07/04/2026
Transport planning and designActive travel (walking and cycling) has moved from a planning aspiration to a material requirement for new developments across England. Active Travel England now holds statutory consultee status on major planning applications, Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans are shaping what local authorities expect, and developers who do not engage with these requirements early are increasingly finding them difficult and costly to address later.
This guide explains the policy landscape, what it means for residential and commercial developments, and how to approach compliance effectively.
Why active travel has become a planning priority
Active travel is no longer a box-ticking exercise in the planning process. It is a substantive requirement that affects the design, layout, and infrastructure of new developments – and one that is being scrutinised more rigorously than at any previous point.
For developers, that scrutiny is coming from multiple directions simultaneously: from local planning authorities with adopted active travel policies, from Active Travel England as a statutory consultee on major applications, and from planning inspectors who are increasingly willing to refuse or condition schemes that fail to demonstrate adequate provision. Treating active travel as an afterthought is a reliable route to delay, additional cost, and in some cases refusal.
For local authorities, the challenge is different but equally pressing: how to translate national active travel policy into local planning requirements that are consistent, defensible, and deliverable by developers working across a range of site types and constraints.
What is active travel and why does it matter for planning?
Active travel refers to journeys made on foot or by bicycle. The term encompasses walking, cycling, wheeling, and the infrastructure that supports each of these: footpaths, cycleways, crossings, cycle storage, and the design of streets and public spaces.
The concept has risen up the planning agenda for several reasons:
- Reducing car dependency is central to the UK's net zero commitments, as transport remains the largest single source of domestic carbon emissions, and shifting short journeys from car to active modes is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce that figure.
- Physical inactivity is a major contributor to preventable illness, and the design of the built environment has a direct bearing on how much people walk and cycle in their daily lives.
The National Planning Policy Framework reflects these priorities. It requires planning policies and decisions to support development that makes the fullest possible use of sustainable transport modes, and to give priority to pedestrian and cycle movements in the layout and design of new development.
Transport planning is no longer primarily about managing car movements; it is about designing places where active travel is the natural and convenient choice for a wide range of everyday journeys.
What is Active Travel England and what is its role in planning?
Active Travel England (ATE) is an executive agency of the Department for Transport, established in 2022 with a remit to increase the quantity and quality of walking and cycling across England. Its most significant role for developers and local authorities is its status as a statutory consultee on planning applications.
ATE holds statutory consultee status for major planning applications in England, which means that local planning authorities are required to consult them on qualifying applications, and that ATE's response carries material weight in the determination of those applications.
Active Travel England assesses applications against a set of criteria focused on the quality and connectivity of active travel provision. Its assessments are graded, and a poor grade can be a significant obstacle to planning approval.
In practical terms, this means that active travel provision can no longer be addressed superficially in a transport assessment. ATE will scrutinise the detail of what is proposed, including:
- Quality of cycle and pedestrian routes
- Connectivity to the surrounding network
- Cycle parking and end-of-trip facilities
- The overall ambition of the scheme in relation to active travel
Developers who engage with these requirements early, and design active travel provision into their schemes from the outset, are in a considerably stronger position than those who attempt to address ATE's concerns after a poor initial assessment.
What is an LCWIP and how does it affect planning applications?
A Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) is a strategic document produced by a local authority that sets out its long-term vision and priorities for cycling and walking infrastructure across its area. LCWIPs identify the routes and connections that matter most, the improvements needed to deliver them, and the standards to which new infrastructure should be built.
LCWIPs have become an increasingly important part of the planning framework. Where a local authority has an adopted LCWIP, it provides the basis against which active travel provision in new developments will be assessed. A development that connects to and extends the routes identified in the LCWIP is in a much stronger position than one that does not engage with it.
What active travel infrastructure do new developments need to provide?
The specific active travel infrastructure required will depend on the scale, type, and location of the development, but the following elements are relevant to most major applications:
Pedestrian and cycle connectivity
New developments must demonstrate clear, direct, and safe connections between the site and the surrounding walking and cycling network. Severance (creating a development that is difficult to reach on foot or by bike) is a significant weakness in any planning application.
Secure cycle parking
Both residential and commercial developments are expected to provide cycle parking to defined standards. For residential development, this typically means secure, covered, and conveniently located storage for each dwelling. For commercial development, the requirement relates to the anticipated number of employees and visitors.
End-of-trip facilities
For employment-generating development, such as offices, industrial, and retail, planning conditions increasingly require shower, changing, and locker facilities to support employees who cycle to work. The absence of these facilities is a deterrent to cycling that Active Travel England and local planning authorities will identify.
Travel plans
Most major developments are required to submit a travel plan as a condition of planning permission. A travel plan sets out how the development will encourage sustainable travel and typically includes targets, monitoring arrangements, and a named travel plan coordinator.
Off-site contributions
Where on-site provision alone is insufficient to deliver the connectivity required, developers may be required to contribute financially to off-site cycling and walking infrastructure through Section 106 agreements or Community Infrastructure Levy. Cycle lane design and delivery may form part of the developer's obligations.
How should developers approach active travel compliance?
The most consistent lesson from planning applications where active travel has caused difficulty is that problems are almost always easier to solve early than late. The following approach gives developments the best prospect of a smooth passage through the planning process.
- Engage early with the local authority and Active Travel England – Pre-application discussions allow active travel requirements to be understood and addressed before the application is submitted.
- Review the LCWIP before design begins – Understanding how the site relates to the local authority's active travel priorities at the earliest design stage allows connectivity and infrastructure to be designed in rather than retrofitted.
- Design active travel into the scheme from the outset – A scheme that has been designed around car movement and then had cycling provision added is rarely as convincing as one where active travel has been considered from day one.
- Prepare a transport assessment and travel plan that address active travel – Get an assessment that demonstrates, with specific evidence, how the scheme will support walking and cycling as genuine alternatives to the car.
Speak to our transport planning team about your active travel plans
Our transport planning and design team works with developers, landowners, and local authorities across England on active travel strategy, transport assessments, travel plans, and planning applications. We provide the specialist transport input that major planning applications require, from early-stage feasibility through to post-consent delivery.
Ready to discuss your needs with our experts: Get in touch by calling 0800 051 2593, emailing [email protected], or completing the form below.
