FOREWORD

The Integrated Transport White Paper ‘A New Deal for Transport: - Better for Everyone’ introduced the concept of Local Transport Plans to replace the previous Transport Policies and Programme system. The Transport Bill, which is currently being considered by Parliament embodies the proposals set out in the White Paper, and proposes that Local Transport Plans (LTPs) become a statutory responsibility of local transport authorities. LTPs provide a more integrated approach towards transport planning at the local level with integration being understood in its broadest sense. There is not only integration between different modes of transport, but also between different providers of transport infrastructure and services, in both the public and private sectors. There is integration also with other policy areas including land use planning, health, education, regeneration, social exclusion, and crime prevention.

The basic objectives of the Government’s transport policy are to reduce congestion and pollution within the framework of the over-arching principles of integration and sustainability.  The purpose of this LTP is to apply these objectives to the particular circumstances of Northumberland, recognising the County’s specific problems and opportunities. In doing this, the LTP reflects the differences that exist between the urban and rural parts of the County.

A knowledge of local needs and issues is essential to the preparation of a realistic LTP for Northumberland, and consultation and community participation is a central part of the Plan preparation process. The Provisional LTP has been distributed widely and feedback encouraged. Building on the practices established in the development of the Provisional Plan, participation has been enabled by extending the countywide exhibitions and by holding seminars to raise awareness of issues and to seek a wide range of views.  These views are reflected in the LTP policies and programmes.

This is a time of great change and opportunity in the field of local transport, and Northumberland has responded enthusiastically to the challenge presented by this new agenda. The feedback on the Provisional LTP was positive and this Full LTP has taken into consideration constructive comments to provide a document that embodies a robust and holistic approach towards transport policy in Northumberland, and a realistic medium-term programme of action to enable the policy

to be translated into reality.

The Government is preparing a ten-year transport plan which will set out a long-term investment programme. It will focus mainly on what investment is needed to improve land transport for both passengers and freight including surface access to ports and airports. It will deliver the objectives set out in the Transport White Paper.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

STRATEGIC OVERVIEW

        The LTP process has strengthened the relationship between transport and land use by bringing together the location of development with the need for reduced travel overall and to encourage a modal shift to more sustainable forms of transport generally. Draft Regional Planning Guidance for the North East sets out a strategy for securing sustainable development and the Northumberland County Structure Plan has established a development strategy that is based on concentrating new development at existing settlements thus making best use of existing infrastructure and services.

          A primary concern is that of social and economic regeneration and this is especially important in areas of the County with low car ownership. The improvement of public transport and facilities for pedestrians and cyclists are therefore given priority in the LTP. Also as part of the planning process developers will be required to give priority to the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, peoplewith disabilities and public transport passengers over those of the private motorist.

          Northumberland is a county of two halves, a sparsely populated rural hinterland and an urbanised south east. There are particular problems such as the need to maintain the highest proportion of road length to population of any shire county and levels of deprivation can be found in the county that are normally only associated with inner-city areas. There are opportunities however in that there is space for development and there are no serious air pollution problems.  

LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

        The overall transport aim encompasses the Government’s overarching transport objectives and has been developed with the Council’s Strategic Statement in mind:

          “to create and maintain a safe, efficient and integrated transport system which maximises accessibility, minimises the adverse effect of traffic on the environment and communities, and facilitates the development of a strong economy and community”

          The following Local Transport Plan objectives have been developed to achieve this aim:

•   Promote integrated transport systems and land use patterns that minimise dependence on the private car.
•   Develop convenient, quality and affordable public transport services that meet the needs of all sections of the community particularly to main employment centres and services.
•   Contribute to the creation of safe, convenient and attractive places for people to work and live by improving access for all by sustainable means and managing traffic to reduce its impact on the environment and the community.
•   Maintain, and where necessary improve transport links to assist economic and community regeneration.
•   Extend the highway network only where necessary to improve road safety, reduce unacceptable environmental impacts on local communities or to enable new development.

LOCAL TRANSPORT STRATEGY

Increasing Travel Choice & the Opportunities for Sustainable Travel

        An improved public transport system will have the dual benefit of providing an alternative to the private motor car and of improving accessibility to jobs and services for those without transport. Public transport is therefore at the forefront of the County Council’s LTP strategy working in Quality partnerships with public transport operators, voluntary organisations and the community. The major public transport proposal for the County during the LTP period is the re-introduction of passenger transport services on the Ashington, Blyth and Tyne line which fulfils a number of social and economic as well as transport objectives. Elsewhere in the rail network operators will be encouraged to improve accessibility of their services.

          The LTP strategy includes a programme of investment to reallocate road space within towns and urban areas to cyclists and pedestrians and where appropriate to public transport. The main focus will be on main routes to schools, town centre services and public transport interchanges thereby increasing the opportunities for sustainable travel and deterring use by private vehicle.

