APPENDIX A2

PUBLIC CONSULTATION/PARTICIPATION 1998 MVA Ltd.

The consultation process was in four parts:

1. a structured sample of residents of the South Pennines area
2. a structured sample of visitors to the South Pennines area
3. a series of focus groups, seminars and interviews with business and interest groups
4. a series of public exhibitions around the area, with reply paid questionnaire

The strategy consisted of seven proposals as follows:

1. re-opening of the Matlock-Buxton railway
2. improvements to train services on the north and south trans-Pennine rail routes
3. the increased use of rail for carrying freight
4. traffic calming and lower speeds in the National Park and surrounding urban areas
5. improvements to the A628 corridor, including a widened single carriageway, crawler lanes, and tunnel under the high moors
6. constructing the A57/A628 Mottram-Tintwistle Bypass
7. improvements to the A52/523 corridor

Residents and Visitors’ Survey

The main transport issues identified were:

1. traffic congestion
2. traffic travelling too fast
3. traffic pollution

The level of agreement/disagreement with the strategy was as follows:

1. the majority agreed with the strategy approach – 84% of residents, 86% of visitors either agreed or strongly agreed. 2% of residents and 3% of visitors disagreed, none strongly disagreed
2. the main reason given for supporting the strategy was that it would reduce traffic congestion
3. 71% of residents and 73% of visitors felt that the strategy would be good for them personally and 78% of residents and 86% of visitors felt that the strategy would be good for people who live in the area

The residents’/visitors’ opinions of individual components of the strategy were as follows:

1. the majority of people agreed with each of the proposals
2. the highest level of support was for the use of railways for goods (90%)

Business and Special Interest Groups

The general views were as follows:

1. the aims of the strategy were felt to be generally reasonable and commendable
2. concern was expressed about the re-routeing of cross Park traffic potentially leading to a ban on cross Park lorry movement
3. general agreement about the re-opening of Buxton-Matlock line, but some doubt about the effectiveness of getting goods traffic off the roads
4. haulage operators and public transport operators were not generally in favour of physical traffic calming measures. Speed restrictions with better enforcement were preferred
5. shopping and tourist businesses were wholly opposed to traffic calming, feeling that it would cause people to avoid the area and have an adverse effect on trade
6. strong support for Mottram-Tintwistle Bypass from business organisations
7. other proposals were generally supported, but there was scepticism about the ability to implement them

Transport and Green Groups

The outcome of the Transport and Green Groups consultations was:

1. general support for an integrated transport strategy
2. consensus view that the proposed strategy was reasonable, but some felt it to be too road biased and too limited in range
3. strong disagreement with proposals to improve the A628 by some organisations, but
4. support for Mottram-Tintwistle Bypass from local residents’ associations
5. particular worries about the environmental effects of road and rail construction proposals and subsequent operations

Exhibition questionnaires

The questionnaire returns were not a random sample, so it was of interest to compare these findings with the structured surveys:

1. findings were generally the same as for the residents and visitor surveys, but with a tendency for the extremes of view to be exaggerated
2. still 82% either agreed or strongly agreed with the strategy approach, but 6% strongly disagreed

Suggested additions to the strategy

The following topics were identified as useful additions to the strategy:

1. the role of Park & Ride in Trans-Pennine traffic (public transport operators)
2. the role of buses both for local and cross Park transport
3. the need to examine better integration of public transport systems and information
4. complementary measures for pedestrians and cyclists
5. the role of a travel awareness campaign
6. an examination of parking control as a means of traffic restraint
7. a closer relationship with other aspects of land use planning
8. a more focussed examination on the environmental effects of the proposals in certain areas of extreme environmental sensitivity e.g. in the Matlock-Buxton corridor, and on the A628 through the Woodhead Moors Special Protection Area
9. A need to examine the effects of the strategy on the A628/616 corridor, particularly the villages of Langsett and Midhope

Consultant comment and advice

The consultants strongly advised that there should be a mechanism established to ensure that the public and particularly the business and special interest groups are kept informed about the strategy, consulted about changes to it, and consulted whenever aspects of the strategy are to be implemented.

The Peak Park Transport Forum accepted this advice, and, following the participation workshop in 1999, will issue a regular newsletter, establish a website, publicise the Peak Park Transport Forum meetings as open to the public, and continue to consult at appropriate stages of the project. This activity is in addition to the normal statutory processes which are linked to the major schemes.