Emerging Transport Strategy September 2011
Prepared by Hampshire County Council September 2011
Contents Page Foreword
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Executive Summary
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Chapter 1 – Introduction
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Chapter 2 – Vision and Objectives
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Chapter 3 – Context
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Chapter 4 – Challenges and Policy
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Chapter 5 – Transport Proposals
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Chapter 6 – What we will deliver
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Chapter 7 – Partnership Working and Engagement
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Chapter 8 – Strategy Delivery
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Chapter 9 – Monitoring and Reporting
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Chapter 10 – Future Direction
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Chapter 11 – Conclusion
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Foreword The recent announcement by the Ministry of Defence that defence technical training will be relocated to RAF Lyneham brings much needed certainty to the Whitehill Bordon project, meaning that from 2014-15 the significant Army land at Whitehill Bordon will be brought forward for re-development. This presents Whitehill Bordon with a once in a lifetime opportunity to create real regeneration of the town, providing a stimulus for significant economic growth of the area, and offering an opportunity to secure the jobs, services, facilities and town centre that Whitehill Bordon needs. Whilst this is an exciting opportunity, the departure of the Ministry of Defence also presents a significant challenge for the future of the town, both economically and socially. Certainly in the early stages there will be a local decline of employment opportunities and this will be a significant worry for a number of families living within the area. Work is ongoing to manage this in way that will lessen the impact of the MoD withdrawal, planning for the longer term economic growth of the town. Transport will play a key role in delivering sustainable economic growth, by providing easy access for business to the labour and trade markets, by reducing congestion and improving journey time reliability, and by promoting accessibility for all. A high-quality transport system is essential to support the town’s expansion, and to the future success and economic viability of the town. To ensure that the right investment in infrastructure and services is brought forward, the County Council and its partners are working hard to develop a Transport Strategy to guide the development of the town over the next 25 years. Integral to the strategy is to reduce the need to travel, particularly over longer distances, and to re-focus the transport system, giving priority to non-car based transport. This emerging Transport Strategy understands that the car will continue to play an important role in connecting future populations and providing for their transport needs. The strategy promotes innovative and forward-thinking strategies to maximise connectivity and reduce dependence on private cars and the negative impacts of transport, particularly pollution and congestion. This is a long-term project and its success will rely upon the continued commitment to the project at all levels of government. Transport will have a key role in securing the long term viability of the area, but this will depend on it being integrated with land use and economic planning and transport being properly resourced at a scale appropriate to the size of the challenge.
Cllr Melville Kendal Executive Member for Environment and Transport Hampshire County Council
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Executive Summary This Emerging Transport Strategy sets out a framework for the future Whitehill Bordon transport system that will provide for the needs of the future resident population, and will enhance the viability of the town. It aims to support population growth and reduce the negative aspects of existing car-dominated travel patterns. The Emerging Transport Strategy demonstrates how existing transport trends have informed and influenced future proposals, and also shows that if the targets set out are achieved the transport demands of the new greatly expanded town can be accommodated on the wider network without significant adverse impact. In order to achieve an exemplary development, continued partnership working with stakeholders and government is required. Significant improvements to the existing transport systems will be essential if we are to Reduce the Need to Travel, Manage Car Demand and Enable Sustainable Travel. To achieve this a number of strategies and improvements are required; Integrated Land Use and Transport Planning – co-locating facilities with population Provision of a Transport Hub – iconic centre for town transport, providing transport interchange and travel information Innovative Street Design – employment of the latest design guidance to ensure streets are multi-functioning ‘places’ which allow for safe and easy access for all modes Creation of a high-quality public transport system – Three-level public transport system will offer a real alternative to the car for Town, Local and Sub-regional travel, using the latest technology in vehicles and communication systems Investigate the potential for direct rail connection to the town Re- design of the existing A325 alignment to promote a shared space that is accessible to all and provides a quality ‘Place’ for the new town centre. Construction of an ‘Inner Relief Road’ - reducing through-traffic in the town centre Construction of an interconnecting network of streets within the town Improved walking and cycling facilities - creation of a ‘Green Grid’ of town-wide walking and cycling routes, and interconnecting sub-regional links to local destinations Establishment of Cycle Hire and Car Share schemes, and a Car Club – to offer alternatives to the car, and private car ownership Improvements to the highway network – targeted improvement of the local highway network which maximise the use of existing assets and which manage traffic and travel Implementation of a Traffic Management Strategy – a strategy to reduce the impact of traffic on local villages and communities Smarter Choices – intensive implementation of Smarter Choices including Personalised Journey Planning, Information Systems, Travel Plans and incentives Creation of a Parking Strategy – innovative approach to manage car parking in support of other policy objectives Creation of a Freight Strategy – to influence and manage necessary freight movement Whitehill Bordon offers an opportunity to implement a high-quality integrated and modern transport system. It can enable growth without significant adverse environmental and community impact, provided it is adequately resourced by a combination of developer and national Government funding, as well as support from local authorities. 3
Chapter 1 – Introduction The proposed redevelopment and regeneration of Whitehill Bordon to mitigate the withdrawal of the army will provide some 4,000 new dwellings, along with associated town centre, retail facilities and significant employment development. It will need to be carefully planned to ensure that development is brought forward in a sustainable manner, and the necessary infrastructure, facilities and services are provided to support the Whitehill Bordon Opportunity. Key to ensuring necessary sustainable economic growth and regeneration in the town is the provision of suitable, attractive and necessary improvements to the transport network, along with the development of a strategy that will seek to reduce car dependency and maximise opportunities for sustainable travel where possible. Whitehill Bordon was designated as one of the former Government’s four Eco-towns, which has brought interest and initial funding to the town, which has allowed a number of early demonstration projects to be delivered. This funding has also enabled a significant number of transport studies to be carried out to ensure that future decisions are based on sound evidence. This document sets out an Emerging Transport Strategy that is designed to accommodate the transport implications of the future growth at Whitehill Bordon, and provides a framework for delivery of future transportation improvements in the town. The Emerging Transport Strategy considers multi-modal movement within, through and to/from Whitehill Bordon in order to manage and reduce any negative transport impacts of the regeneration of Whitehill Bordon on local communities and the environment. The Emerging Transport Strategy brings together the findings of a number of completed transport studies, and provides direction and a policy approach to the future development and implementation of the Transport Strategy in Whitehill Bordon. The diagram below shows how the current and future planned study and strategy work informs the Emerging Transport Strategy. Emerging Transport Strategy
Public Transport Strategy
Grip 3 Rail Study
AMEY TA & Model
Sub-Regional Bus Strategy
Grip 2 Rail Study
Traffic Management Strategy
Rail PreFeasibility Study
Junction Mitigation Options Report
Alan Baxter Transport Strategy
Travel Plan
Parking Strategy
Smarter Choices Strategy
Park and Ride Study
Walking and Cycling Strategy
Freight Strategy
WSP Transport Assessment
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The first version of the Emerging Transport Strategy was produced in March 2010. Since then significant work has been undertaken to inform the Emerging Transport Strategy, notably the development of a Transport Evidence Base (including a Transport Model and Transport Assessment), the development of a Framework Travel Plan and a Transport Strategy to support the Draft Framework Masterplan. In late 2010 East Hampshire District Council adopted the Draft Framework Masterplan for Whitehill Bordon, providing clear guidance on the future development of the town and a policy framework for the regeneration. Additionally, in July 2011 the Ministry of Defence announced that they will be leaving the Bordon Garrison from 2014-15, bringing increased certainty to the redevelopment of Whitehill Bordon. Due to the significant work now completed, and following key decisions on the land availability and Framework Masterplan, the Emerging Transport Strategy has been updated to provide a clear and current statement on Transport Strategy for the Whitehill Bordon Project. This Emerging Transport Strategy updates and replaces the March 2010 document and is also provided to inform and support the East Hampshire Core Strategy submission, which is proposing policies for the strategic allocation of Whitehill Bordon for major development. The document will remain as a draft and emerging Transport Strategy until the conclusion of the further related studies and until after the consideration of the revised Masterplan, planned for early 2012. Over time, the Transport Strategy will provide a flexible and ‘live’ document, for revision and re-consultation at stages throughout the town’s growth. This emerging Transport Strategy has also been formulated following close partnership working with local authorities and stakeholders, and draws on a range of influences including those developed through a number of transport workshop events and through the Specialist Group for Infrastructure, Education and Transport as part of the Whitehill Bordon Project. Set out below are further studies and work now planned and under way that will help to develop and refine the Emerging Transport Strategy. Following completion of this continuing work, a finalised Transport Strategy will be produced to support a future planning application for major re-development of the town.
