Access to public transport (PTAL)

TfL has adopted the PTAL (Public Transport Access Level) measure to indicate the access to public transport for a given site. A given location is assessed in terms of the walking time to access public transport (eg train stations, bus stops etc), the number of different services that are available, and the average wait time for each service.  From this analysis a PTAL can be provided.

The PTAL will be a number from 0 to 6. A PTAL of 0 indicates very poor access to public transport and a PTAL of 6 indicates excellent access to public transport.

A town centre such as Croydon or Purley will have large areas with a PTAL of 5 or 6. For reference, the area around Kenley Station has a PTAL of 2. As the walking distance from the station increases the PTAL reduces to 1 and there are large parts of Kenley with a PTAL of 0.

    

The WEBCAT website is available if you want to find the PTAL value for a given site. The user can enter a postcode or navigate a map to display any location within the Greater London Area. A colour-coded map indicating the PTAL code for that area is provided. WEBCAT also shows PTAL values of 1a, 1b and 6a and 6b. The letters are simply a higher resolution of the PTAL value with a ‘b’ having slightly better access to public transport than an ‘a’.

PTAL and parking provision in new developments

Where the PTAL is good, a lower level of parking provision may be accepted, or mandated by the local council. It is not uncommon for local councils to insist on zero parking spaces in very high PTAL areas. Councils exert their influence by refusing planning permission for any proposal that is not compliant with its parking policy.

High PTAL areas often have parking restrictions and resident on-street parking may be controlled via a parking permit scheme. In high PTAL areas, to further discourage car ownership, the council will often make on-street parking permits unavailable to the occupiers of new developments.

Where the PTAL indicates poor access to public transport the expectation is that new developments will follow the “maximum” parking space guidelines provided previously.  

Parking considerations for new developments

Cont..

Disclaimer

The information and opinions within this site are for information purposes only. They are not intended to constitute legal or other professional advice, and should not be relied on or treated as a substitute for specific advice relevant to particular circumstances. Local Planning Apps shall accept no responsibility for any errors, omissions or misleading statements on this site or for any loss which may arise from reliance on information contained within this site. No mention of any products, shall imply any approval or warranty as to the standing and capability of any such products on the part of Local Planning Apps or its clients.

© Copyright Geoff James 2016

.  

Copyright © 2016 All rights reserved. Created by Geoff James | Terms of use  |  Privacy& Data Protection policy

Planning reports for the area you care about - at your fingertips!!

Local Planning Apps >>Knowledge<<