Planning for the future

The RHA recently responded to the Department for Transport’s call for evidence aimed at supporting the ‘Levelling Up’ agenda and planning system reform for the freight and logistics industry. 

We appreciate the government’s ambition to improve the planning system by enhancing infrastructure, environmental outcomes, and local influence, all of which can greatly benefit our sector.

It is essential to stress the need for a robust planning system that ensures the seamless movement of goods, which is vital for both our society and the economy. We firmly believe that all supporting infrastructure should be considered nationally significant. We advocate for clear guidance from the government to facilitate the unimpeded flow of goods and prioritise the elimination of inefficiencies that hinder productivity in the UK. By achieving these goals, we can create favourable conditions for a thriving logistics industry, enabling the cost-effective and efficient delivery of goods to consumers.

One significant concern we raised in our response is the fragmented approach to planning across the UK. Currently, local authorities make decisions independently, often prioritising local interests over national objectives. To address this issue, we urge the government to provide greater national direction and support for the provision of critical infrastructure.

Our response also highlighted that local transport plans often overlook the needs of road freight, wrongly assuming it as a given. This lack of analysis means that informed decisions on how local authorities can enhance their economies by facilitating the movement of goods are missing. Additionally, we noticed that most local plans tend to focus on last-mile logistics, consolidation centres, and modal shift, lacking variation and potentially overlooking valuable freight development opportunities.

We are disheartened by the reactive and restrictive approach that some local transport plans take toward road freight needs. Measures such as “restricting HGV movements” do not inspire confidence that these local authorities fully understand the logistics industry and its positive impact on local economies. We firmly believe that this mindset must change.

In response to the Department for Transport’s call for evidence, we provided several recommendations:

• We advocate for a more positive narrative on the benefits of road freight to the UK economy. We believe that the RHA should play a key role in this effort. Currently, road freight is not a strategic priority, and we suggest a rebalancing of focus from other intermodal options to better align with environmental and social goals.
• We emphasised the importance of aligning the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) with the Government’s strategic priorities, particularly in boosting productivity, job creation, and living standards. Supply chain resilience should be at the heart of this approach, with local authorities required to demonstrate coherent plans that span across local boundaries.
• Recognising the significance of infrastructure for low and zero-emission commercial vehicles in achieving the UK’s Net Zero goals, we recommend that all future Strategic Road Network (SRN) projects include charging points for low-carbon vehicles. We also propose providing incentives for local authorities to designate sites in local plans for these charging stations.

While we understand that these changes may take time to implement, we stress the importance of our role as a key industry stakeholder in responding to government consultations. This allows us to ensure that our voice is heard and that we actively shape the future of freight and logistics planning.

For more information, please visit: www. https://www.rha.uk.net/