Rail Feasibility Study (‘GRIP1 3’) – DCLG-backed study to build on completed ‘GRIP 2’ Rail Feasibility Study and the HCC Pre-feasibility. Walking and Cycling Strategy – to refine route options and progress feasibility design of the Green Grid and local walking and cycling connections Parking Strategy – To develop a strategy for both residential and non-residential parking Freight Strategy – To develop a strategy to manage freight movements Traffic Management Strategy – To develop a strategy to manage and mitigate inappropriate car travel on local roads and through local communities Public Transport Strategy – To provide additional detail on future service operations, phasing and delivery
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‘GRIP’ refers to the Department for Transport’s appraisal guidelines - Governance for Railway Investment Projects
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Chapter 2 – Vision and Objectives To support the significant growth planned in the town over the next 25 years, significant improvements will be required to support and improve the town’s transport systems. The Transport Vision for Whitehill Bordon is to “Achieve sustainable growth in the long term by delivering an integrated low carbon transport system that will be at the forefront of innovative thinking, providing high-quality, affordable and deliverable alternatives to the private car, managing transport demand and maximising the use of existing assets to become an example for modern day sustainable living” The Vision will be realised through close partnership working with stakeholders and partners, to;
Support sustainable economic regeneration and town growth Improve the environment by reducing congestion and the associated pollution Enable sustainable movement by developing high quality public transport, walking and cycling alternatives to the private car Balance the need for people to travel with the importance of protecting the environment Reduce journey length and the need to travel outside of the town Manage car demand within, through and outside of the town maximising the use of existing assets Promote clean vehicle technologies to reduce carbon emissions
The following chapters outline the existing challenge of the Whitehill Bordon Opportunity Project proposals, and provide a clear and co-ordinated strategy for delivering a transport system that future residents will be proud of.
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Chapter 3 – Context Historic town development Whitehill and Bordon is a settlement of some 14,000 inhabitants, developed around the existing army garrison, which originated in the early twentieth century. The development of the former railway network also coincided with this growth and in the early 1900s railway links were constructed to link the town to Bentley and Longmoor, connecting with the London South East railway. Whitehill and Bordon developed along the A325 in the form of Edwardian ‘Ribbon’ developments, leading to two separate places along the main road with no sense of centre. During the second half of the twentieth century there was relatively little development of the town, other than the barracks. The railway lines closed in the 1960s as a result of the Beeching cuts. Whitehill and Bordon today The current town has a population of 14,000 people and 6,000 homes. Lower-income earners and first-time buyers are attracted to the town due to the relatively low house prices and cost of living. There is a large military presence, with over 1,600 jobs associated with the barracks. The town is accessed principally via the A325, which connects the A3 with the A31 via Farnham. The A325 at Bordon carries approximately 16,000 vehicles per day, with approximately 40% of this classified as through traffic. These flows are forecast to reduce by 8% following the opening of the A3 Hindhead Tunnel in August 2011. The existing town creates over 60,000 trips per day. The main mode of travel to work is the car, with car driver trips accounting for 74% of trips. Only 4% of trips are made by public transport, although 15% of people walk to work. Other modes of travel account for the remainder of trips. The town currently offers limited facilities in terms of employment (outside the garrison) retail and community provision, and suffers from a poor public perception. There is also limited public transport provision, reflected in the high rate of out-commuting and dispersal of trips, low levels of public transport usage and heavy reliance on the private car. The Draft Framework Masterplan proposes development of up to 4,000 homes on public sector land that has become available as a result of the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) plans to vacate Bordon Garrison. The population will significantly increase to approximately 25,000 residents, making it comfortably the largest settlement in East Hampshire. The plans include proposals for a new town centre closer to the High Street, significant new employment, improved community facilities and new education facilities. Whitehill and Bordon currently has no direct railway service and public transport provision is limited. There are currently two bus routes serving destinations north to Alton, Farnham and Aldershot and south towards Liphook and Haslemere. These routes operate on a half hourly and hourly frequency respectively.
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Chapter 4 – Challenges and Policy Whitehill Bordon aims to be an ‘exemplar’ town in reducing the use and reliance on the private car and encouraging sustainable travel patterns. Development at Whitehill Bordon will aim to achieve a significant reduction in dependency on the private car: aiming to achieve a maximum of 50% all trips within the town being undertaken by private car by 2036. In the longer term, the Whitehill Bordon project will seek to achieve even higher standards of sustainable travel through the continued role out of an integrated package of transport measures
Achieving this target will require a significant change in travel behaviour for the existing population of the town and for those moving into the area. Currently 74% of the population travel to work by car, with only 2% doing so by bus, which is reflective of the relatively poor public transport provision currently available. A high proportion of existing trips are internal to the town, with 51% of trips being contained within the town. This is in large part due to the military presence in town and the way in which the military operate.
Analysis of existing travel patterns (see below) have shown that when people do travel outside of the town, trips are primarily spread between a number of destinations including the Blackwater Valley to the north, Portsmouth and south Hampshire to the south and Alton, Basingstoke and Petersfield more locally.
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Aspirations for major development at Whitehill Bordon was originally set out within the ‘South East Plan’, which designated Whitehill Bordon as a Strategic Development Area that should provide up to 5,500 houses, as well as also supporting the provision of employment opportunities in the town centre and improved access to facilities in the new development. The proposals for Whitehill Bordon have been developed, to this point, within the context of the former Government’s Eco-town programme. This reflected guidance which established principals and targets for Eco-towns, which are reflected in the requirements below:
Enabling at least 50% of trips originating in the town to be made by non-car modes, with the potential to increase this to 60% over time. Inclusion of good design principles, drawing from Manual for Streets, Building for Life and community travel planning principles Demonstration of how transport choice messages, infrastructure and services will be provided from ‘day one’ Close future monitoring of the carbon impact of transport as part of a low-carbon approach to travel Inclusion of measures to ensure that travel demand from private vehicles does not cause congestion on local roads Inclusion of measures to support children walking and cycling safely and easily to school All homes provided within a maximum walking distance of 800m to the nearest school
These requirements will need to be reviewed in the context of new guidance as it becomes available. Through its Localism Bill, the current Government has signalled its intention to remove the Regional Spatial Strategies and devolve more power to local authorities and communities. The Government has also made strong moves to reduce top-down targets, empowering local authorities and communities to set their own agendas and targets. 9
In September 2011 the Government began a consultation on the ‘National Planning Policy Framework’ (NPPF), which when adopted will replace all national planning policy guidance documents and statements and provide a single statement of Government Planning Policy. This will remove the existing Eco-towns guidance and it will be for Whitehill Bordon to develop and agree its own bottom-up targets, based upon local circumstances. The emerging ‘East Hampshire LDF Core Strategy’ acknowledges the challenges Whitehill Bordon faces in meeting the targets and builds upon the established Whitehill Bordon ‘Green Town Vision’ in identifying the need to create a thriving and vibrant community with a strong mix of housing, commercial, community and employment uses. The third Hampshire ‘Local Transport Plan’ (LTP) was adopted in February 2011, and sets out the long-term 20 year strategic transport strategy for Hampshire, supported by shorter-term Implementation Plans, which set out planned expenditure over a rolling three year period. Within the LTP, Whitehill Bordon sits within the Central Hampshire and New Forest Transport Strategy Area.
