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Sustainable development takes centre stage as Highways Agency meets with planners
HIGHWAY AGENCY SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH BRITISH LAND PLC
Enabling Sustainable Development was the focus on Friday (24 October) as the Highways Agency met with 120 key stakeholders from the development and planning sector to discuss how everyone can work together to improve the planning and development process.
The Highways Agency hosted its second annual Stakeholder Development Forum at the Manchester Central Conference and Exhibition Centre.
This year's theme of Enabling Sustainable Development focused on how the Highways Agency can help stakeholders bring together sustainable development and transport planning.
Derek Turner, Highways Agency Network Operations Director, said:
"The efficient movement of people and goods on the strategic road network has a key part to play in supporting the economy. The Highways Agency is committed to working in partnership with regional and local bodies to deliver sustainable strategies and proposals for new developments.
"The main objective of the conference is for all those represented to understand how the whole planning and development process can be improved.
"The Highways Agency has a variety of systems and data that can help developers produce robust traffic forecasts and travel plans, and early engagement with the Highways Agency can avoid complications with planning applications later in the process."
The event was attended by representatives from developers, planning authorities, consultants and other government departments.
Recently a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Highways Agency and the British Land Company PLC, one of the UK's major landowners and developers.
The MoU, which is believed to be the first of its kind, aims to build on new guidelines and forge closer working relationships between the Agency and British Land Company PLC. It is also hoped that it will encourage other developers to work more closely with the Highways Agency.
Miles Price, Director at British Land, said:
"British Land and the Highways Agency share an objective to promote good development and regeneration which contributes to Government policy objectives to deliver economic growth, promote social inclusion and support environmental goals. A key element of this objective is to promote efficient and effective sustainable transport in the design of new development and to encourage sustainable travel patterns amongst its occupiers."
Partnership working of this kind enjoyed success in the West Midlands recently, where early engagement by British Land with the Highways Agency aided delivery of proposed expansions and developments near Blythe Valley Business Park, near Junction 4 of the M42. A Travel Plan was created for employees and employers based on the business park, which preserved the integrity of the junction while meeting the aspirations of both the developer and local community.
The Highways Agency was involved throughout the development to ensure that planning obligations were honoured and a Travel Plan Coordinator was appointed to provide advice to people at Blythe Valley on issues such as car-sharing, travel management, season ticket sales and taxi contracts.
Ends
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The Highways Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Transport. We manage, maintain and improve England's motorways and major A roads on behalf of the Secretary of State.
2. Further details on the Highways Agency and the Planning System can be found at http://www.highways.gov.uk/business/15032.aspx
3. Real -time traffic information for England's motorways and major A roads is now available:
* From our new Traffic Radio service, available on DAB digital radio and the internet at http://www.trafficradio.org.uk To tune into the DAB service, simply press the "scan" button on your radio. The radio will tune into all available channels and you can select the new service by scrolling through the channels until you reach "Traffic Radio".
* On the internet at http://www.highways.gov.uk/trafficinfo
* By phone from the Highways Agency 24-hour voice activated phone service on 08700 660 115. (Calls from BT landlines to 0870 numbers will cost no more than 8p per minute; mobile calls usually cost more). Before using a mobile, find a safe place to park. Never stop on the hard shoulder of a motorway except in an emergency. Make sure it's safe and legal before you call.
4. For more general information about the Highways Agency and its work, visit the Highways Agency website http://www.highways.gov.uk, or telephone the Highways Agency Information Line on 08457 50 40 30 at any time. (Calls to 0845 numbers cost no more than 3p/min from BT residential landlines. Call charges from other landlines and mobile networks may vary)
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Issued by the Highways Agency Press Office. For further information, call 0207 081 7443 or email pressoffice@highways.gsi.gov.uk
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