South West Regional Committee
Transport in the South West
Executive Summary
· The South West region's investment priorities need to achieve a step-change in transport provision to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development and to provide a transport infrastructure which delivers integrated benefits for the natural environment, social equity and well-being. · Natural · Natural · The South West region must aim to reduce traffic, not just reduce the growth of traffic, and must contribute towards the Government's CO2 emissions target. The region needs to deliver the objectives set out in the South West Climate Change Action Plan[2], undertake regional activity to support regional and local multi-modal carbon reduction and management and develop a 'meaningful, accurate and consistent method of measuring current and future emissions through transport'. · Though there are proposals in the current Regional Funding Allocation (RFA2) process which do attempt to deliver more sustainable travel modes, overall the proposals will negatively impact on the region's high quality natural environment. The region's environment has been identified as a key economic driver[3], and transport infrastructure proposals need to ensure that the region's quality natural environment is protected and enhanced. · Despite the commitment to a sustainable future set out in the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS)[4], in particular the sustainable development policies SD 1 - 4, the Regional Transport Strategy (RTS) chapter fails to deliver a strong vision and a framework which ensures that there is a step change in regional transport priorities to deliver new and innovative schemes.
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1. Introduction 1.1 Natural
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1.3 If the current demand for increased transport infrastructure translates into a new round of major infrastructure expansion, it will pose a significant threat to the protection and enhancement of our landscape and biodiversity. The most serious of these threats stems from transport's contribution to CO2 emissions and the impacts of climate change on the natural environment. 1.4 Natural
1.5 Our comments in this submission concentrate on recommendations for moving the region towards this step-change in transport provision.
2. Is the transport provision in the South West adequate to meet the demands placed upon the region?
2.1 The Government's objective is 'a modern transport system that works for everyone and is truly sustainable, by continuing to provide the benefits and minimise the negative impacts'. Delivering a Sustainable Transport System (DaSTS) gives five goals for national transport policy and the investment framework, including reducing transport's emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, improving quality of life for transport users and non-transport users, and promoting a healthy natural environment.
2.2 Natural England does not believe that the current transport provision in the South West is adequate to met the five goals set out by Government in DaSTS, nor that current investment priorities will adequately tackle the issues facing the region and provide it with a transport network which helps deliver a sustainable future, contributes to carbon generation and brings benefits to the natural environment.
2.3 Natural England supports the analysis of the Sustainability Appraisal of the Regional Transport Strategy (RTS) chapter of the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) that, given the scale of proposed development within the region along with the aim of reducing the impact of transport on the environment, then the South West must aim to reduce traffic - not just the rate of traffic growth. We also support the recommendation that there should be less emphasis on improving connectivity and more emphasis on reducing travel if the region is to achieve the sustainable objectives it has set out in Policies SD1 to SD4 of the RSS. The region will require a 'step-change' in transport provision to develop a system that will deliver a sustainable future for the south west.
2.4 The
growth areas provide both a challenge and an opportunity to the region. Spatial planning, transport and economic
planning must be integrated to bring about a change in transport habits,
encouraging public transport use and low car dependency. The new settlement of
Vauban in
2.5 The South West Climate Change Action Plan (SWCCAP) Technical Appendix provides evidence of transport's contribution to CO2 emissions and looks at predicted levels of emissions depending on the impact of various policy decisions. It summarises from a report from the University of Exeter[5] and states ' The report ...acknowledges that energy use per capita for transport is higher in the South West than the national average and that predicted population growth in the South West presents a huge challenge, that without other action, will cause an increase in transport energy demand of about 10.5%'.
3. What are the priorities for improvement?
3.1 Natural England supports the analysis of the Sustainability Appraisal of the RSS, that 'a radically new approach to transport based on significant intervention that reduces the amount of travel in the first place, and then for travel that is needed heavily favours walking, cycling and public transport over the car'.
3.2 We also support the Sustainability Appraisal's recommendation that to ensure consistency with sustainability requirements an explicit transport hierarchy should be applied of i) avoiding the need for travel ii) non-motorised modes and public transport and iii) car as the last resort. It states that housing growth should be conditional on successful prior implementation of demand management and travel reduction measures.
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4. How should these priorities be reflected in the upcoming Regional Transport Strategy?
4.1 It is essential that the Regional Transport Strategy (RTS) provides a vision for the region's transport infrastructure which will deliver the four sustainable development objectives set out in the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS).
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· The RTS is not ambitious enough in tackling the growth of traffic in the region, or in linking rural areas to the major regional growth centres. We recommend that the RTS includes more ambitious policies designed to tackle increasing road traffic growth and congestion. · Substantial growth is planned for the region. The RTS fails to identify the extent of transport infrastructure requirements needed to accommodate these developments at the regional level. Nor does the Strategy identify ways in which the local and cumulative effects of increased traffic on existing roads from extensive housing development will be dealt with by Local Authorities. We recommend that policies in the RTS seek to ensure that new infrastructure development and upgrades to existing assets minimise impacts on the natural and historic environment and contribute to improving quality of life. · The RTS does not consider the ways in which its constituent policy framework will relate to the region's climate change obligations and aims. It does not give any indication of the scale of changes to current transport patterns in the region necessary to contribute to carbon reduction targets. We therefore recommend that there should be a careful assessment of transport infrastructure requirements for new developments with regards to reducing carbon emissions. · The Strategy should clearly demonstrate the integration of public and private transport modes and hubs to promote more sustainable patterns of travel. This is not evidenced in the RTS.
