9. Infrastructure and Delivery

9.1 In order to support a sustainable future for the Borough, infrastructure provision is a key element in the delivery of a Local Plan. Infrastructure includes; transport and physical infrastructure (including roads and cycle lanes), social and community facilities (including schools and youth facilities) and green infrastructure (including open and green space). The Council is required to identify the infrastructure needed to support the development proposed over the next 15 years. This is done through the Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP).

9.2 To compile an IDP the Council undertakes ongoing engagement with providers, developers and other key stakeholders to establish the impacts of new development on essential infrastructure within the Borough. The IDP outlines any potential gaps in provision and identifies what new infrastructure is required to mitigate some of the potential effects of the levels of development being proposed. This, together with the polices in the Plan, sets out how the needs of the Borough will be met over the plan period.

ID1: Infrastructure and Delivery

The Council will work with infrastructure providers, developers and other key stakeholders to support the delivery of the infrastructure necessary to enable the development set out in the Local Plan. To achieve this, the delivery of development may need to be phased to reflect the delivery of infrastructure.
The projects required to support the Local Plan strategy are identified within the Borough’s Infrastructure Delivery Plan. The Infrastructure Delivery Plan will be updated to ensure infrastructure information remains up to date and is monitored effectively.
Developers will be expected to engage early with the Council and infrastructure service providers to discuss their requirements.
Developers must demonstrate they have explored existing infrastructure capacity, and how this could be future-proofed, with appropriate providers and demonstrate that they have made sufficient provision. Where appropriate, and where there is an identified shortfall across the Borough, opportunities should be taken to maximise infrastructure provision on suitable sites.
Development proposals, including those allocated in this plan which give rise to a need for infrastructure improvements, will be expected to mitigate their impact, whether individually or cumulatively, and at a rate and scale to meet the needs that arise from that development or a phase of that development. The standards of infrastructure delivery will be expected to comply with other policies set out within this Plan.
Planning permission will be granted subject to the provision of (or appropriate funding towards) the required level of infrastructure to support the development. This will be secured by entering into an appropriate legal agreement and/or the use of Grampian conditions⁶³.
Infrastructure identified within the Infrastructure Delivery Plan or through negotiations on individual planning applications will continue to be delivered either through on-site provision or off-site contributions and secured by s106, s278 or other appropriate agreements and the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) or its successor as well as other identified sources of funding as set out in the Infrastructure Delivery Plan.
Development proposals which rely on the delivery of critical infrastructure projects to support the development, will only be permitted prior to completion of that project or where appropriate, a phase of that project which has been identified as necessary, where the council is content that the infrastructure or phase of that infrastructure will be in place within a reasonable timetable from the date of permission.

Social and community facilities

The Council will resist the loss or change of use of existing facilities unless it can be demonstrated that:
1. the facility is no longer needed for its existing purpose or viable for any other social or community use;
2. the services can be re-provided in a facility of better quality on the same site or in an alternative location that is equally accessible to the community served; and
3. there is no requirement from any other public or voluntary service provider for an alternative community or social facility that could be met through a change of use or redevelopment.

Definitions

9.3 Infrastructure is a broad term and includes but is not limited to:

Transport and physical infrastructure: local and strategic road network, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, rail network and stations, bus services, utilities, telecommunications, flood risk minimisation, wastewater treatment.
Social and community facilities: schools and other education facilities, health and social care facilities, libraries, museums, cultural facilities, emergency services, advice centres, clubs, public houses, societies, places of worship, sport and leisure activities, youth facilities and community centres.
Infrastructure Delivery Plan: identifies the Borough's infrastructure requirements including social, physical and green infrastructure. The IDP sets out what is needed, where it is needed and when it is needed

Reasoned Justification

9.4 The NPPF sets out that to deliver the social, recreational and cultural facilities and services the community needs, planning policies should plan positively for the provision and use of shared space, community facilities and local services to enhance sustainability and guard against the unnecessary loss of valued facilities.

9.5 The provision of suitable, adequate infrastructure is vital to the well-being of the Borough’s population and economy. The Spelthorne Infrastructure Delivery Plan outlines the capacity and quality of existing infrastructure, including planned improvements. Growth within the Borough has often out-paced the provision of necessary infrastructure and there are parts of Spelthorne where existing infrastructure is at or near capacity or of poor quality and in need of improvements.

9.6 There may also be occasions where development proposals will require infrastructure capacity improvements before they can come forward or are reliant on critical infrastructure projects for delivery

9.7 In order to redress this, the infrastructure will be provided in a timely manner to support the new occupants and/or mitigate the impacts of the development. Where it is demonstrated that individually or cumulatively there is anticipated to be a significant impact on the existing community, development will be phased to ensure provision meets demand and needs.

9.8 Maintenance of infrastructure and expansion to meet requirements is generally the responsibility of the relevant infrastructure provider. Most providers operate to statutory requirements and have set timescales for plans.

9.9 The planning system allows the Council to ensure that there is adequate infrastructure in place to support new development. Developers, where required, will have to demonstrate that their proposed developments incorporate adequate wastewater capacity and surface water drainage both on and off site. Where there is an infrastructure capacity constraint, the Council will require the developer to clearly set out the appropriate improvements required to facilitate the development and how this will be delivered. The planning system has mechanisms to secure timely provision such as through the imposition of Grampian-style conditions which relate to restricting development to phases.

9.10 To ensure the scale of development set out in the Local Plan can be delivered, the impacts of the Plan policies and other requirements must be viability tested. As part of this, the Council require that these impacts and related costs are accounted for the in the price for the land (or any agreement in place to acquire the land). In line with paragraph 58 of the NPPF, applicants will be required to justify the need for a viability assessment at the application stage and these should be made publicly available.

