Planning guidance

Manual for Streets

www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/manforstreets/

The Manual for Streets (MfS) should be the most influential document on urban design in 50 years. It is intended to bring about a transformation in the way streets are designed in order to give priority to environmental quality and to promote sustainable and truly mixed user communities. It is a replacement for the Government’s old Design Bulletin 32 (DB32) and Places, Streets and Movement, which have now been withdrawn.

MfS focuses on lightly-trafficked residential streets, though its principles may apply to other types of streets such as high streets. It is extremely applicable to the new developments around Cambridge.

We agree very strongly with its approach and with the vast majority of its recommendations.

Cambridgeshire Design Guide

www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/transport/designguide/

Cambridgeshire County Council, supported by Cambridgeshire Horizons and the City and District Councils, has developed a design guide to promote the highest possible standards in all new developments, large and small. Much of the Guide follows the principles of the Manual For Streets.

Again, its approach is sound, though we would urge greater emphasis by developers on on-road routes (rather than pavement cycleways) and the need for high quality cycle parking as outlined above.

Cycling England - design checklists

www.cyclingengland.org.uk/engineering2e.php

These guides, produced by the Government's main cycling body, Cycling England, contain more detailed technical guidance on designing for cycling.

Cycling Infrastructure Design

www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/closed/infrastructuredesign/

This is the follow-up to the widely acclaimed publication 'Cycle-Friendly Infrastructure', but is still in draft.

The draft contains much sensible advice, but many of the examples given are poor and it arguably does not set out a visionary approach that would rival the best of European infrastructure.

At the time of writing (November 2007) we would urge caution in its use.

Cycle parking standards

www.camcycle.org.uk/resources/cycleparking/standards/city.html

Cambridge City Council and other districts have adopted standards under the Local Plan in order to ensure that good levels of high-quality cycle parking are provided at all new developments.

We strongly urge developers to ensure their developments at least meet these standards. In the past, we have unfortunately had to submit objections in the past where this has not been the case.

Guides on cycle parking

www.camcycle.org.uk/resources/cycleparking/guidance/

We have collated a number of guides which explain best-practice installation of cycle parking, accessible via our website.

We intend to publish an 8-page Cambridge-specific cycle parking guide in the near future, giving all the information you need in one place.

Cycling in the Netherlands

www.camcycle.org.uk/jumpto/netherlandscycling

A document produced by the Dutch for an international audience, showing how their way of planning for cycling results in an amazing 30-40%+ of journeys being by bicycle.