Chapter 5: General conclusions

Basis for an integrated policy

470

At the present time there seems to be a developing conflict between certain short term traffic measures and long term planning objectives. We suggest these might be overcome to some extent if these traffic measures were regarded as somewhat in the nature of ‘development’ as defined in the Town and Country Planning Act. It is an anomaly of the present planning system that a person who, say, finds that a petrol station or office block is likely to be built to the detriment of his enjoyment of his property, will in all probability get some chance to have his objection heard; but a person living in a quiet road can find it turned into a traffic route overnight by the mere erection of a signpost by the highway authority, and has no chance to register his views. If, however, traffic measures were regarded as development then they would have to be incorporated in the development plan and they would then be worked in with all the other proposals.

471

We are concerned here, of course, with those traffic measures which can have an appreciable effect on environment, not with relatively minor matters such as pedestrian crossings. We have not had the opportunity to explore all the intricacies and repercussions of this idea, but we see no reason, in principle, why a planning authority should not be able to think out ahead the various measures necessary over a period of years for the handling of traffic, and delineate them on a map which would be part of the statutory development plan. Once again the mere effort of preparing such a map would enforce the integration of traffic planning with land use planning, and would, we suggest, provide the basis for a smooth, continuous and fully integrated policy, without the discordances that are apparent at present.