Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will promote the provision of seating facilities in public places to encourage walking.

It is for local authorities to determine what works best for their own areas, but we welcome public realm improvements that help encourage more people to make walking the natural choice for shorter journeys. Through the Manual for Streets, the Department for Transport (DfT) provides guidance to assist those in the planning, construction and improvement of our streets to deliver functional, attractive public spaces. This includes using street furniture, such as seating, to help create a sense of place, making the street a destination in its own right.

The principles that the Manual for Streets sets out are expanded for urban areas in Manual for Streets 2, published by the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation and endorsed by DfT.