Transport Statement or Transport Assessment? How to tell.

The difference matters. A full Transport Assessment can cost several times more than a Statement and take weeks longer. Here is how councils decide which you need.

What national policy says

NPPF policy TR6 says development likely to generate significant amounts of movement should be supported by a Transport Statement or Transport Assessment, proportionate to its scale, and by a Travel Plan. It does not set thresholds. National guidance leaves that to councils.

The three levels

• Technical note. A few pages on access, visibility, parking and servicing. Often all a small scheme needs.
• Transport Statement. Adds the trips the scheme will generate and how people will walk, cycle or use the bus. It usually stops short of detailed junction modelling.
• Transport Assessment. Adds the traffic effect on nearby junctions, modelling where needed, road safety, mitigation and usually a Travel Plan.

The thresholds people still use

The Department for Transport’s 2007 Guidance on Transport Assessment set indicative thresholds. It was withdrawn in 2014, but many highway authorities still use its figures as a starting point:

• Homes: 50 to 80 dwellings for a Statement, more than 80 for an Assessment
• Offices and business: 1,500 to 2,500 m² for a Statement, more than 2,500 m² for an Assessment
• Food retail: 250 to 800 m² for a Statement, more than 800 m² for an Assessment
• General industry: 2,500 to 4,000 m² for a Statement, more than 4,000 m² for an Assessment
• Storage and distribution: 3,000 to 5,000 m² for a Statement, more than 5,000 m² for an Assessment

Some councils publish their own figures, which can be lower. Always check the local requirement.

What can push a scheme up a level

• A busy or sensitive junction nearby
• Poor walking, cycling or bus access
• A local collision record
• An Air Quality Management Area
• Other committed development on the same roads

How to get it right first time

1. Ask at pre-application, and get the answer in writing.
2. Send a short scoping note setting out what you propose to cover.
3. Only buy the surveys the agreed scope actually needs.

General information, not advice on a specific site. Policy and guidance correct as of October 2026.