A School Travel Plan may be needed as a condition of the planning application approval. The Government has stipulated that all building improvements which could potentially have an impact on the highway require a travel plan as a result of Policy and Planning Guidance Note 13 (PPG 13).
If you already have a School Travel Plan, it will need to be revised and updated to take into account the works planned - it is a living document. It sets out a number of objectives to assist in facilitating the reduction of congestion at your school and initiatives to increase the use of alternatives modes of travel to single car journeys. The document should outline current travel modes by children and staff and define targets for increasing cycling, walking, public transport use and car share. It also needs to be monitored for progress on an annual basis.
School Travel Plan Costs
| School Type | Planning Application | Costs incurred as a result of planning |
|---|---|---|
| All Schools | Self Funded | A one off charge of £2500 for the production of a School Travel Plan by the Road Safety Education Team |
| If you produce a Travel Plan without assistance, no charge will be incurred | ||
| If you already have a School Travel Plan, this will need to be updated to cover the planning application. No charge will be incurred | ||
| Monitoring charges of £800 per annum for five years | ||
| Nursery/Primary | JSPD Funded | No charge for the production of a School Travel Plan |
| No charge for monitoring over a five year period | ||
| Middle/Secondary | JSPD Funded | No charge for the production of a School Travel Plan |
| Monitoring charges of £800 per annum for five years |
School Travel Plan Benefits
A joint initiative between the DfE and the DfT has made capital grants available to schools with approved School Travel Plans. This money should be spent on improving travel facilities on the school site.
- Primary schools receive £3750 + £5 per pupil
- Secondary and Middle schools receive £5000 + £5 per pupil
- Voluntary Aided schools are eligible for 90% of the grant
You must spend this grant on capital improvements within the school grounds, such as cycle storage, lockers, waiting shelters for parents, footpaths and new pedestrian accesses. The grants are a one off payment and are available until March 2008 to all maintained schools with an approved Travel Plan. Your Plan must be submitted to, and approved by, the School Travel Team by 31st March in order to qualify for grant payment in July of the same year. The grants are claimed through the Devolved Formula Capital procedure. In two years, grants totalling £723,717 have been awarded to 127 Staffordshire schools.
Who to contact
For further information on School Travel Plans, contact:
The School Travel Team on 01785 854036 / 276513