9.11 The Council have adopted the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) to contribute towards funding the provision, improvement, replacement, operation or maintenance of infrastructure to support the development of its area. The Council is required to produce an Infrastructure Funding Statement to outline the Council’s spending priorities.

Sustainability Appraisal Indicators

Sustainability

Monitoring Indicators

Indicator	Target	Data Source
Annual CIL receipts	N/A	Annual monitoring
Annual CIL spending	N/A	Annual monitoring
Discharge of S106 obligations	To collect payments and spend as required	Annual monitoring

Key Evidence

The Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010, as amended
Infrastructure Delivery Plan (including Part 2)
CIL Infrastructure Funding Statement
Local Plan Viability Study

ID2: Sustainable Transport for New Developments

Development Proposals

The Council will require development proposals to incorporate opportunities to facilitate sustainable and active modes of travel. This will be achieved by:
1. provision of, or contributions towards, the improvement of public and community transport;
2. provision of vehicle parking standards, as set out in the Council’s latest Parking SPD, and the provision of electric vehicle charging points which are set out in the latest Surrey County Council guidance;
3. provision of secure, accessible and convenient on-site cycle parking as set out
  in the Council’s latest Parking SPD;
4. providing improvements to or contributions towards improving the capacity and security of cycle parking at the Borough’s public transport interchanges;
5. providing funding to deliver the transport projects and highways improvements required to support the spatial strategy as set out in the Infrastructure Delivery Plan (forthcoming);
6. providing a transport assessment and travel plan for all major development proposals, to promote the delivery and use of sustainable transport. The Travel Plan should set out how it will facilitate the use of sustainable and active transport modes, including but not limited to; low emission car clubs, low emission employee shuttle bus schemes supporting public bus schemes or offering discounted season tickets between public transport interchanges and employment areas.
7. Requiring major transport schemes to assess the impacts on health and wellbeing in order to facilitate healthy lifestyles. Where appropriate a Health Impact Assessment will be required.

Borough-wide sustainable transport

The Council will work with stakeholders, including Surrey County Council (as the highways authority), to promote and enable schemes and development proposals which facilitate sustainable and active travel. This will include:
1. provision of new and accessible, safe and attractive sustainable transport networks and routes;
2. provision and improvement of public and community transport;
3. securing improvements to cycle parking at the Borough’s transport
  interchanges;
4. securing funding to deliver the transport projects and highways improvements required to support the spatial strategy as set out in the Infrastructure Delivery Plan.
The Council will use the Spelthorne Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) and any successor documents, as a basis for identifying schemes to secure improvements for sustainable and active travel and future opportunities.

Staines-upon-Thames

Development within Staines will be subject to bespoke parking standards, as set out in the most up-to-date Parking SPD, to take account of the anticipated level of development and provision of sustainable and active travel modes.

Definitions

9.12 Sustainable and active travel is defined as any efficient, safe and accessible means of transport with overall low impact on the environment, including walking and cycling, low and ultra-low emission vehicles, car sharing and public transport.

9.13 Public Transport Interchanges are defined as rail stations and bus stations within the Borough and are shown on the Policies Map.

Reasoned Justification

9.14 The planning process for new developments provides the opportunity to maximise the use of sustainable and active travel modes such as walking, cycling and the increased use of public and community transport. This also provides an opportunity to ensure that people with disabilities can access all modes of transport. This is consistent with the NPPF. Due to the relatively small nature of the Borough, cycling has the potential to replace short car journeys. By providing safe and accessible routes this will encourage the increased use of cycles to facilitate this modal shift.

9.15 The Council will work with stakeholders and Surrey County Council as part of the forthcoming Infrastructure Delivery Plan, which will set out the key infrastructure required to support the delivery of the Local Plan, including sustainable transport and highway schemes. Growth over the Plan period will give rise to increased traffic volumes and it is therefore required that this be mitigated as far as possible. The policy sets out the measures by which the Council will seek to militate against the impacts and will require new developments to adopt the relevant standards to achieve this.

9.16 With respect to parking, the policy takes account of the NPPF in paragraph 108. The Council’s standards are set out in the latest Parking Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). This allows for the setting of maximum parking standards where there is a clear and compelling justification that they are necessary for optimising the density of development in town centres that are well served by public transport. The policy does not preclude developers from bringing forward proposals for new development that is car-free.

9.17 All major developments require the submission of a Transport Assessment and Travel Plan. These documents set out the potential transport impacts of the proposals, how these will be addressed and how sustainable travel will be delivered in the long term. There may be occasions where smaller developments have lower impacts and therefore a Transport Statement may be necessary unless it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Council that the changes are minor. Such assessments will be subject to liaison between the Council and the highway authority or authorities.

Sustainability Appraisal Indicators

Sustainability

Monitoring Indicators

Indicator	Target	Data Source
Walking, cycling. bus and rail modal share for travel to work of Spelthorne residents	Increase in modal share over time	Census – every 10 years Local surveys
Peak time traffic flows on local road networks	Decrease over the plan period	Annual average daily flow

Key Evidence

Spelthorne Borough Council Local Plan Strategic Highway Assessment Report (Surrey County Council, 2019)
Strategic Highways Assessment Report (Surrey County Council, 2022)
Spelthorne Local List of Information Requirements (2015)
Vehicular and Cycle Parking Guidance (Surrey CC, 2018)

⁶³ i.e., prohibiting development authorised by the planning permission or other aspects linked to the planning permission (e.g. occupation of premises) until a specified action has been taken (such as the provision of supporting infrastructure). Such conditions should not be used where there are no prospects at all of the action in question being performed within the time-limit imposed by the permission.

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