Access to transport suffers as only half of new homes are built near to a train station

Only half of the new homes being built in England’s fastest growing cities are sited within 2km of a train station. That is according to a recently published report.

The Royal Town Planning Institute’s (RTPI) study looks at the locations for new homes in cities such as Leeds, Newcastle and Brighton and puts the case for the Government’s new planning framework to focus on housing that offers good access to public transport.

The report, the result of a consultation launched earlier this year, found that 51 per cent of permissions for new housing between 2015 and 2017 were more than 2km away from a train station. This represented a two per cent fall on the period between 2012 and 2015.

The Royal Town Planning Institute is calling for the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to be amended to address the issue. It suggests that the changes are made to ensure that the framework continues to support the development of new housing, while taking into account the effects of pollution from traffic congestion on individual health.

Commenting on the report’s findings, Victoria Hills, the chief executive officer of RTPI, said: “The National Planning Policy Framework gives us the opportunity to ensure that planners have a sound policy framework which encourages transport orientated development. The funding and delivery of infrastructure should be targeted to maximise potential for sustainable development close to train stations and public transport hubs.

“Our research on where housing development is actually being permitted shows that current policies do not go far enough to underpin the need to deliver housing in the most sustainable places. We call on Government to tighten up this aspect of the NPPF”.