The Area Transport Strategy identifies the “Delivery of appropriate transport solutions to support sustainable development in Whitehill Bordon eco-town, which is expected to accommodate 4,000 new dwellings and significant employment development” as one of the key transport challenges in the area. The LTP notes that “There is a need to improve self-containment and reduce car dependency for both existing and new residents.” Whitehill Bordon is also included within the ‘Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership’ (EM3 LEP) area. With the likely future importance of the LEPS in future funding decisions, Whitehill Bordon will need to ensure that its ambitions meet the priorities of the LEP. 10
Chapter 5 – Transport Proposals Overview and Principles The Transport Strategy for the Whitehill Bordon seeks to align with local and national policy, but also to challenge and innovate the way in which transport demand is managed and infrastructure and services are provided. There are three overarching themes for the emerging Transport Strategy; Reducing the Need to Travel outside the town – By providing the appropriate jobs and facilities within the town itself, travel to surrounding towns and service centres can be significantly replaced by more local journeys, and trip lengths reduced. Minimising both the number and length of trips will provide positive benefits to the operation of the local roads and to the environment. Managing Car Demand within and outside to the town – While acknowledging that the car will play an important role in the operation of the future town, pro-active management of car trips within and external to the town can minimise the negative impacts of car travel, and appropriately mitigate and overcome adverse implications of car use. Enabling Sustainable Transport for all trips – Transport within the town will be reprioritised away from the car and towards high quality public transport systems and walking and cycling, which will provide and enable easy and safe access to facilities and jobs. New approaches to sustainable transport will be employed to promote a shift away from the private car. Central to the success of the transport strategy will be the provision of a high-quality integrated and accessible transport system that is sustainable in the long term. This Transport Strategy considers future interventions and initiatives that will enable the planned development to be accommodated without significant adverse impact on the wider local highway network and the environment. Different but co-ordinated responses are required in order to provide for transport within the town and at the sub-regional level, each supporting an ethos of sustainable travel from the outset. Additionally, the Emerging Transport Strategy seeks to manage demand for transport within and outside the town, and proposes a series of demand management tools and interventions designed to reduce the need to travel and to promote the use of more sustainable transport modes. There is recognition that not all transport demand in the future town will be ‘new’ demand, and that there will be a replacement of existing travel with the departure of the MoD operations. However, the challenge for Whitehill Bordon is to provide an exemplary transport system that encourages both existing and future residents to make sustainable transport choices. Whitehill Bordon offers an opportunity to re-focus the town’s transport system away from the car, removing the need to use the car for most journeys. Providing for a shift away from car trips will address a number of key problems including local traffic congestion, air quality and the environmental impact of transport within and surrounding the town, particularly at identified environmentally sensitive locations. 11
Integration of planning and transport Integral to the successful regeneration of Whitehill Bordon is the long-term integration of land use and transport planning. The Masterplan (shown below) promotes the location of facilities where they are needed, to facilitate sustainable travel and locate the facilities people need within the town, reducing the need for external trips and ensuring that all transport within the town can easily and comfortably be made by sustainable modes.
In December 2010 East Hampshire District Council adopted the Draft Framework Masterplan for Whitehill Bordon, and this now forms a ‘material consideration’ in the determination of any planning applications in the town. 12
To achieve and exceed the challenging targets set for the Whitehill Bordon Opportunity Project development, containment of travel within the town is imperative. The future co-location of community facilities, retail, employment and education facilities in close proximity to both the existing and future residential populations will allow for a high proportion of trips to be contained to the town rather than looking to alternative service centres. Reducing the need to travel, and length of trips, is the key thrust of the emerging Transport Strategy. By retaining high levels of trips within the town, the potential impact of the development on the wider transport network, particularly on the A325, A31 and A3, will be minimised, and the impact on both the environment and surrounding communities will be reduced. WBTP1 – Reducing the Need to Travel Development at Whitehill Bordon will implement a series of measures to reduce the need to travel outside of the town. The development will provide necessary facilities within the town, through the provision of adequate jobs, shops and services to encourage trip containment to Whitehill Bordon. This will be supported by the delivery of a number of initiatives including remote working facilities and the delivery of high-speed broadband to make working within the town more easy.
The Masterplan seeks to integrate new facilities and jobs with existing infrastructure and opportunities, making best use of the existing facilities and attractions. Additional facilities are designed to suit the future demographic profile of the town, ensuring sufficient retail, education and commercial facilities are available to serve the expanding population, but also to ensure that these facilities are located on the doorstep, maximising containment. With high levels of containment comes high potential for non car-based trips to replace some existing car journeys. Smarter Choices measures promoted through the Travel Plan will encourage the use of localised facilities, offering discounts to residents, promoting the benefits of localised travel and providing high-quality information and marketing of available facilities. The installation of broadband services and remote working facilities, alongside the significant employment development planned, will enable future residents to live and work within the town. Easy and sophisticated local delivery facilities will ensure that residents benefit from quality local services, reducing the need to travel outside the town for everyday retail needs. A Transport Hub will be provided that will offer high-quality transport interchange facilities. It will also act as a fully functioning transport and community information centre, where residents can get up-to-date multi-modal transport information and transport advice from customer service staff. The Hub will provide:
State-of-the-art journey planning Information on travel links within and outside the town A centre for the Eco Car Club An Eco Cycle Hire Centre Real-time passenger information on bus routes and rail connections 13
The Hub will be an iconic building in the heart of the town centre where all bus routes serving the town will stop. The Hub will be an example of transport and planning needs being considered together, and will place transport services at the centre of the new town.
WBTP2 – Transport Hub Development at Whitehill Bordon will include the construction of a Transport Hub located within the new Town Centre to provide a transport interchange and to provide a focal point for all town travel information and services. The development areas will include a series of well located of ‘Sub-Hubs’ to act as local information points close to the town’s populations
A series of neighbourhood centres will be established in the town to serve the everyday needs of residents and town employees, reducing the need to travel either outside the town or to the main town centre. These centres will focus on serving the core populations around them and will be well connected by walking and cycling, along with modern high-quality travel information provided by travel kiosks. Public Transport To achieve sustainable regeneration of the town it is essential that there is a high-quality public transport system, and the current provision within the town falls short of this. The Transport Strategy adopts an innovative but achievable approach to public transport provision, and one which allows for future adaptation and growth as travel demand and lifestyle patterns become established. Existing travel patterns have been examined and have informed the current travel desire lines, focussing on commuter trips but also recognising the nature and demand for other types of travel. This work has identified likely routings for future services, and has informed the future public transport strategy for the town.
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Bus Travel The bus can play an important role within any transport system because of its capacity to flexibly provide for travel desire. Within Whitehill Bordon, the bus will be central to transport provision from day one. The target for bus travel within the town is 17% of all journeys, which is an ambitious target, and one that will require a combination of high-quality bus services and committed transport strategies and marketing to achieve. Although promoting internalisation and reducing the need to travel is central to the emerging strategy, there will remain a demand for travel to and from surrounding towns and larger centres such as Portsmouth, Guildford and Basingstoke. Similarly, with the growth and additional facilities provided within the town, Whitehill Bordon will become a destination in its own right, attracting trips from surrounding communities. To support the future growth, a three-level bus strategy will be implemented at the Town, Local and Sub-Regional Level.; Town – A circular town service will be provided operating high-frequency services (every 10-15 minutes) between residential areas and the town’s facilities, providing links for residents to jobs, leisure, education and retail facilities. Local – A series of local services will provide links between Whitehill Bordon and the local market towns of East Hampshire, including Alton, Petersfield and Liphook, and also to Farnham. These services will serve travel demand to and from the town, which given its forecast growth is likely to become the future focus of the district, and will provide high-quality connections to the rail network. These services are likely to combine demand-responsive services with conventional bus and mini-bus provision, and operate services every 20 – 30 minutes. Sub-Regional – New and improved links will connect Whitehill Bordon with regional centres of commerce and retail, including the Blackwater Valley, Basingstoke and Guildford. Limited stop services every 20-30 minutes will provide an attractive alternative to the private car for travel needs beyond the town.
