Southend wins £4,816,000 bid for sustainable transport

For this successful bid from the Department for Transport's Local Sustainable Travel Fund, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council submitted a detailed package of sustainable travel measures.  

These were devised to improve access to the growing employment areas of London Southend Airport/Business Park and Town Centre, while reducing the current and future demand for short distance car journeys and CO2 emissions.  

Under the title: Smarter, Active and Sustainable Southend - the bid explained how sustainable travel would directly support 13,000 new jobs being created and new housing being planned in Southend and Rochford, by building on quality cycling and walking routes, marketing and communications, partnerships, travel planning, and complementary Integrated Transport Management Systems.  

These proposals were developed with widespread support from the community and local businesses, and aimed to take forward even further, the significant results already achieved by Cycle Southend. This funding helps secure - when matched with the Council's and other third parties' investment - high quality sustainable travel work in the borough for a further three years.  

The full details of the bid are available on Southend-on-Sea Borough Council 's website: http://www.southend.gov.uk/ and the results have just been announced by the Department for Transport.

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council 's Executive Council lor for Public Protection, Waste and Transport, Council lor Tony Cox said: "The announcement of this funding is terrific news. It means we will be able to continue and hugely expand the vital work already going on to increase sustainable travel options.  

"This further underlines the importance of lots of organisations and businesses working in partnership together in Southend over transport issues.  Accessibility is a major factor in our ability to retain employers in the town and attract new businesses.  

"With this funding - which will also help open the door to other grant possibilities - we can make a bigger impact in reducing congestion on Southend's main routes. This can be achieved by encouraging people to make many more local trips to work by sustainable means, and access stations by walking, cycling and public transport.  

"We will also be developing information systems to make sure residents, visitors, employers and employees are kept fully up to date with the increasing travel choices and growing network of cycle routes."