Transport

Our Local Plan should

  • make sustainable transport choices easy, preferred option;
  • prioritise walking, cycling and public transport;
  • promote activity and social interaction, contributing to health and inclusion;
  • incorporate green infrastructure and wildlife corridors to help improve biodiversity

It should take a ‘vision and validate’ approach, not predict and provide, which results in more cars.

Location and connectivity

The CIHT paper ‘Better Planning, Better Transport, Better Places’ should underpin decisions about housing locations. 

Sustainability assessments must calculate the carbon costs of the lifestyles generated by developments: the carbon costs of commuters, school children and shoppers.

Locations must be aligned with transport from the outset, starting from the existing sustainable transport, particularly the rail system, which is currently the lowest carbon form of travel.

The vast majority of commuters should be able to walk or cycle to train stations, not have to catch buses in addition to their trains.

Mobility hubs should be considered, using electric shuttle buses for first-and-last-mile transport to and from the train stations, integrated with active travel routes.

Active travel must be at the heart of the design process.

 

Cycling

Identify and prioritise further cycling routes throughout the district, including safe links between villages, Safe School Cycle Routes and cycle lanes which run contra one-way systems.

Explore cycle lanes on farmland and disused railway tracks such as Saffron Walden to Ashdon, Bartlow, Linton and Cambridge.

 

Walking

All facilities can be easily reached by, parents with prams, children and the elderly. Benches should be included for the elderly, as should toilet facilities.

Routes should follow desire lines.

New developments should obey the 15 minute rule: all facilities within 15 minutes’ walk of homes, promoting health and social interaction. 

Trains

All new development must have easy, active travel access to clean transport, particularly the rail system.

Ambitious planning should extend that system. Re-instate the line along the Flitch Way from Stansted Mountfitchet to Braintree or extend a new line from Stansted Airport past Little Easton to Dunmow would open up powerful new corridors of sustainable transport and connectivity to London.

Buses

For bus travel to be effective and attractive it must:

  • Use integrated, cashless ticketing systems that are valid with all service providers
  • Connect with rail services waiting for delayed trains
  • Include electronic communication at all bus stops

Buses only really have high credibility when they operate on a segregated infrastructure, free from traffic. Time for a new, cleaner guided busway system!

 

Cars

Planning must promote the swiftest possible switch to electric vehicles with:

  • EV charging available to all households
  • Fast EV charging at car parks, leisure centres, supermarkets, petrol stations etc

 

Wild life corridors should be incorporated into the design of all transport infrastructures to promote bio diversity and improved quality of life. 

Garden communities

The Town and Country Planning Association Guide recommends:

  • 50% of trips to be made by non-car means, with a goal to increase to at least 60%;
  • public transport nodes and neighbourhood facilities should be a short walk from every home.
  • homes should be within 800 metres of schools for children under 11.
  • walking, cycling and public transport infrastructure needs are met before major roads are delivered,
  • layout is designed around active travel, social, cultural and economic activity, not parking and cars.