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WBTP3 – Public Transport System Improvements Development at Whitehill Bordon will provide significant enhancements to the current public transport system to deliver a high-quality, frequent, modern and attractive public transport system, comprising a ‘three-tiered’ bus system offering Town-Wide Services, Local Services and Strategic Services to key destinations. The three-tiered bus service will be implemented from the early stages of development, with frequency and capacity increasing as demand within the town grows, providing an attractive alternative to travel by the private car for local and longer distance journeys, including providing frequent and reliable connections to the rail network. Smart Ticketing will be provided across the town’s transport systems to provide for a seamless transition between mode and hassle-free travel.
In order to support the Emerging Transport Strategy, a Public Transport Strategy will be developed, which will build upon the work already done and concepts established, and will provide additional detail on the future public transport network, along with a phased programme for implementation. In addition to providing frequent, attractive, demand-driven bus services, significant improvements will be made to bus infrastructure to change the perception of public transport in the town. Modern and interactive bus waiting facilities will be provided within close proximity to resident populations and facilities. Real-time information will be integrated at bus stops, providing up-to-date information to passengers.
Bus priority measures will be designed into the town’s street design, with advantage for bus travel provided over the car, particularly along the public transport corridor that will be created on the existing alignment of the A325. Bus priority will be provided at junctions, and bus lanes and bus-only links designed into the development. Access control will be considered on the existing A325 alignment, permitting only non-car and public transport journeys to travel through the town centre on this route. Opportunities also exist to upgrade the sub-regional connection to Rapid Transit corridors, with potential routes utilising the disused Bordon – Bentley rail corridor or provision of dedicated routing adjacent to the A325, to improve speed, journey time reliability
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and route attractiveness. These options will be the subject of further feasibility work as the strategy develops.
WBTP4 – Public Transport Infrastructure Improvements Development at Whitehill Bordon will deliver high-quality bus infrastructure throughout the development including public transport priority measures and modern and attractive environmentally friendly bus stops and bus shelters which offer excellent travel information systems located within 400m of each home. This will include the provision of Real Time Passenger Information.
The bus services will operate modern, accessible and environmentally friendly vehicles showcasing the latest technology available. Further consideration, and engagement with transport operators is required before specific technology and bus specification can be finalised, but each of the town’s hierarchy of bus services will use only the highest-quality fuel-efficient vehicles, designed to reduce the negative impacts of road based transport. This may include electric buses for local journeys, and hybrid, fuel cell or alternative fuel vehicles for local and sub-regional links. Each bus will be individually branded in accordance with the Travel Plan and subsidy and discount fares will be made available to support initial stages of the town’s re-development, after which commercially-run non-subsidy services would be established. Rail Connection Ensuring strong links between the town and the rail network is an important element of the emerging Transport Strategy. Initially the high-quality bus services provided early in the development will link the town’s residents to mainline rail services at Liphook, Farnham and Alton. These services will synchronise with rail timings, and provide a convenient intermodal connection to the rail network. Smart-Ticketing will be implemented in association with transport operators to provide a seamless journey for the passenger, and discounts will be offered to incentivise public transport travel. In the longer term, there is the potential to re-establish a direct heavy rail connection to the town. Following the grant of DCLG funding, a Rail Feasibility Study was commissioned and completed in line with Network Rail’s ‘GRIP’ (Governance for Railway Investment Projects) and the Department for Transport’s appraisal guidelines. This assessment considered a number of options for Heavy Rail and Light Rail connections to both the Alton rail line and the Portsmouth rail line (shown below).
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The Grip 2 Study shows that the preferred option at this stage is the heavy rail ‘through-route’ to Bentley which, once the Whitehill Bordon development is built-out, could potentially generate up to 1 million trips per annum with through services to London Waterloo. With a capital construction cost of £130 million, this generates a Benefit to Cost ratio of 2.14:1, which suggests the scheme would provide ‘High’ value for money when considered against the DfT criteria. This option provides the least environmental impact, the best economic and financial case and would be deliverable in engineering and operational terms, subject to availability of funding. The routes to Liphook and Liss are significantly less attractive due to the lower levels of daytime off-peak service frequency at these stations added to the increased environmental constraints to the south east of Whitehill Bordon, particularly the impact on the European Protection Sites. Alignments to Alton may well be the most viable in terms of railway operations (creating the least impact on existing services) but the costs of delivering a rail line to Alton due to the topography are almost double that of connecting to the mainline railway at either Bentley, Liphook or Liss. This route would require construction of a tunnel of some 2.5km. None of the potential light rail or BRT options exhibit a sufficiently positive Benefit to Cost Ratio due to longer journey times, relatively high infrastructure costs in relation to demand, and in the case of the light rail, the need to acquire and maintain a fleet of bespoke vehicles.
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Following the conclusion of the GRIP 2 Rail Feasibility Study, further work has now been commissioned to develop the business case further, and to study in greater detail the potential for a heavy rail connection to Bentley. This work will progress to the GRIP 3 level and is expected to be completed at the end of 2011. One key element of this additional work is the consideration of potential funding options for the project. The GRIP 3 study will consider potential public and private funding options for taking forward and delivering a future rail link.
The Masterplan proposes the safeguarding of land within the Local Development Framework for future rail connection and has identified a preliminary location for a potential station site. Whilst it may be some years before a rail connection to the town is possible, the Emerging Transport Strategy allows for its provision in later stages. WBTP5 – Potential Rail Land Safeguarding Development of Whitehill Bordon will safeguard the land necessary to deliver a future rail connection north from Whitehill Bordon to Bentley and will safeguard land for the delivery of a well connected, conveniently located rail station within the town
Public Transport Promotion To maximise public transport usage ‘Smarter Choices’ measures will be required to support the improvements to services outlined. Co-ordinated through the Town Transport Team and identified in the Travel Plan, the supporting strategy to public transport promotion will include:
Real-time passenger information at the Hub, Home and bus stop Provision of discount travel fares and taster tickets Introduction of smart-ticketing across services and modes Provision of simplified and accessible information provision Intensive public transport marketing and branding of services Personalised journey planning
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Walking and Cycling Walking and cycling have the greatest potential to replace car trips within the town, with all resident population being located within easy walking and cycling distances of the town centre and core town facilities. Education, retail and commuting trips can all be undertaken by walking and cycling, but this will only happen if neighbourhoods are made genuinely walkable, and the attractive walking and cycling routes provided which are well lit and safe and offer a real alternative to short car journeys. The target is to achieve 25% of trips within the town made by walking and cycling modes. A Green Grid of walking and cycling routes will be established, improving existing facilities where possible, and providing new pedestrian and cycling infrastructure to connect trip origins and destinations, making the town highly permeable. All routes will be clearly signed and mobility-inclusive, and safe crossing facilities will be provided to cater for desire lines, reducing severance caused by road-based travel.
The Green Grid
Well Connected Streets
WBTP6 – Walking and Cycling Improvements Development at Whitehill Bordon will deliver a comprehensive network of well signed walking and cycling routes, offering a ‘Green Grid’ of walking and cycling Routes in and around the town to provide safe, convenient and attractive travel options for non-car modes of travel from the home to the town’s facilities, schools, services and employment areas. The delivery of the Green Grid will be phased with development to ensure that opportunities to walk and cycle within Whitehill Bordon are delivered from the first stages of development and that these provide a genuine alternative to the private car. Opportunities to provide longer-distance connections from Whitehill Bordon will be explored.
