Promoting sustainable transport

The Council will require developers to ensure that their proposals meet with all the requisite standards of the Ayrshire Roads Alliance and align with the Regional and Local Transport Strategies.  Developments which do not meet these standards will not be considered acceptable and will not receive Council support.

All new development will require to fully embrace active travel by incorporating new, and providing links to existing footpaths, cycle routes and public transport routes. Developments which maximise the extent to which travel demands are met first through walking, then cycling, then public transport and finally through the use of private cars will be particularly supported.

Where considered appropriate, developers will be requested to enter into Section 75 Obligations with the Council with regard to making financial contributions towards the provision of transportation infrastructure improvements and/or public transport services which may be required as a result of their development.

The Council will not support new significant travel generating uses at locations which would increase reliance on the car and where:

(i) Direct links to local facilities via walking and cycling networks are not available or cannot be made available;

(ii) Access to local facilities via public transport networks would involve walking more than 400m; or

(iii) The Transport Assessment does not identify satisfactory ways of meeting sustainable transport requirements

(iv) The potential impact on the performance or safety of the trunk road network and the measures required to mitigate any impact arising from development have not been identified.

Where a proposed new development or change of use is likely to generate a significant increase in trip numbers, a Transport Assessment will be required.

In certain circumstances, developers may also be required to produce Travel Plans which set out proposals for the delivery of more sustainable transport patterns.

Developers may be asked to meet the costs of monitoring any Travel Plans and Transport Assessments during the construction period of the site and for an agreed period following the completion of the development.

The Council will, wherever it is feasible and cost effective, strongly encourage the transportation of freight by rail rather than by road. In cases where this is not possible or feasible, the Council will, where appropriate, encourage and support the development of ‘off road’ haulage routes designed to avoid the transportation of bulk freight through the area settlements. 

The Council will, through its Core Path Plan, and in association with relevant bodies, landowners and tenants, seek to develop a comprehensive local footpath and cycle route network for access and recreational use for local residents. Priority will be given to the development and promotion of new circular routes and footpath links between settlements, especially where these utilise existing disused railway lines, forestry access roads, minor country roads etc.

The Council will promote and be particularly supportive of the development of a long distance route from Darvel to Muirkirk which forms part of National Development 8 within National Planning Framework 3.

Development of new routes for core paths, footpaths, bridleways or cycle paths should demonstrate to the Council that they will not have an adverse effect on the integrity of a Natura 2000 site.

The Council will not be supportive of development which disrupts or adversely impacts on any existing or potential core path, right of way, bridle path, or footpath used by the general public for recreational or other purposes, particularly where the route concerned forms, or has the potential to form, part of the network of circular routes or footpath links between settlements, actively promoted by the Council.

Where such disruption or adverse impact is demonstrated to be unavoidable, the Council will require developers, as an integral part of the proposed development, to provide for the appropriate diversion of the route in question elsewhere within the development site or to put into place appropriate measures to mitigate and overcome the adverse impact expected.