Freight Sub-Group

Description:

Sub-group to consider how to address issues of freight management – initially considering contribution to High Gauge Rail Freight Study.

Conflict between planning and rail freight grant raised at Participation Workshop.  

Objectives met:

To maximise the use of rail for freight transport (Theme 1g Freight by Rail)

Partners:

Railtrack PLC, Tameside, Kirklees, Sheffield, Derbyshire, Peak National Park, Highways Agency

EWS and SSRA?

Estimated funding and possible sources:

£10,000 earmarked from SPITS budget to assist with Railtrack High Gauge Study  

Current status:

First meeting to be arranged  

Priority/possible implementation date:

Date form updated: September 2000

SW Traffic Restraint sub-group

Description:

Sub-group to consider how traffic restraint measures can be addressed in the SW area of SPITS – ie between and including the A6 and A52/A523, and effects upon surrounding areas. To include speed reduction strategy (1997 study proposed 40mph speed limit throughout Park), and travel awareness issues.

To include the following raised at the Participation Workshop Oct 1999

• examine scope for Park and Ride for journeys into the Park
• consider non-motorised traffic; complementary measures for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders
• examine parking control as a means of traffic restraint
• consider banning cars from certain locations
• examine scope for travel awareness campaign
• economic justification through study of accident stats
• consider overall area-based speed reduction protocol
• be mindful of ‘valued characteristics;’ must be sensitive to visual intrusion of measures
• assess role of electronic speed control

Objectives met:

To limit traffic growth on other roads within the South Pennines (Theme 1d Limitation of traffic growth).

To create a safer environment (Theme 2 Safer environment for all)

Partners:

Highways Agency, Derbyshire County Council, Staffordshire County Council, Cheshire County Council, Tameside MBC , Stockport MBC, Peak National Park Authority, Derby City, Countryside Agency, Macclesfield Borough Council.

After initial meeting, all other appropriate districts, and police as appropriate

Estimated funding and possible sources:

Pilot study will be eligible for Rural Development Area and Objective 2 status funding, with elements such as quiet roads and cycle ways.

Current status:

At the first meeting, Trevor Arnold from Scott Wilson gave a brief presentation on the Traffic Restraint & Park & Ride Study (Options Paper) prepared by them in advance of the meeting.

Following this, the group organised a brief for consultants to carry out as follows:

1. An examination of potential traffic restraint measures and best practice, with particular reference to measures that would be appropriate and effective in a sensitive landscape like a National Park and identifying the suitability of traffic restraint measures for different types of road, e.g. measures that might be suitable on a trunk or A road might be quite inappropriate on an unclassified rural road.
2. An identification of existing Origin and Destination data that is suitable for assessing the impact of any diversionary effects of traffic restraint and identify what gaps there are in the data and what would be the most cost effective method of obtaining the necessary information.
3. An examination of the likely diversionary routes

Since the first meeting, the group has met again, where Scott Wilson reported on progress made with preliminary assignments. These are ongoing at present.

Priority/possible implementation date: 2004/5

Date form updated: January 2001

Strategic Bus Services Sub-Group

Description:

Sub-group to consider strategic bus routes, including inter-modality, accessibility and affordability.

Other aspects raised at the Participation workshop (October 1999) include:

• through ticketing systems
• access to bus routes
• access to healthcare
• cheaper children’s tickets
• cheap cross-boundary fares
• marketing of services (existing and new)

-consider disabled people

Objectives met:

To improve strategic public transport services within the South Pennines

area (Theme 1a Strategic public transport services)

Partners:

Peak District National Park, Cheshire County Council, Derbyshire County Council, Greater Manchester PTE, South Yorkshire PTE, West Yorkshire PTE, Staffordshire County Council, Stockport MBC, Trent Buses

Estimated funding and possible sources:

There is about £20,000 available in the strategy budget for this project, which can be added to with assistance from Objective 1 and 2 funds. To gain the additional funds required for the work:

At present a funding bid including market research, interconnection/ interchange ideas, geo-coding & bike buses is being put together.

