A travel plan is a long-term management strategy for integrating proposals for sustainable travel into the planning process. They are based on evidence of the anticipated transport impacts of development and set measures to promote and encourage sustainable travel (such as promoting walking and cycling). The travel plan outlines the steps needed to achieve the agreed objectives, targets, and goals. Travel plans should where possible, be considered in parallel to development proposals and readily integrated into the design and occupation of the new site rather than retrofitted after occupation.

We have adopted a tiered monitoring framework for travel plans secured as part of the planning process. The tiered charges reflect the additional set-up, monitoring, and succession work required from small-scale major (BCP1) developments right up to the largest developments (BCP4).

Travel plan monitoring fees for 2026 to 2027 (from 1 April 2026) are:

• BCP1: £5,150
• BCP2: £7,075
• BCP3: £7,560
• BCP4: £10,095

The fees reflect the amount of officer time required to evaluate the initial plan, assess the monitoring data and participate in review and agreement to any amended plan in the future.

The following will apply to travel plans secured through the planning process:

• data required for monitoring must be set out and agreed as part of the travel plan
• all monitoring data must be supplied by the developer at their expense
• plans will be subject to annual monitoring and review for at least the first 5 years
• monitoring requirements beyond 5 years will be agreed as part of the plan and will normally be required with major developments
• reviews beyond 5 years will normally be less frequent – the years requiring monitoring will be set out in the plan
• for some major developments it may be appropriate to agree a 10 year time period for monitoring and this will be agreed as part of the plan

The fee structure includes an incentive for the developers to provide the data to the agreed timescales, and penalties in subsequent years for failing to do so.

It also includes an incentive in the event that the targets are being met. In this case the monitoring fee will be reduced. This will also apply if developers initiate amendments to the plan to assist with the delivery of targets that are not being achieved.

The thresholds at which travel plans are required are defined in the table below.

Band thresholds	BCP1	BCP2	BCP3	BCP4
Domestic units (number of dwellings)	50	200	400	600+
Class C1 hotel (number of beds)	75	100	150	200
Class E commercial, business and service	2,000m2	4,000m2	6,000m2	8,000m2
Class F1 learning and non-residential institutions	1,000m2	2,000m2	3,000m2	4,000m2
Class F2 local community uses	1,000m2	2,000m2	3,000m2	4,000m2
Class B2 general industrial	400m2	800m2	1,200m2	1,600m2
Class B8 distribution/wholesaling	4,000m2	8,000m2	12.000m2	16,000m2
Stadia (number of seats)	1,500	3,000	4,500	6,000
Other	Case by case basis

For travel plan queries, email activetravel@bcpcouncil.gov.uk.