The development of Travel Plans for schools and major employers, an extended or improved pedestrian and cycle network and dedicated bus services will provide alternative modes of travel that are safer, more sustainable and improve access for all sections of the community.

Minimising the Impact of Traffic on Communities & the Environment

        Working in partnership with other agencies, local businesses and the community action will be taken make the County’s town centres safe, attractive and convenient places to shop and do business. Emphasis will be placed on improving access to town centre services by all sections of the community particularly the most vulnerable members of society such as young people, the elderly and the disabled. To this effect town (and larger village) accessibility plans will be prepared to:

•   discourage extraneous vehicular traffic
•   re-allocate road space to people
•   provide good access for sustainable modes of transport
•   manage car parking to give priority to short term shoppers

          In residential areas similar action plans will be drawn up to create a safe and attractive environment by introducing traffic calming measures and the gradual introduction of 20 mph speed restrictions. 

          Measures to reduce the impact of traffic in village centres by traffic calming and management will be considered in advance of proposals to build new roads.  The Council currently protects a number of improvement lines for new road proposals in the County (mainly village bypass schemes) and the list of protected schemes are currently being re-assessed according to the Government’s “New Approach to Appraisal” guidelines.   The Council will ask the Highways Agency to reconsider investment in a bypass for Haydon Bridge on the A69 trunk road.

A Strategic Network of Transport Infrastructure

        The investment strategy seeks to maintain the principal road network to a high standard and investment from the Highways Agency will be sought to maintain the core trunk road network. The Council will continue to campaign for the continuous dualling of the A1 trunk road in order to improve road safety and inter-regional transport links for the benefit of the County’s economy.

          The rail network also requires investment and the commitments made in Railtrack’s 2000 Network Management Statement include faster line speeds on the Newcastle to Carlisle line and increased capacity on the East Coast Main Line. Encouragement will also be given to the establishment of freight facilities particularly through the planning process and access to sea ports at Berwick and Blyth and Newcastle International Airport will be improved as appropriate to enable a shift in the movement of freight off road.

IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAMME

Major Transport Schemes

        The County Council is bidding for one major transport scheme over the duration of the five-year LTP.  This is for funds to re-establish passenger train services over the Ashington, Blyth and Tyne line as an integrated transport corridor co-ordinating with other public transport and providing opportunities for multi-modal journeys. The bulk of the funding is being bid through the Rail Passenger Partnership, however elements of the project will be submitted for LTP funding to improve access to the stations on the line. A five-year bid totalling £2.4m is being made.

Other Public Transport Schemes

        The relocation of Cramlington railway station south of its existing situation to improve the number of people travelling by an improved local train service on the East Coast Main Line is included in the implementation programme and potentially a substantial element could be funded bydeveloper contributions.  Other measures include bus station and bus stop improvements, cycle storage facilities at bus and rail stations and a regional journey planner and call centre will continue to be developed. A five-year bid totalling £3.675m is being made.

Local Safety Schemes

        The successful programme of recent years will be continued and expanded subject to the availability of funding including the treatment of high accident risk sites, area action schemes, improved pedestrian facilities, with the aim of reducing casualty levels overall by 40% and 50%for children by the year 2010. A five-year bid totalling £2.9m m is being made.

Minor Improvements

        The minor improvements programme has for a number of years targeted town centres and neighbourhoods to enable particularly the most vulnerable members of society, such as schoolchildren, the disabled and the elderly, to travel in a sustainable and safe way to their destination. Schemes such as new footpath/cycleway links, streetlighting, measures for the disabled and improvements for public transport passengers are packaged to achieve the maximum benefits for the community. A five-year bid totalling £7.5m is being made.

Principal Road Maintenance

        The LTP contains a robust bid for maintenance of the principal road network.  It is intended to recover the backlog of maintenance which has occurred over several years due to insufficient funding under the TPP regime. A five-year bid totalling £17.53m is being made.

Bridge Maintenance Programme

        As with the road maintenance programme, the five-year programme for bridges and structures will ensure that the network is capable of accommodating the traffic that needs to use it.  A prioritised programme of maintenance and renewal has been drawn up to target resources where they will achieve the highest benefit. A five-year bid totalling £17.58m is being made.

Road Schemes

             Morpeth Northern Bypass Stage 1 has been re-assessed resulting in a positive cost-benefit analysis and this scheme will be promoted for implementation in the plan period as part of the integrated transport package. The re-assessment of the protected road lines will be continued, full public consultation will be undertaken before decisions are made on whether particular road lines will continue to be protected. Small improvement schemes on the A696/A68 Non Core Trunk Road at Heeston Bank and Raylees Bridge are also being promoted. A five-year bid for the three schemes, totalling £4.7m is being made.

MONITORING

          A list of 45 targets has been established to monitor the progress of the LTP. These have been cross-referenced against the relevant objectives and policies of the LTP and details are given of how performance will be monitored.