The Maidstone Borough Local Plan Review sets out policies and plans to guide local development until 2038 and will support a modal shift towards more sustainable transport options
09/03/2024 LONDON, UK TSX, NYSE:STN
Stantec, a global leader in sustainable engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting, has supported Maidstone Borough Council in developing one of the first local plans in the country that takes a ‘Vision and Validate’-based approach to transport planning. The Maidstone Borough Local Plan Review was adopted on 20 March 2024 and sets out policies to guide future development and planning applications until 2038.
Stantec has been working with Maidstone Borough Council, providing plan-making and technical transport advisory services, for more than four years. As part of the council’s local plan review, Stantec was asked to support the council with developing and integrating ‘Vision and Validate’ policies to reduce car dependency and carbon emissions while improving long-term community wellbeing.
‘Vision and Validate’, also referred to as ‘Decide and Provide’, is an approach to transport planning that guides developers towards prioritising walking, wheeling, and public transport mobility options rather than the use of single occupancy vehicles. The approach leads to more sustainable, community-focused, low-carbon developments and follows the Department for Transport’s and National Highways’ most recent guidance for local authorities when creating low car dependency development.
The Plan, supported by Stantec, is likely the first of many local plans incorporating this methodology and signals a shift away from the traditional ‘Predict and Provide’ approach. This conventional method relies on forecasting traffic levels and planning highway capacity based on previous patterns. This has become outdated as people’s travel priorities shift towards more sustainable modes.
‘Vision and Validate’, on the other hand, sets the outcomes communities want to achieve (“the vision”). Progress is then monitored throughout the delivery of the development (“validate”) of sustainable transport solutions to ensure the vision is realised. Modifications to sustainable transport strategies are made when necessary.
Following the local plan’s adoption, scheme promoters within the Borough will now be required to adopt ‘Vision and Validate’ principles within their planning applications.
“Embracing change and moving away from the status quo is incredibly important when planning for a low-carbon future,” said Andy Preston, Stantec’s director of Local Authorities. “We’re proud to see ‘Vision and Validate’ principles embedded in this local plan which will help reduce unnecessary infrastructure from being built, reduce car dependency, and support active travel and wellbeing in the borough.
“By scaling up this approach on projects across the country, we can work with local authorities to help deliver better, more sustainable outcomes for their communities, whilst delivering much needed housing, employment growth, and resilience in the United Kingdom”.
Stantec has recently released its Bridging the Gap report which suggests there needs to be a systemic shift in the way people travel if the UK is to achieve its net zero mobility targets. It concludes that relying on a switch to electric vehicles alone will not be enough to meet transport decarbonisation targets and that people and place need to play a much bigger role.
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