis from on-street to off-street parking. On the seaward side of the road, this should take the form of purpose-built off-street car parks linked to the main visitor attractions on the Promenade. On the landward side, lay-bys should be created to provide parking and servicing space for the businesses located here.
 
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  POLICY T20
  BETWEEN LORD STREET AND CENTRAL DRIVE, PROPOSALS TO REMODEL MARINE ROAD AND MORECAMBE SEAFRONT WHICH RESULT IN THE LOSS OF ON-STREET PARKING MUST PROVIDE COMPENSATORY OFF-STREET SHORT-STAY VISITOR PARKING AND COACH DROPPING OFF POINTS. PROPOSALS WHICH FAIL TO PROVIDE THESE FACILITIES WILL BE REFUSED.
     
  Parking in Residential Areas
4.5.16 In the Poulton, Central and West End areas of Morecambe, cars parked by visitors and workers can cause road safety problems in many streets and inconvenience to local residents. These areas are likely to see extensive change during the life of the Local Plan as implementation of the Council's regeneration policies proceeds. This level of change will alter the balance between parking needed for residential and business purposes. The City Council intends to monitor the effect of change in the Poulton, Central and West End areas and introduce parking management schemes aimed at giving priority to local residents where necessary. The City Council is aware that there remain a sizeable number of hotels and guesthouses in these areas. It will therefore concentrate on those streets which are predominantly residential in character.
  A PROGRAMME OF PARKING MANAGEMENT SCHEMES GIVING PREFERENCE TO LOCAL RESIDENTS WILL BE INTRODUCED IN RESIDENTIAL STREETS IN THE POULTON, CENTRAL AND WEST END AREAS OF MORECAMBE FOLLOWING CONSULTATIONS WITH LOCAL RESIDENTS
   
  Poulton Market
4.5.17 The relocation of Poulton Market and the subsequent redevelopment of the site for housing and open space will be accompanied by the introduction of residents parking schemes and other traffic management measures in nearby streets. The Poulton area is densely developed. Many houses have been converted to flats or bedsits and the proposed parking and traffic management measures will not provide enough parking to meet all the needs of the area. It is therefore intended to incorporate a neighbourhood parking area in the scheme of redevelopment and to manage the scheme to favour local residents.
 
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  POLICY T21
  PROPOSALS FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE POULTON MARKET SITE SHALL INCORPORATE A NEIGHBOURHOOD PARKING AREA
  Policy Not Saved with effect from 27 September 2007
   
4.6 Carnforth and the Rural Areas
4.6.1 Carnforth lies on a transport corridor which contains the Lancaster Canal, the M6 motorway, the A6 principal road, the West Coast Main Line and railway lines to Barrow in Furness and Leeds. The town therefore has strong and long-standing transport associations. Despite being close to the M6, traffic through Carnforth Town Centre has continued to grow and its roads have become increasingly congested. Narrow roads and footways through the centre of Carnforth contribute to unpleasant and dangerous conditions for pedestrians and cyclists. Much of this traffic takes the form of vehicles travelling between M6 Junction 35 and destinations north and west of Carnforth where there are a number of heavy transport users.
4.6.2 Carnforth's traffic problems are long standing. Despite the best efforts of the local authorities concerned, these are likely to remain throughout the local plan period unless there is significant investment in a northern by-pass to the town. Unfortunately, there is no indication that the funding needed to progress this major scheme is likely to come forward in the near future.
4.6.3 The City Council's strategy is therefore to;
 
  • limit the growth of the town until there is significant investment in transport infrastructure and refuse development proposals which would generate significant levels of additional traffic on the town's road network;
  • continue to encourage the relocation of non-conforming traffic generating uses to more appropriate sites;
  • direct through traffic to existing main routes and deter it from entering residential areas;
  • focus on small-scale initiatives such as more convenient and safer pedestrian crossings;
  • investigate the possibility of removing on-street parking from Market Street; and
  • protect existing facilities at Carnforth Station and car parking associated with it, which serves both the town centre and the rail service;
 
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  POLICY T22
  DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS WHICH WOULD GENERATE SIGNIFICANT LEVELS OF ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC ON CARNFORTH'S MAIN ROAD NETWORK WILL NOT BE PERMITTED
  Policy wholly superseded by policies within the Core Strategy with effect from 23 July 2008
     
