Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consideration is given within national transport assessment guidance to cumulative and cross boundary impacts in rural areas, including rat running, school run congestion, and early network stress occurring prior to full occupation of approved developments.

The Department for Transport’s Transport Analysis Guidance provides a technical framework for assessing network‑wide transport impacts, including cumulative and cross‑boundary effects. Through its requirements on scenario testing, forecasting and appraisal of social impacts, Transport Analysis Guidance enables local authorities and developers to identify issues such as rat‑running, congestion at sensitive locations including villages and schools, and early network stress occurring before full occupation or mitigation is in place.

Alongside this, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government’s Planning Practice Guidance on transport assessments makes clear that cumulative impacts from committed development should be taken into account where these affect the same parts of the transport network. MHCLG are currently updating this guidance and this will be published in due course.