A national planning objective to promote sustainable transport has failed to reduce car reliance in new housing developments, research has revealed.
A new report by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and software firm LandTech has uncovered a 'decade of missed opportunities' since the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) stated in 2012 that sustainable transport options should be able to compete with driving.
Researchers found no improvement in access to essential services by walking, cycling, or public transport on housing schemes that were granted planning permission from 2012-21.
They found that from new developments, it took 1.5 times as long to take public transport to key destinations as it did to drive, and twice as long to reach hospitals.
RTPI chief executive Victoria Hills said: ‘To avoid repeating the mistakes of the past decade, the new NPPF must prioritise housing development in areas that reduce car reliance, bridge regional accessibility gaps, and support genuinely sustainable, vibrant communities.’
A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: ‘New homes must serve the needs of their communities and through our proposed NPPF we will create more opportunities for walking, cycling and public transport.
‘Alongside our planning reforms we will work closely with councils, developers and local communities to deliver more sustainable transport links and infrastructure to support new housing.’