Current status:

After preliminary discussions it was decided for the group to focus initially on looking at what the role of the long distance services will be in the area in the future and whether it will be possible persuade motorists to switch from car to bus. This would mean finding out what the motorist is doing at the moment i.e. a market research exercise.

It was decided that rather than doing a full study it would be better to pick up the 5 main services (X1, X18, X67, Transpeak & Olham-Holmfirth-Barnsley) and do the research on the basis of upgrading them. This could be run as a pilot which could then be extended to other services. To compliment this, a supporting network of services from surrounding settlements to the main routes will need to be developed.

A number of smaller issues have been discussed including the potential for improved interconnection of services, rural bus interchanges, bike buses and geo-coded bus stops.

Market Research Studies

Any existing data covering the area has been collated. To help decide the best way to gather further necessary information, an MR Agency were consulted.

MR agency suggestion to establish movement into and out of the towns

the sites are now Buxton, Bakewell, Leek, Tideswell and Holmfirth

Priority/possible implementation date:

Date form updated: January 2001

A628/A616 selected, limited improvements

Description:

Comprehensive review required of the section between Tintwistle and Stocksbridge. Improvements are felt to be necessary in view of the predictions that traffic would be diverted to this route from elsewhere in the Park.

Any improvements must, however, have special regard to the environment. Environmental mitigation measures would be needed especially through the Woodhead Moors Special Protection Area. SPITS proposals have included a good quality single carriageway, with crawler lanes on severe gradients, and the proposal for cut/cover tunnelling under the SPA.

The National Park’s acceptance of any improvements to the A628/A616 is on the clear understanding that there will be traffic restraint elsewhere, and that this restraint, plus the environmental mitigation measures, would ensure an overall benefit to the Park.

The Park’s view is that, in assessing the benefits/disbenefits to the Park, socio-economic matters should be included as well as environmental issues, whilst being mindful that the Park’s primary purpose is "conserving and enhancing the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the National Park." Under the terms of the 1995 Environment Act, agencies promoting development in National Parks are under an obligation to "have regard to National Park purposes" unless there is a reasoned justification not to do so. It is government policy that "no new route (through a National Park) should be constructed, or existing route upgraded unless there is a compelling need that cannot be met by any reasonable alternative means." The government accepted that , in certain cases, avoidance of transport infrastructure development would be difficult, the Woodhead route being an example of this.

The ‘selected, limited, improvements’ therefore need to be judged in the context of the whole strategy.

Objectives met:

To conserve and enhance the valued characteristics of the National Park and its environs (Theme 4 Valued characteristics)

To make best use of and improve the Highways Agency’s core road network (Theme1c trunk roads)

To create a safer environment for cross-Pennine travellers (Theme 2 Safer environment)

To help develop in a sustainable way the economies of the South Pennines area (Theme 3 Sustainable economy)

Partners:

Peak Park Transport Forum

Estimated funding and possible sources:

-

Current status:

Meeting (August 2000) to discuss the role of the A628 (PDNPA, Government Office East Midlands, Derbyshire County Council, Highways Agency, Tameside MBC, Kirklees MBC, Sheffield City). In view of the Highways Agency’s remit to carry out Route Management Strategies, and the relevance of ongoing Multi-Modal Studies, it was agreed that it would be sensible to wait until the implementation of the Mottram-Hollingworth-Tintwistle scheme, and the application of the pilot traffic restraint measures, before the exact nature of the ‘selected, limited improvements’ is devised. In the meantime, proposals could be investigated further. For example, the A628 Woodhead route is on a shortlist for a Highways Agency pilot scheme which is investigating the concept of ‘green bridges.’

Priority/possible implementation date:

To be applied after Mottram-Hollingworth-Tintwistle and pilot traffic restraint measures

Date form updated: September 2000