Management of the travel plan
Travel plan co-ordinator
An individual must be identified who would act as a travel plan co-ordinator for the development. A travel plan co-ordinator has a critical role in ensuring the travel plan is implemented, managed, monitored and reviewed over time.
The responsibilities of the travel plan co-ordinator include:
- Overseeing the implementation and active promotion of the travel plan at the site.
- Monitoring the effectiveness of the travel plan by arranging for the collection and analysis of relevant data.
- Serving as the main point of contact for staff, residents and visitors regarding their transport needs.
- Liaising with third parties (i.e. public transport operators, the council, adjacent sites) on travel plan issues.
- Acting as the liaison between the development and the planning and highway authorities.
Full contact details of the travel plan co-ordinator should be provided in the travel plan. If a travel plan co-ordinator hasn’t been appointed at the time of submitting a travel plan, then this role should be filled by the developer or the developer’s representative for the planning application.
A commitment should be given to update the travel plan co-ordinator’s contact details when any changes occur. It will be expected that the travel plan co-ordinator will be in post to cover the full monitoring period, including a period prior to the monitoring period to develop and deliver initial measures.
For Framework Travel Plans
- One site-wide travel plan co-ordinator should be appointed by the developer/landowner to cover all occupiers, and to manage site wide measures and monitoring. The mechanism by which this individual would liaise with the individual units making up the development site should also be identified within the travel plan.
- Unit travel plan co-ordinators are then recommended to implement the travel plan within individual occupiers, or separate residential phases (if brought forward by different developers).
The travel plan should clearly set out what responsibilities (targets, measures, monitoring) will remain with the site-wide travel plan co-ordinator, and which will rest with unit travel plan co-ordinators. As a general rule, the presence of unit travel plan co-ordinators should not dilute site-wide commitments.
The travel plan co-ordinator position may be full or part time, depending on the scale of development. They will not necessarily be a new appointment but rather the nomination of someone who will be implementing the travel plan. The appointment of a travel plan co-ordinator does not detract from the developer/landowner’s responsibility to implement and maintain the travel plan as per the planning application decision notice.
Senior management support
The travel plan should include a description of the managerial hierarchy for the travel plan co-ordinator, including internal reporting structures. This is particularly relevant as senior management support is essential for the effectiveness of the travel plan.
Financial resources
The travel plan should include a commitment that the budgetary requirements of its implementation are secure. This will ensure that all travel plans have considered arrangements for the implementation, coordination and day-to-day management of measures prior to development occupation.