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Well Connected Places The development proposes the provision of attractive and safe linkages between the town’s facilities, using modern best practice advice on street design contained within the Department for Transport’s “Manual for Streets” policy guidance. This will ensure that people can move easily within the town on foot, by cycle and using public transport. Strong links between transport modes are also promoted, with a movement corridor identified in the Masterplan between the Transport Hub and the potential rail station site, ensuring that modal interchange of the future can be served. The street space within the new town will need careful planning and management so that all modes of transport are catered for, and the potential for conflict is reduced. This will be important in ensuring that walking, cycling, and public transport are supported through infrastructure provision, whilst access for private vehicles is also maintained. Street design within the town will be designed to accommodate the needs of pedestrians and cyclists through a comprehensive network of streets. The principles of “Manual for Streets” will be adopted where possible and inclusive street environments will be created that provide for all modes of movement. The detail of street hierarchy and design will be developed over time using a design coding exercise, but the town will include: Home zones – residential areas whose streets are designed as places for people instead of just motor traffic, and where very low traffic speeds are encouraged ‘Shared space’ streets and squares – these are intended to reduce the dominance of motor vehicles and so improve conditions for cyclists and pedestrians Car-free and car-reduced areas – where access to particular parts of the town is restricted to walking and cycling (and public transport), and where clear advantage in time and convenience is given to other modes in preference to the car. WBTP7 – Interconnecting Streets Development at Whitehill Bordon will deliver a network of interconnecting streets to ensure that the development areas are accessible and permeable and to reduce the distance needed to travel within the town to key destinations by walking, cycling and by car. The streets shall be designed to maximise opportunities for walking and cycling and shall follow the design principles of ‘Manual for Streets’, including Home-Zone principles and areas of ‘Car-Free’ and ‘Car Reduced’ development where high-quality sustainable transport alternatives are provided
A walking and cycling strategy for the town and its environs will be developed, to identify, detail and prioritise improvements to better link the town by cycle. These routes will link with existing opportunities, such as those promoted by SUSTRANS and those already available within the Alice Holt Forest. Initial consideration of potential town cycle connections suggests the potential to develop routes linking the town with the rail network at Liss, Bentley and Liphook, along with other leisure routes.
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To support high-quality pedestrian and cycling routes within and outside of the town, modern and secure cycle parking facilities will be provided within the town, both in close proximity to major trip attractors and employment areas, but also within residential areas. New residential dwellings will be provided with integral on-plot cycle parking facilities, and a programme will be implemented offering retro-fitting of cycle parking to existing homes and residential areas. All new employment development will be required to provide changing and showering facilities.
WBTP8 – Cycle Parking Facilities Development at Whitehill Bordon will deliver excellent cycle parking facilities within its district centres, the town centre, at employment locations and within each residential area. Highquality and attractive cycle parking facilities will be provided from the first stages of development to ensure that cycling is an attractive form of travel within Whitehill Bordon
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Through the Travel Plan, walking and cycling will be promoted, with a number of initiatives implemented aimed at increasing foot and cycle travel within the town. The Travel Plan will provide a range of incentives including;
Discounts for the purchase of Cycles Introduction of a Cycle Hire scheme, offering state-of-the-art electric cycles for hire, along with a large number of conventional pedal cycles, operating from the Hub Marketing events such as Bike-to-Work weeks, Bicycle User Groups, Bikeability Training, and the introduction of Walking Buses to the town’s primary schools Competitions to win a range of walking and cycling equipment such as pedometers, bicycles, and cycling equipment.
The potential to provide delivery bicycles from major retail providers within the town will also be explored, and carriage of cycles across mode such as using Bus Bike Racks will be promoted. Managing Car Usage There will remain a demand for car trips both within and outside the town, and it is acknowledged that the car will play an important role in future town travel. Demand will be proactively managed in a co-ordinated manner, and road transport must also play its role in reducing carbon emissions. Continuing advancement in transport and fuel technology offers opportunities to address some environmental problems through managed and improved car use. The characteristics of the regional highway network mean that a significant proportion of traffic on the A325 serves no purpose within the town and causes a number of negative impacts, including severance, congestion and pollution. The Masterplan proposes that this traffic is removed from the heart of the new town through the creation of an ‘Inner Relief Road’ running through the new development area from Conde Way and linking with the A325 north of the Fire Station cross-roads. WBTP9 - Inner Relief Road Development at Whitehill Bordon will deliver the construction of an Inner Relief Road through the new development area to provide access to the development sites, and to provide relief to the exiting A325. The construction of an Inner Relief Road will enable the construction of a new town centre area between Prince Phillip Barracks and Chalet Hill. The Inner Relief Road will be designed as a ‘Street’ and will incorporate ‘Manual for Streets’ design principles to ensure that whilst allowing for vehicular movement, the street positively provides for other highway users, providing a safe and attractive street environment
The current A325 will be re-designed to deter and prevent through-traffic, to reduce traffic speed and to promote a sharing of space that places non-motorised travel first. Shared Space will be developed, and frontage development promoted to provide the town with a central heart. The removal of heavy traffic from the core of the town will free up the High Street for local people and offer the vitality and services needed to support the expanded population. 23
WBTP10 – A325 Improvement Development at Whitehill Bordon will deliver a scheme of traffic management works on the existing A325 corridor to reduce the speed and dominance of the existing through traffic within the new town centre area, and to provide a quality ‘place’ to enable free-flow of movement by all modes to and within the Town Centre, reducing severance
Within the town the street layout will be designed to provide a connecting network of streets offering a choice of travel routes. This will allow the dispersal and distribution of traffic, minimising congestion and pollution associated with queuing vehicles.
A Car Club will be set up which offers flexible access to a number of environmentally friendly vehicles, located conveniently in the town and managed by the Town Transport Team at the Hub. An extensive car-share database will be set up as part of the establishment of an Car-Share scheme and implemented through the various town travel plans which link similar or compatible journeys, and promote the benefits of car sharing. The Travel Plan and Town Transport Team will monitor car use at each of the town’s facilities, and the Travel Plan strategy will adapt flexibly to future circumstances in order to influence travel behaviour. To fully understand the future impact of the development, ensure future plans are sound, and inform key transport strategy decisions, a Transport Evidence Base has been developed. This includes a Transport Model and a Transport Assessment, which quantifies the impact on the transport network of a range of development scenarios and is able to test the sensitivity of assumptions to understand the impact of future infrastructure and service delivery. The Transport Model covers a wide geographical area (as below) from Petersfield in the south to Aldershot in the North. This network includes all major roads and routes within the study area.
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The Transport Assessment considered a number of different development scenarios (1,700 dwellings, 4,000 dwellings, 5,300 dwellings) and also considered the sensitivity of the town to different mode share and trip containment targets. The Final Draft Transport Assessment has now been completed. The results of this work show that;
Traffic flow through the key junctions increases or decreases in proportion to the difference in size of the development proposals within each scenario. For example, the greatest traffic impacts would be observed if development Option 2 (5,300 dwellings) were implemented as this represents the largest quantum of development.
The most significant impacts in terms of increase in traffic flow as a result of the development scenarios would occur on the junctions on the A325 to the north and south of the proposed Inner Relief Road as this route would remain as the principal route for north/south traffic connecting to the strategic road network and surrounding settlements.
The most significant impacts in terms of decrease in traffic flow as a result of the development scenarios would occur on the junctions on the A325 within Whitehill Bordon town centre as a result of the implementation of the proposed Inner Relief Road.