  Traffic Management
4.6.4 Carnforth and a number of rural villages experience considerable volumes of through traffic. This problem is particularly bad in villages such as Warton and the Kellets which lie on routes used by quarry traffic, whilst both Galgate and Cowan Bridge have main A roads running through the centre of the villages. In the Lune Valley, villages such as Caton, Hornby, Melling, Tunstall and Burrow also experience significant volumes of through traffic. In Glasson, increasing volumes of HGV traffic to and from the dock area is also causing concern. This traffic also affects Cockerham.
4.6.5 Over the years, the County Council has introduced small-scale traffic management schemes in locations such as Tunstall and Caton and the Department of Transport has introduced traffic calming on the A65 through Cowan Bridge. The City Council will continue to press for similar schemes elsewhere in the rural area where problems are identified. In particular it will continue to look at ways in which the impact of quarry traffic from Middlebarrow Quarry can be reduced.
  THE CITY COUNCIL WILL, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE COUNTY COUNCIL, PROMOTE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT MEASURES IN CARNFORTH AND THE RURAL AREAS IN RESPONSE TO IDENTIFIED PROBLEMS
   
  Car Parking at Visitor Destinations in Rural Areas
4.6.6 At many of the District's popular tourist attractions, car-parking demand can exceed supply. In locations such as Leighton Moss and Silverdale, this frequently results in cars being parked on roadside verges. This can result in erosion and traffic dangers. The City Council considers that, whilst increasing car parking provision may attract more car users, there are instances where environmental and road safety considerations may override these concerns. The Council will therefore look at each case on its merits.
4.6.7 If it can be demonstrated that additional on-site car parking will help to relieve pressure for on-road parking around a visitor attraction, proposals will only be permitted if accompanied by a clear, detailed indication of how parking restrictions can be enforced. In most cases, this will require the submission of a fully worked up management plan. The Council will work with parish councils to resolve local parking problems.
 
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  POLICY T23
  PROPOSALS TO INCREASE ON-SITE VISITOR PARKING IN THE COUNTRYSIDE WILL ONLY BE APPROVED WHERE THE APPLICANT CAN DEMONSTRATE TO THE COUNCIL'S SATISFACTION THAT;
    THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND ROAD SAFETY BENEFITS OF INCREASING ON-SITE PARKING WILL OUTWEIGH THE IMPACT OF ATTRACTING SIGNIFICANT LEVELS OF ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC TO THE SITE;
    PARKING MANAGEMENT MEASURES CAN BE INTRODUCED TO RESOLVE ANY EXISTING PARKING PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE OPERATION OF THE SITE; AND
    EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN TAKEN TO ENCOURAGE TRAVEL BY MEANS OTHER THAN THE PRIVATE CAR; AND
    THE PROPOSAL MAKES SATISFACTORY ARRANGEMENTS FOR ACCESS, SERVICING, CYCLE AND CAR PARKING.
 
4.7 Walking and Cycling
  Diagram 22 - The Strategic Cycle Network
   
4.7.1 In 1991, around 15% of people in the District walked to work. In housing areas close to the District's town centres over a third of people walk to work. In terms of day-to-day movements to and from the centres of Lancaster, Morecambe and Carnforth, walking can be quicker, cheaper and healthier than driving from many surrounding areas.
4.7.2 By comparison in 1991 only 4% of people cycled to work, slightly more than in 1981. This increase is probably as a result of improvements to the cycle network. Cycling and walking are also increasingly important recreational pastimes.
   
  The Cycling Strategy
4.7.3 In a district that contains a densely developed urban area, there is considerable potential to increase the number of people who regularly walk or cycle to work and places of education. Increased emphasis is being placed on improving facilities for pedestrians and cyclists in DoT funding settlements. The current Local Transport Plan for Lancaster District contains a number of such initiatives. The City Council has approved a Cycling Strategy which sets out how the Council intends to encourage more people to cycle and walk. The Cycling Strategy sets ambitious targets for increasing the number of journeys made on foot or by bicycle and defines a Strategic Cycle Network (see Diagram 22).
4.7.4 The Strategic Cycle Network contains the key routes which the Council proposes to develop. New development lying on these routes must link into the network and provide those sections which run through the site. In addition, every opportunity will continue to be taken to improve road conditions generally for cyclists and pedestrians.
 
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  POLICY T24
  THE ROUTES IDENTIFIED ON THE LOCAL PLAN PROPOSALS MAP ARE DESIGNATED AS THE STRATEGIC CYCLE NETWORK. THE CITY COUNCIL WILL WORK WITH LANCASHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL AND OTHER AGENCIES TO DEVELOP THE CYCLE NETWORK AS A MATTER OF PRIORITY.
  DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS WHICH WOULD PREJUDICE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ANY SECTION OF THE CYCLE NETWORK WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED WHERE AN ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATIVE ROUTE HAS BEEN PROVIDED WHICH IS AT LEAST COMPARABLE WITH THAT LOST IN TERMS OF ENVIRONMENT, QUALITY AND CONVENIENCE.
  Policy superseded in part by policies within the Core Strategy with effect from 23 July 2008 – both this policy and Core Strategy policies need to be taken into account when proposals are being determined
     
