POLICY LL11: Active Travel
The Neighbourhood Plan identifies the existing Active Travel Network and opportunities for improvements, as shown on the Policies Map for the purpose of prioritising walking, wheeling and cycling in Leighton Linslade and encouraging the use of public transport.
- Development proposals on land that lies within or adjacent to the Network should avoid harm, should sustain and where practicable enhance the connectivity of the Network by virtue of their layout, means of access and landscape treatment, including the creation of safe and suitable links to the existing footways, footpaths and walking routes.
- The Leighton Linslade Green Wheel identifies opportunities where public realm improvements are required to improve highway safety. Development which lies within or adjacent to areas identified within the Green Wheel must avoid measures which would adversely affect the ability to implement these proposals.
- The Active Travel Network identifies opportunities where public realm improvements are required to enhance the walking, wheeling and cycling environment, improve residential amenity, improve connectivity between community and recreational facilities, schools and the railway station, improve highway safety and create new links into the town centre across the Grand Union Canal and the River Ouzel. Proposals which deliver opportunities for such improvements will be supported, where proposals also accord with the other policies of the Development Plan.
- New developments should encourage the provision of conveniently located bus shelters, with seating and step-free access at boarding points. All major residential developments must incorporate or fund measures that improve local bus services, including but not limited to, route extensions, frequency enhancements, flexible bus services (Demand Responsive Transport) or community transport services, in support of the Central Bedfordshire Bus Service Improvement Plan (2024 or subsequent edition), and safe, accessible walking routes around the development providing opportunities for rest and enabling access to the bus network.
This policy seeks to encourage safe, accessible and convenient means of walking, wheeling and cycling through the Town and improve access to and frequency of bus services accessing the Town Centre and from the surrounding residential area.
The Policies Map shows the full extent of the existing active travel network, which allows applicants to determine if their proposals should take this policy into account. Where proposals include provision for landscaping, new means of access or new layouts, there may be an opportunity to relate the land better to the Network and/or improve the attractiveness of rural routes. At the very least, the policy requires that proposals that will undermine the existing value of the Network will be refused permission.
The opportunities for upgrading existing active travel routes to improve accessibility and other opportunity measures have been identified through early informal community engagement, from the recently published Leighton Linslade Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (2023) and from work undertaken by Buzz Cycles to identify opportunities to improve permeability across the east of the town, as well as routes identified from the Wider Town Centre Spatial Masterplan, including an east/west bridge over the Grand Union Canal, to connect Linslade to Leighton Buzzard Town Centre
Policy Map
To see the full Leighton-Linslade Neighbourhood Plan Policy Map, or to find instructions about how to use our interactive maps, please visit our Policy Map page.
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