4.4 The
first objective of the RTS refers to 'maintaining
and improving the reliability and resilience of links' from the region's Strategically
Significant Cities and Towns (SSCTs) to other regions, international markets
and connectivity within the region. The Appraisal believes this objective is in
conflict with the fourth objective on reducing the negative impacts of
transport on the environment including climate change. Natural
4.5 The RTS also needs to assist in the delivery of the South West Climate Change Action Plan. Chapter 7 of the plan sets out two objectives - developing the evidence base for monitoring and evaluating sustainable, low carbon transport and travel, and undertaking regional activity to support regional and local multi-modal carbon reduction and demand management. As the RTS is the regional framework for local authorities and Local Transport Plans, it needs to contain the necessary framework for local policies.
5. What are the costs of these improvements and can the region afford them?
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6. Are the current arrangements for prioritising, approving and funding infrastructure projects effective and appropriate?
6.1 The short answer is 'no' as there has been a failure to adopt a comprehensive and integrated design approach - which takes as its starting point principles for achieving sustainable development and reducing carbon emissions. What we need to achieve is an integrated design approach which works to achieve both socio-economic and environmental benefits, and which actively contributes to the development of sustainable communities.
6.2 Many of the issues around current arrangements are national, rather than regional or local issues. Though there would appear to be a straightforward system for identifying and funding infrastructure projects - with a hierarchy of national, regional and local policy and funding procedures, in practice the system is complicated by a number of issues. These include the different time scales of strategies, changes to Government policies and systems, different mechanisms for funding for different modes of travel, mixes of public/ private systems, the parallel processes of transport and spatial planning systems and new funding streams.
6.3 Natural England's experience of recent consultations in the region, both at regional and local level, has raised concerns over the integration of environmental benefits into transport proposals. There are issues with time scales and with consultation processes being restricted in both scope and depth of issues. Early dialogue and consultation is vital if sustainable benefits are to be delivered through transport schemes.
6.4 The different funding streams for different modes of travel do not encourage a coherent outcome. The skills needed to negotiate the complicated processes for developing large public transport networks and connectivity with road and rail are not present in all local authorities. Nor are the skills to develop the modal changes in transport use to cycling and walking always present.
6.5 The
current arrangements have led to schemes which, though lower in the regional priority
assessment for the regional funding allocation process, have been taken forward
earlier than higher priority schemes because of deliverability. Unfortunately it is usually road-based
schemes, often those with a long history, which are being delivered. This is an unfortunate result of the
complexity of prioritising, approving and the funding of transport schemes in
7. Is the region doing enough to promote environmentally friendly transport?
7.1 A major change in the way transport is delivered in the region will be required to deliver a sustainable transport network - one that is resilient to climate change, contributes to the Government's CO2 emissions target and does not damage the high quality natural environment of the region.
7.2 An impact of current transport use is the continuing degradation of the south west's high quality environment. Tranquillity mapping[8] shows the changes in the region over the last several years, with decreasing tranquillity being linked to transport networks. There is also evidence from the Appropriate Assessment of the RSS that the current transport strategy will impact on European sites, especially through the impact of decreasing air quality.
7.3 There has been growing awareness in the region of the need to develop strategic policies to tackle climate change and deliver environment benefits. Within the current RTS there are policies and statements which we support, including the fourth objective on reducing the negative impacts of transport on the environment. The dropping of the second strategic route in the Secretary of State's modifications as a regional ambition is encouraging.
7.4 The recent Regional Funding Allocation Advice (RFA2) provides an accurate analysis of the particular challenges facing the region, including the recession, demographic change and climate change, which it seeks to address through its investment priorities. We support the RFA2's aspiration of achieving 'growth within environmental limits'. Further analysis will be needed to clarify what this means for the region and Natural England recognises the important role it has in working with regional bodies in developing the necessary evidence and analysis.
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· RTS policies must deliver the RSS climate change and environment policies.
· Only projects that deliver against the RSS Sustainable Development policies and the Government's five goals in DaSTS should be included in the regional funding allocation process.
· A hierarchy of schemes as recommended in the Sustainable Appraisal.
· All growth areas to have sustainable transport at the core of their design and delivery, providing services and facilities in such a way as to decrease the need for a car.
· A strategy, with funding mechanism, to increase the skill base in the region necessary for the delivery of a sustainable transport network.
· Early dialogue with Natural England and other environmental bodies to ensure that from inception the transport strategy and schemes are designed to achieve environmental outcomes and benefits.
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16 July 2009 [1] Delivering a Sustainable Transport System: Main Report Department for Transport (November 2008) [2] South West Climate Change Action Plan for the South West 2008 - 2010 [3] Regional Economic Strategy for South West England 2006 - 2015 South West Regional Development Agency [4]The Draft Revised Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West incorporating the Secretary of State's Proposed Changes (July 2008) [5] An Assessment of Energy Used by Transport in the South West to 2020
[6] Department of Transport Press Release May 2009 [7] Draft guidance to regions on delivering a sustainable transport system Department for Transport (Nov 2008) [8] Saving Tranquil Places; South |