The traffic impact of the various development scenarios lessens the further from the development a particular junction is located as greater choice and opportunities for alternative routes are provided to motorists.
The journey time and vehicle distance outputs indicated that the most significant increases in vehicle journey durations and distance would occur within the proposed development scenarios with the greatest quantum of development and the highest car mode share of 75%, as would be expected. 25
The traffic impact on local villages has been assessed in each development option. Whilst a number of villages see a small reduction in traffic or ‘nil-detriment’ situation across the development scenarios, potentially attributed to the opening of the A3 Hindhead Tunnel and associated re routing of trips, there are a number of local settlements where absolute vehicle numbers increase as a result of the development by 2026. This is particularly the case for Bentley, Blacknest, Oakhanger, Greatham , Lindford, and Wrecclesham. The level of baseline flows on these links is however generally low and there is adequate link capacity available to accommodate this increased demand.
Detailed testing has also been carried out at twenty Key network locations that were identified by the project group (consisting of EHDC, HCC, Highways Agency and Surrey County Council. The junctions are identified in the plan below.
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The Transport Assessment identified that ten of the twenty key junctions would operate at near to or over full capacity in either or both peak highway periods in 2026, if the proposed development scenario Option 1 is implemented and the mode share and trip containment targets were achieved. These junctions are:
A31/B3001 Hickleys Corner A31/A325 Coxbridge Roundabout A325/School Hill Mini-roundabout B3004/Paper Mill Lane Junction A325/Tesco Access/Woolmer Way Junction A3/B3006 Roundabout A325/B3004 Junction A325/Liphook Road/Firgrove Road Roundabout A325/Petersfield Road Roundabout A325/A3 (Eastbound) Slips
A further three Key Junctions would require a minimum of the 50% car mode share and 50% trip containment scenario iteration to be achieved for the junctions to operate within capacity.
B3004/Oakhanger Road Junction A325/B3002 Station Road Junction B3006 Petersfield Road
In order to consider what network improvements may be required to mitigate the potential impact of the redevelopment of Whitehill Bordon, and in accordance with the findings of the Transport Assessment, further work was commissioned. This work has considered and developed appropriate mitigation measures for each of the thirteen junctions in order that the ‘worst case’ impact of the proposed Whitehill Bordon development can be adequately ameliorated. This work has identified that the ‘worst-case’ traffic impacts of the proposed development can be mitigated, and that there are no significant traffic issues or ‘showstoppers’, at this stage, associated with the mitigation of the identified junctions, to prevent the allocation of the Whitehill Bordon Eco-town proposals within the Local Development Framework Core Strategy. The Table below provides a summary of the proposed measures required to appropriately mitigate the impact of the Whitehill Bordon Eco-town proposals.
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Junction Location
Proposed Works
A31/B3001 Hickleys Corner (SCC)
Signal junction improvement including provision of pedestrian footbridge
A31/A325 Coxbridge Roundabout (SCC)
Roundabout Improvement
A325/School Hill Mini-roundabout (SCC)
Replacement with Traffic signals
A325/B3004 Junction (HCC)
Signal junction improvement
B3004/Paper Mill Lane Junction (HCC)
Replacement with double Mini-roundabout
A325/Tesco Access/Woolmer Way Junction (HCC)
Implement MOVA
A325/Liphook Road/Firgrove Road Roundabout (HCC)
Roundabout Improvement
A325/Petersfield Road Roundabout (HCC)
Roundabout Improvement
B3004/Oakhanger Road Junction (HCC)
Replacement with Traffic signals
A325/B3002 Station Road (HCC)
Replacement with Roundabout
B3006/Petersfield Road Junction (HCC)
Priority junction improvement
A325/A3 (Eastbound) Slips (HA)
Roundabout Improvement
A3/B3006 Roundabout (HA)
Roundabout Improvement
The table of measures identified above will form part of the mitigation package of the Whitehill Bordon development, in order to mitigate the impact of the development. The measures identified will need to be developed in further detail, and this work will inform the future Emerging Transport Strategy. WBTP11 – Local Transport Network Improvements Development at Whitehill Bordon will provide for the delivery of targeted local transport network improvements to improve the management and efficiency of the local transport network and to where necessary increase capacity to ensure that there are no significant detrimental impacts of the development on the safety and operation of the local transport network. Targeted improvements will be phased with development and shall include: engineering measures within local villages and on key routes to discourage inappropriate traffic usage junction improvements to, where necessary, improve capacity and operation intelligent signals improvements to better manage the transport network and safety improvements to reduce the risk of accidents to provide for all modes of travel to safely use the transport network
In line with the recommendations of the Transport Assessment, a Traffic Management Strategy is currently being developed to consider possible improvements and strategy approaches to reducing the traffic impact that may arise on local villages and communities. The results of this work are expected in March 2012. 28
The strategy will focus on innovative use of traffic management measures, managing throughtraffic and reducing any perceived advantage in the use of local rural roads. These traffic management measures will reinforce the road hierarchy developed for the town and influence driver behaviour, with the aim of reducing speeds and increasing safety. Car Parking A Car Parking Strategy will be developed for the town that will deliver a mechanism for managing future car demand, particularly at workplaces and within the town centre. The strategy will focus on parking restraint within the town, where high-quality public transport and sustainable travel opportunities provide a suitable alternative. It will also recognise the role that car parking plays in ensuring a viable and attractive town centre is created, and will acknowledge the needs of those with mobility-impairments. WBTP12 – Car Parking Development at Whitehill Bordon will provide an appropriate level of car parking in accordance with a Car Parking Strategy prepared for Whitehill Bordon. The strategy will balance the need to provide car parking and the need to promote sustainable transport. Car Parking management measures will be implemented from the early stages of development to ensure that parking facilities are well managed, and that the detrimental impact of informal car parking is reduced, allowing for the safe and efficient operation of the transport network
A series of ‘car-free’ and ‘car-reduced zones’ within the town could be created and innovative approaches to residential parking will be introduced to maximise efficiency of parking provision and minimise land requirements. Car parking will be provided in visible central locations for the Car Club, and opportunities to share parking between land uses will be investigated. Limiting car parking at the workplace will be considered and a balanced strategy which takes account of viability and the sustainability agenda will be developed, giving priority to car sharers and environmentally friendly vehicles in parking allocation. An initial assessment of the potential that Park and Ride may play within the town has been undertaken, and this will be considered within the final parking strategy. Smarter Choices To support physical improvements to the sustainable transport systems within the town, the emerging Transport Strategy embraces an intensive and innovative approach to the implementation of Smarter Choices initiatives. Targeted, flexible and appropriate Smarter Choices initiatives can be successful in reducing travel demand, and creating a shift away from the car to sustainable travel and lifestyle patterns. This brings benefits in reducing current and future congestion, and minimising the environmental impact of transport on the environment. In Whitehill Bordon, a Town Transport Team will be set up to oversee and implement the Smarter Choice initiatives in the town, based at the Transport Hub. The role of the Transport Manager will be to implement and oversee the town Travel Plans, to work with local education providers, transport operators, residents and businesses to integrate sustainable working and 29
living patterns into future town operations. A Town Travel Plan will be implemented, bringing together and providing management of individual travel plans for major retailers, employers and education providers. The Town Travel Plan will promote sustainable transport through a flexible combination of measures including:
Provision of incentives including discounted bus and rail fares, promotion of smart ticketing and walking and cycling Provision of high-quality travel information and intensive marketing and promotion (including creation of a branded web site, newsletters, high-quality signage, smart travel points in the home) Promotion of smarter working practices (e.g information on broadband, remote working, tele-conferencing, flexible working hours, peak spreading) Personalised Journey Planning and travel information services (e.g travel Kiosks) Instigation of travel events, such as ‘Bike to Work’ weeks
