Reduce the need for business travel through planning, and give smaller firms access to local telepresence centres, TPS tells DfT

In its response to the DfT consultation on reducing business travel, TPS has supported a continuing role for demand management policies in the new planning regime that is emerging from central Government.  In particular it points to the need for such policies to be included in plans from the Local Enterprise Partnerships, and in any new Enterprise Zones.

To read our full response please click here.

Overall the response calls for Government action in four key areas and this is summarised below.

1. DfT needs to monitor home working, and pilot innovative schemes for remote working, starting in transport.  Good practice examples of the latter need to be created and then publicised.
2. The Treasury needs to work with the grain by raising aviation taxes and providing tax incentives for telepresence equipment to be purchased by companies.  This could be linked publicly to make the point.
3. DfT should work with BIS to create pilot schemes to make such equipment available in centres where smaller firms cannot justify the expense individually.  This could include a one off competition for the best (and most widely compatible) App – mobile phone providers have already started to experiment with them.  DfT and Government generally could also take a lead in doing so for their own staff.
4. DfT and CLG need to act together ensure that low density, car park dominated developments are not the counterproductive result of “relaxing” controls generally and specifically in the creation of Enterprise Zones (EZs).  The latter must set stringent targets for sustainable travel and ensure their achievement by low levels of permitted parking.  This must be included in Local Development Orders whether they are used for EZs or in other circumstances.