Local Transport Plan 3

An opportunity for businesses to benefit from a proposed £5m package of sustainable transport measures in partnership with the community and the Borough Council.

A new Fund for local sustainable transport has recently been announced by the Government. The Borough Council is developing a bid to the Fund, to be submitted by 18th April 2011, and needs the support of businesses, the community and other key stakeholders. The Fund will support sustainable transport proposals that encourage economic growth and reduce carbon emissions. It also provides the opportunity to take an integrated approach to meeting local challenges whilst delivering additional wider social, environmental, health and safety benefits for the local community. The onus is with us, working in partnership, to identify the right solutions to meet the economic, social and environmental challenges faced in our Borough.

Solutions will be geared to tackling the problems of congestion and improving the reliability and predictability of journey times and access to employment, which we know can cost businesses millions of pounds each year. Short trips of less than five miles cause peak hour delays and in many cases these could be made by walking, cycling or public transport. They should at the same time bring about a sustainable change to patterns of travel behaviour and so deliver a reduction in carbon and other harmful emissions.

The Council is keen to build on the success of the "Cycle Southend" and "Move Easy" initiatives that combine investment in infrastructure with incentives to change travel behaviour. For example, new cycle parking at schools, businesses and stations encourages cycle use for short trips, whilst workplace travel plans can support businesses in expanding and growing without adding to congestion.

Southend has nine rail stations and a good bus network. By working with the bus and train operators we can promote and encourage greater use of public transport. New ticketing arrangements, travel information and real-time displays all help in encouraging a more sustainable transport choice.

As a 'Plugged in Place' Southend will be at the forefront of encouraging the uptake of electric vehicles for trips in and out of the Borough by car.

These are some of the ideas that we have and we welcome your thoughts. If you have suggestions supporting sustainable transport and ways in which we can work in partnership to achieve a culture change towards greener more sustainable, low carbon transport please contact council@southend.gov.uk for more details. We would like to hear from you as soon as possible.