ANNEX 2
RESUME OF LOCAL FUTURES STUDY COMMISSIONED
BY FTEA "THE IMPACT OF THE CHANNEL TUNNEL RAIL ON THE REGIONAL
ECONOMIES `NORTH OF LONDON'"
In June 1998 the Local Futures Group undertook
a study on behalf of the Fast Tracks to Europe Alliance to look
at the regional impact of CTRL. A full version of the report is
available by request from Steve Hoier at the FTEA secretariat.
However it was felt that a brief resume of the report along with
the memorandum for the Committee should be submitted.
The two page Executive Summary is also attached
as an appendix. The study is focused on the win win opportunity
offered by CTRL with regard to Economic Competitiveness, Social
Cohesion and Environmental sustainability. All these issues are
high on the Government's agenda.
ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS
"Good quality transport links are of
significant importance to the Scottish economy, due to its geographic
position."
Ms M McLaughlin, Scottish Enterprise Transport
Division.
"Peripherality and the reduction in
economic integration with the EU poses a substantial long term
threat to the sustainability of the region" Local Futures.
The North East Transport and Distribution Competitiveness
Study (1998) and other research indicates that;
— Peripherality is a barrier to competitive
advantage owing to the distance cost penalty.
— Firms in Scotland perceive that their
transport costs are appreciably higher, owing to congestion—related
problems in output delivery.
— Distance related transport problems
can include time penalties.
Improvements to accessibility via the Channel
Tunnel will lead to increased competition from the rest of the
EU as well as better access to European markets to firms located
in the northern regions of the UK.
SOCIAL COHESION
Currently according to Local Futures.
The UK economy remains one of the most highly
divided economies of Europe in terms of the regional spatial balance
of growth and wealth.
GDP per capita in the most of the UK
outside London is significantly lower than the EU average, furthermore
the latest EC reports indicated that the peripheral or less favoured
regions of the EU have not caught up with the more advanced regions
despite support from the Structural funds.
One of the aims of the Integrated Transport
Strategy is to bring about a more inclusive society. According
CTRL will have three kinds of social impact.
— Having an address on the European
High Rail Network will strengthen regional identities and boost
the image and confidence of people and business. This will have
a positive impact on regional growth and indirectly.
— Social cohesion, measured by local
inequalities in living standards, will be improved through the
CTRL's positive impacts on economic sustainability and labour
market exclusion.
— The quality of life for people living
in the regions north of London will improve in terms of amenity
value—by improving accessibility to Europe for leisure and
networking with friends and family.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
The last few decades have seen a fundamental
shift of freight and passengers from rail to road networks not
only in the UK but also in other EU countries.
As part of the Maastricht Treaty's strategy
to build Trans European Transport Networks, the European Commission
sees the High Speed Train as a cornerstone of a sustainable European
Transport system. It will use only a third of the land required
to meet the same capacity, reduce acid emissions and will cut
the forecast increases in CO2 emissions by 2010 from
30 per cent to 26 per cent. It will also help to contain at 27
per cent instead of 32 per cent the expected rise in transport
energy consumption by 2010.
Without a significant shift from road to rail
it is extremely unlikely that the Government national air quality
strategy will be successfully implemented.
"The emphasis on road transport is environmentally
undesirable and economically damaging"
Mr G Speight, Chairman of Highways and Transportation,
Kirkless Council.
The Integrated Transport Policy (ITP) is being
developed in order for public transport to offer an effective
alternative to cars. The doubling of rail use would achieve an
estimated 15.8 per cent reduction in peak traffic flows and a
4.4 per cent reduction in off peak flows. The existing rail capacity
does not allow this—the CTRL would create this necessary
capacity and release considerable latent benefits. The greatest
influence on the overall volume of freight transported via through
train rail services, will be the Governments policy towards the
transfer of long distance freight from road to rail.
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