  Crossing the River Lune
4.7.5 The Lancaster river crossings are the biggest single obstacle to cyclists and pedestrians travelling between Lancaster and Morecambe. Carlisle Bridge can only be used by climbing a difficult flight of steps and is very narrow and exposed. Both Skerton Bridge and Greyhound Bridge are intimidating to negotiate with heavy volumes of traffic and narrow footpaths. Provision of a new bridge to link the existing cycle paths on either side of the river has long been seen as an essential element in the cycle network.
4.7.6 Planning permission has recently been granted for the erection of a new cycle bridge and its construction is being actively pursued through a bid for Millennium funding. Its position is shown on the Local Plan Proposals Map. The Council will refuse permission for development proposals which could either prejudice this proposal or adversely affect access to the Bridge for cyclists or pedestrians.
 
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  POLICY T25
  THE CITY COUNCIL PROPOSES THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW CYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER LUNE IN THE LOCATION SHOWN ON THE LOCAL PLAN PROPOSALS MAP. DEVELOPMENT WHICH WOULD PREJUDICE THIS PROPOSAL WILL NOT BE PERMITTED
  Policy Not Saved with effect from 27 September 2007
     
  Diagram 23 - New River Lune Bridge
 
   
  The National Cycle Network
4.7.7 The north west of England section of the National Cycle Network will run through the District. The National Cycle Network is a visionary project created by the charity Sustrans aimed at creating a 6,000 mile network of cycle routes covering the length and breadth of Britain. The network will provide a linked series of traffic-free paths and traffic-calmed minor roads. Its implementation is being supported by a £43.5m grant from the Millennium Commission. The precise line through Lancaster District has yet to be finalised. The City Council will however assist Sustrans in identifying the most appropriate route and aiding its implementation where possible.
   
  Footpath Improvements
4.7.8 Improving the provision and condition of footpaths is an important way of encouraging people to undertake more journeys on foot. Although the maintenance and improvement of adopted pavements is beyond the scope of this Local Plan, there is scope to improve footpath links between residential areas and workplaces, shops and other services. There is also considerable scope to improve the safety and condition of pedestrian routes to schools. Where needed, the Council will provide new footpath links, resolve problems such as poor lighting and surfacing and surfacing and ensure that routes are free of obstruction.
  FOOTPATH LINKS BETWEEN HOUSING AREAS, SCHOOLS, CENTRES OF EMPLOYMENT AND LOCAL AND DISTRICT SHOPPING CENTRES WILL BE IMPROVED
   
  New Development
4.7.9 There is considerable scope to improve and extend the cycle and footpath network by ensuring that, wherever practical, new housing and commercial developments link into the network. This will be particularly important in the new housing and employment areas proposed in the Local Plan. Here developers will be expected to provide footpaths and cycle ways through the site and direct and safe off-road links with surrounding areas.
4.7.10 Developers will also be expected to provide adequate levels of secure and convenient cycle parking within their proposals. Such provision must meet the County Council's minimum standards and may, where appropriate, be required to exceed these.
 
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  POLICY T26
  WHERE DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS INCLUDE OR LIE CLOSE TO THE STRATEGIC CYCLE NETWORK, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL NEGOTIATE WITH DEVELOPERS LINKS AND IMPROVEMENTS TO THE NETWORK.
  PROPOSALS FOR NON-RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED WHERE CONVENIENT AND SECURE CYCLE PARKING FACILITIES ARE PROVIDED IN LINE WITH THE COUNTY COUNCIL'S STANDARDS.
     
  Development Affecting Public Rights of Way
4.7.11 Wherever possible, existing public rights of way should be maintained and the network extended when the opportunity arises. Wherever possible, developers will be expected to retain rights of way or, exceptionally, provide a diversion which is at least equal to that lost in terms of convenience and condition and is available for use before the existing route is closed. Developers will also be expected to provide links between the existing rights of way network and new housing and community facilities.
4.7.12 Policy T27 (below) is intended to refer to all rights of way except 'carriageway highways' or regular roads used by motor vehicles. These include footpaths, bridle paths, cycle tracks and other non-vehicular routes. Development proposals which impact on pedestrian and cycle rights of way on carriageway highways are considered under policy T1;
 
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  POLICY T27
  DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS THAT WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE ROUTE OR CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EXISTING OR PROPOSED RIGHT OF WAY WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED WHERE A SATISFACTORY DIVERSION CAN BE PROVIDED AND SECURED IN ADVANCE OF DEVELOPMENT.
  WHERE A DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL LIES CLOSE TO, OR INCLUDES, A PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL REQUIRE DEVELOPERS TO PROVIDE SAFE AND CONVENIENT PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLE LINKS TO NEW DWELLINGS AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES.
   
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