WBTP13 – Travel Plans Development at Whitehill Bordon will ensure the implementation of a Town-Wide Travel Plan which provides an innovative and comprehensive balanced package of measures to encourage smarter travel choices to be made and to maximise opportunities for sustainable travel. The Town-Wide Travel Plan will be implemented before the development begins and will provide measures including personalised travel planning, cycle hire schemes, car clubs, quality travel information systems, measures to promote home-working and marketing and promotion campaigns. The Town-Wide Travel Plan will be supported by the securing of individual travel plans from significant travel generators within the town through the planning process, and those developed for existing employers, retailers and schools
A Framework Travel Plan has been produced which forms an Annex to this document and provides greater detail on the implementation of a toolkit of measures designed to achieve the objectives of the Emerging Transport Strategy. A web site and town ‘Eco Travel’ logo will support each Smarter Choices initiative, and will help to provide a co-ordinated and focussed promotion of sustainable transport. A long-term Smarter Choices campaign will be aimed at tackling transport problems in the town, bringing existing and new developments together and fostering community cohesion. The success of the Travel Plan will be carefully monitored and regularly reviewed by the Town Transport Team, working closely with the District and County Councils. Low Carbon Vehicles Development in vehicle technology is likely to play a significant role in addressing future environmental issues associated with travel behaviour, particularly in terms of the impact through emissions on Air Quality, and also in terms of the impact of travel on climate change through the emission of Carbon Dioxide. 30
The Whitehill Bordon project will seek to promote the use of low carbon vehicles. This includes electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, hydrogen vehicles and other technology that is and will be available to the market. The Whitehill Bordon Project will seek to do this through the provision of quality information on low carbon vehicles, through marketing and promotion of the technology available and through the provision of incentives to assist in the purchase of low carbon technology. The Whitehill Bordon project will also provide the infrastructure necessary to enable easy use of low carbon vehicles. This will include provision of conveniently located electric vehicles charging points and the promotion of alternative fuel charging facilities. Green driving techniques will also be promoted through the Town Transport Manager and the Travel Plan to educate drivers on fuel efficient driving. WBTP14 – Low Carbon Vehicles Development at Whitehill Bordon will promote the use of low-carbon vehicles, including electric vehicles and other alternative low-carbon fuel technology, to reduce the carbon emissions resulting from the development. The development will promote and deliver the necessary infrastructure to support electric vehicles and alternative fuel travel
Freight strategy A Freight Strategy will be developed to manage future delivery demand in the expanding town. Co-ordination and co-operation with local business and retailers will ensure that deliveries and HGV traffic in the town are managed so as to reduce any negative impact, and will include:
Establishment of Freight Partnerships Promote increased ‘back-loading’ Co-ordinated supply chains Determination of delivery routing and timing Eco-Delivery Service
WBTP15 – Freight Strategy Development at Whitehill Bordon will be supported by the implementation of a Freight Strategy which ensure that the necessary delivery of goods and services required by the town is pro-actively managed, whilst delivering measures and initiatives to reduce the negative impacts ofTable largerof vehicles usingTransport local roads Strategy Proposals Summary Emerging
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Summary of Emerging Transport Strategy Measures
Description Masterplan A325 Re-design Innovative Street Design Connected Network of Streets
Re-designing of the existing A325 to create a quality of space and to make easily accessible by all modes of travel High-Quality Manual for Streets-led street design throughout the town - to include home zones, car-free and car-reduced areas and shared space Construction of an interconnecting network of streets to disperse and distribute traffic
Highway Improvements ITS Systems
Utilisation of ITS technology
Transport Hub
Iconic transport Hub in the centre of the town
Movement Corridor
Provision of a non-car movement corridor between the Transport Hub and the potential rail station Creation of an Eco Car Share scheme to encourage car sharing for essential car trips
Eco Car Club
Eco Car Share Potential for Direct Rail Connection High-Quality Bus System Bus Infrastructure RTPI
Investigate the potential for direct rail connection to Whitehill Bordon Establishment of a high-quality three-tier bus system Provision of improved bus infrastructure throughout the town
Eco Cycle Hire
Provision of a high-quality Real-Time Information Systems Installation of smart-ticketing system to allow seamless transfer between mode Creation of new walking and cycling links between to local communities Establishment of a Green Grid of pedestrian and cycle links within and around the town Provision of a Cycle Hire scheme
Cycle Parking
Provision of secure high-quality cycle parking facilities
Smart-Ticketing Walking and Cycling network Green Grid
Smarter Choice Measures Town Transport Team Changing Facilities Travel Plan Broadband Provision Remote Working
Encouraging Sustainable Travel
Co-location of facilities, services and population
Construction of an Inner Relief Road to remove through-traffic from the town centre and provide access to the new development areas. Introduction of an Eco Car Club, using environmentally friendly vehicles Targeted highway improvements to add capacity where needed and to manage the transport network to maximise benefit.
Inner Relief Road
Reducing the Need to Travel
Intensive application of Smarter Choice Measures Establishment of the Town Travel Team to co-ordinate, promote the Transport Strategy Provision of showering and changing facilities in the workplace Establishment of a Town Travel Plan to co-ordinate the Smarter Choices agenda Installation of Broadband within homes Provision of working space within the town
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Managing Car Demand
Chapter 6 - What we will deliver Along with the significant amount of planned development will come greater demand for transport. Total travel demand generated by the future town will be up to 80% more than currently exists. Influencing the way in which this travel is undertaken is key to the success of the Emerging Transport Strategy. With sufficient partnership, creativity and funding the emerging Transport Strategy will deliver real transport change within Whitehill Bordon and will create an ‘exemplar’ town that provides as far as possible for sustainable travel and greatly reduced reliance on the private car.
Providing that the town is able to attract the jobs, retail facilities and services to support the expanding population and promote containment, the integrated transport strategy set out in this document will ensure that the majority of this travel demand can be provided for by means of transport other than the private car. The achievement of the challenging targets, particularly the target to achieve 50% all trips in the town by non-car modes, will ensure that the environmental impact created by the town’s development will be minimised. This is subject to further work undertaken by the Whitehill Bordon Opportunity Project, particularly through the preparation of the Habitats Regulation Assessment. Equally, congestion will be minimised, meaning that with the significant improvements to public transport that will bring wider benefits outside the town, and the implementation of the measures outlined in this Emerging Transport Strategy, the transport impact of the development can be successfully mitigated. Further work, set out previously in this document, is currently being undertaken to establish the potential to achieve these targets and to consider the potential impact on the environment and local communities should these targets not be met. The findings of this work will feed into the future Transport Strategy, and inform future infrastructure requirements. 33
Chapter 7 – Partnership Working and Engagement Critical to the success of the Whitehill Bordon Project in achieving its Vision and Objectives will be continued and close working between a range of different organisations and bodies. Key Stakeholders include:
Hampshire County Council East Hampshire District Council Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership Whitehill Town Council Surrey County Council Highways Agency Ministry of Defence Network Rail Bus Operators Train Operators Community Groups Voluntary Sectors Local business groups Resident Groups
The Whitehill Bordon governance structure has recently been established (as below) to ensure that co-ordinated and regular partnership working occurs at all levels.
Delivery Board
Specialist Groups
Land Owners Group
Standing Conference
Collaborative working and involvement will ensure:
Ensure community involvement and strategy ownership from the outset Provide leadership and direction throughout the delivery of the town’s development Ensure that relative priorities are considered and balanced Provide a vehicle for delivery of future transport infrastructure and service improvements.
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Chapter 8 – Strategy Delivery Infrastructure and services to support the project will need to be carefully phased throughout the development of the town, to provide support that meets evolving demand and to establish new travel patterns befitting an ‘exemplar’ development. It is critical that essential services and infrastructure are provided in the early stages, or before, the major development of the town occurs, in order to set the template for new resident behaviour and to begin to shift the travel patterns of existing residents. Funding the Delivery of the Emerging Transport Strategy Initial high-level cost estimates of the Emerging Transport Strategy have been undertaken and is shown in the table below; Transport Item
Proposed
A325 Treatment
£6,000,000
Bus Rapid Transit Interchanges - Hub
£1,200,000
Primary Roadways: Inner Relief Road Secondary Roadworks
£11,000,000 £7,880,000
Bus Transport Network Stops
£550,000
Temporary Access Roads
£250,000
Existing Retained Road Network Upgrades
£4,000,000
Walking and Cycling Improvements (Green Loop / Green Grid)
£2,000,000
Bicycle Parking Bus subsidy Smarter Choices Total
£150,000 £20,000,000 £3,500,000 £56,530,000
The high-level cost estimates for the delivery of the Emerging Transport Strategy have been fed into the ongoing ‘Viability’ work that has been prepared by the Whitehill Bordon Opportunity Project. The Viability Assessment demonstrates that there is likely to be sufficient funding within the project to deliver the full costs of the Emerging Transport Strategy, without compromising the economic viability of the project itself.
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Implementation of Early Wins A series of ‘Early Win’ projects, representing early implementation of a number of items detailed in the Emerging Transport Strategy, are being brought forward in conjunction with DCLG Ecotowns funding. The Early Win project currently being delivered are;
Employment of the Town Transport Manager Improvement to bus services – trialling of new local service Improvement to bus infrastructure - provision of new state-of-the-art bus shelters Development of a Transport Web-site Development of a Car-share database
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Chapter 9 – Monitoring and Reporting It is essential that the success of the Emerging Transport Strategy is closely monitoring to identify transport trends and behaviour, and to establish which elements of the strategy are successful. This will be co-ordinated under the Town Travel Plan, and carried out by the Town Transport Team. WBTP16 – Travel monitoring Development at Whitehill Bordon will include the implementation of an ongoing comprehensive Travel Monitoring Strategy from the first phases of development to ensure that the level, nature and impact of travel generated by the town is closely monitored to allow any detrimental transport impacts of the development to be identified, assessed and mitigated
The Framework Travel Plan provides detail on how travel will be monitored, and the summary of monitoring measures is identified in the table below. Monitoring Technique
Frequency
TRICS Standard Assessment Methodology Every 5 years (SAM) Actual vehicle flows Annually Number plate recognition technology Ticketing (smart) information from Whitehill Bordon bus services Residential, Employer and School Travel surveys A standard methodology will be applied to ensure that comparable data is achieved. It is understood that the NTS has developed guidance for town wide travel surveys.
When Implemented Five years after first development th
TBC Annually
After occupation of 100 dwelling or 10% of proposed employment TBC 2014
Annually
Individual timescales determined by Full Travel Plans
N/A
Strategy set out in Full Travel Plan
A Whitehill Bordon Census similar to the 10 Every 5 years yearly national census Personalised Travel Planning Measures Every two years
th
After occupation of 100
new dwelling
ASAP- early win
Total travel demand will be monitored through bi-annual census surveys, co-ordinated through communication systems outlined in the Travel Plan. These will provide detail on transport trends as the town develops at both the home and workplace. These surveys will be supported by use of new and already available technology such as ANPR cameras to measure and monitor town through traffic and traffic generation. Using the surveys the Travel Plan will be able to monitor total travel demand, modal split and shift, and make estimations as to the carbon impact of the Transport Strategy. Cycle Counters will be installed on the Green Grid and at locations within the town, and multi-modal travel surveys will be undertaken periodically. To assist measurement of transport trends, the success of the initiatives outlined in the emerging Transport Strategy will also be closely monitored, to enable any modifications to the Transport Strategy to be considered in later stages of the development and as the town evolves. The patronage of bus services will be an important way to determine appropriate service provision and timetabling, and membership of the Eco Car Club, Eco Car share and Eco Cycle Club will also be measured regularly.
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Chapter 10 – Future Direction The Emerging Transport Strategy will remain a live and evolving document and will continue to develop over the coming months and years. A number of further pieces of work are currently being undertaken, or will be brought forward in the future, to develop this strategy. These include’;
Rail Feasibility Study (Grip 3) – DCLG-backed study to build on completed GRIP 2 Rail Feasibility Study and the HCC Pre-feasibility. Walking and Cycling Strategy – to refine route options and progress feasibility design of the Green Grid and local walking and cycling connections Parking Strategy – To develop a strategy for both residential and non-residential parking Freight Strategy – To develop a strategy to manage freight movements Traffic Management Strategy – To develop a strategy to manage and mitigate inappropriate car travel on local roads and through local communities Public Transport Strategy – To provide additional detail on future service operations, phasing and delivery
An indicative programme of this work is identified below. This programme includes for the future completion of draft studies and the further revision to the Emerging Transport Strategy during 2012. May
Jun
Jul
2011 Aug Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
2012 Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Transport Strategy Development Emerging Transport Strategy Transport Evidence Base Junction Mitigation Report Travel Plan Rail Study (Grip 3) Walking and Cycling Strategy Traffic Management Strategy Parking Strategy Freight Strategy Public Transport Strategy
Version 2 Final Draft
Version 3 Final Report Final Report
Final Draft
Final Report Final Report
Final Draft
Final Report
Final Draft
Final Report
Final Draft
Final Report
Final Draft
Final Report Final Report
In addition to these identified studies, the recommendations of other work, particularly the Transport Assessment, will require additional work to be brought forward. This is likely to include;
Further transport modelling to test the final development option, with appropriate demand data refined, and network changes undertaken to the model to include the infrastructure that would be required to support the development
The design of the A325 Traffic Management Works
An options appraisal to establish the optimum route and produce an outline design for the Inner Relief Road. 38
Chapter 11 – Conclusions By integrating land use and transport planning from the outset, and by working in partnership with local authorities, key stakeholders and local communities, Whitehill Bordon offers an opportunity to revolutionise travel within the town, rebalancing priorities away from dependence on the private car. It will deliver important and visible improvements, reducing the negative impacts of transport on the environment, the community and local transport infrastructure. This Emerging Transport Strategy is a developing document that draws from ongoing work and sets the framework for a future transport system. It provides for the needs of the future population, enhancing the ability of the town to support population growth and reducing the negative side of existing travel patterns. The Emerging Transport Strategy demonstrates how existing transport trends have informed and influenced future proposals, and also shows that if the targets set out are achieved, the transport demands of the new greatly expanded town can be accommodated on the network without significant adverse impact. Achievement of these targets however will require continued partnership working with stakeholders and Government, and require significant improvement in existing transport systems to ensure that an integrated and modern transport system is provided that offers real choice to town residents and encourages a shift away from the private car. Significant improvements to walking and cycling will support the implementation of a state-of-the-art public transport system, and the future potential for direct rail will be explored and pursued. To compliment improvements to non-car based transport, the strategy seeks to reduce travel demand by ensuring that the facilities local people want to use and get to are located within the town, and that there are easily accessible and sustainable ways to get to them. Smarter Choices measures will be intensively implemented to inform and encourage uptake of the transport alternatives, including a car club, car share schemes and eco-bike clubs. The private car will continue to play an important role in the future town, and the Emerging Transport Strategy seeks to pro-actively manage car demand, providing improvements which maximise the existing network where required, removing undesirable through traffic from the heart of the town, and dispersing car trips onto a network of permeable and inter-connected streets. The measures and improvements set out in the Emerging Transport Strategy apply not just to the new population, but extend across the whole town, and offer real opportunity for local people to integrate and travel in a convenient and comfortable manner. Whitehill Bordon offers an opportunity to design and implement a high–quality, integrated, sustainable and modern transport system. It will enable growth to take place in an affordable, deliverable and innovative way that maximises existing assets and opportunities without damaging the environment or the local community.
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