A national seminar was held in July 2001 to scope views, followed by further discussions with individuals and internal groups. Discussions have been held with selected partners to gauge the role that the Countryside Agency can and should play in dev...
Countryside Agency Archive

Breadcrumbs

Transport in Tomorrow's Countryside AP02/28

Principal Manager Responsible: Canda Smith Lead Board Member: Martin Doughty

FOR DECISION

  • agree its overall approach to transport issues, demonstrated in the paper, following 10 principles set out in Annex 1, and detailed in Annex 2. 
  • agree an approach to influencing the relevant audiences.  

Relevance to Strategy and Corporate Plan:

  • Fully consistent; transport is a priority area of work that cuts across many Agency activities.
  • The attached document is central to the work of Rural Assurance Transport, by providing the policy we follow, which can be shared with others.  

Staff and financial implications:

  • No financial variations from the corporate plan at this stage. The publication of this document will help regional staff respond to complex issues more efficiently and effectively. 
  • Other position papers on specific aspects will provide more detailed guidance to regional staff.  

Main issues to concern the Board:

  • Do the ten principles (listed in Annex One) work? 
  • Are we sufficiently realistic about cars versus public transport? Residents and visitors? Infrastructure need and countryside conservation? 
  • Is the relationship between transport and economic vitality and regeneration sufficiently addressed?
  • How much priority we should give to influencing on transport issues, per se, as distinct from access to rural services.  

Background

  1. Transport is relevant to all themes of the work of the Agency. Our transport objective (in the Agency's strategy) is to enhance the quality of life for rural communities through improved access to social and economic opportunities for those without a car, high quality transport infrastructure, and the increased availability of realistic alternatives for those with a car, particularly visitors to the countryside.
  2. Our role is to: 
    • influence national, regional and local government to get the rural framework right; 
    • influence operators to serve rural communities better; 
    • demonstrate practical measures through needs assessment, research, good practice etc. to aid the influencing role; and 
    • demonstrate coherence to partners across the range of the Agency's work.  
  3. A previous paper (AP01/23) identified the need to set out the Agency's vision for transport. This would helppolicy makers in local and national government, and others interested in the way transport works in the countryside, to understand how the Countryside Agency is likely to react to proposals and what we will be likely to propose in the future. 
  4. Relevant powers or duties
  5. The Countryside Agency has a role as a statutory consultee in transport planning and infrastructure, as well as engagement in issues such as multi-modal studies. A major role of Rural Assurance Transport is in influencing policy. It is thus important for our position on this large and complex area of policy to be transparent and public.
  6. Progress to date
  7. A national seminar was held in July 2001 to scope views, followed by further discussions with individuals and internal groups. Discussions have been held with selected partners to gauge the role that the Countryside Agency can and should play in developing rural transport policy.
  8. The result is the draft document at Annex 2. It covers a wide range of areas, including some aspects, such as our research and demonstration projects, over which the Countryside Agency has direct control, and areas where we can influence others.The document is associated with the list of principles at Annex 1. 
  9. Several important developments in transport policy formulation since drafting started have highlighted the importance of rural assurance in transport policy development, and the need to adjust timing of this policy paper to take account of new developments. In particular, the Social Exclusion Unit has studied transport and social exclusion and the Commission for Integrated Transport has reviewed subsidy to the bus industry.
  10. The document has been shared informally with DEFRA, DfT and others (including NGOs) with generally positive responses so far. Views based on the draft circulated are summarised in Annex Three.
  11. Proposals
  12. We would not normally put so much detailed material to the Board for consideration, but it seems important for Board Members to understand how the strategic principles translate into the details of a policy that interacts with all the various rural priorities. So, we invite the Board first to consider the ten principles in Annex 1. These can be applied to most transport policy issues and will determine the way we will work. The principles cover issues of:  
  • accessibility, safety, sustainable development and countryside character, as the keys to transport improvement rather than mobility and speed of travel;
  • levelling the costs of travel between modes and prioritising less damaging modes;
  • managing demand and supply in transport, rather than catering for forecast demand;
  • empowering local communities to develop local transport that is relevant to them and which will integrate with more strategic networks; and
  • enabling choice of modes and mixing of modes, so that journeys are planned based on effective choice rather than choosing one mode out of necessity or habit.
    1. The translation of the principles into the full paper at Annex Two should help to show the implications of the strategy proposed by the principles. We do not expect the Board to consider every last word of the document. It is the job of officers to translate principles into practice. But Annex 2 may trigger issues worth a debate:
      • The vision is underpinned by our view that it is accessibility to facilities, services, people and places rather than transport itself that enhances people's lives in rural areas and access to countryside. This translates into creating a realistic choice of services and facilities located close at hand or in easily accessible locations, and having a realistic choice of means of getting to those places.  
  • The draft policy accepts that, in reality, the car will maintain an important role in rural areas. However, our intention is to promote the availability of real and credible choice. This means putting stress on improving conditions for public transport users, pedestrians and cyclists, and ensuring that facilities and services are available locally and in accessible locations. 
    • Managing demand, rather than catering for demand, is central to much of the policy. The consequences of not adopting this policy are spelt out, with concern for future traffic levels and for the land needed to accommodate higher levels of car ownership and use.
    • Safety rather than speed is put forward as the aim in changes to, and maintenance of, the transport infrastructure, as well as maintaining and enhancing countryside character.
    • The policy is based on encouraging choice in the use of transport modes and developing networks for modes to coexist and to enable interchange between modes. Building rural transport networks that enable access by a full range of modes is core to the policy.
      1. The key actions we see as important for others to implement to achieve our objectives (see Section 5 of Annex Two) include:
        • improving rural proofing and appraisal methodologies;
        • ensuring public spending and fiscal policy are better aligned to sustainable rural transport networks;
        • overcoming regulatory barriers to effective rural transport provision; and
        • enabling greater community participation.
          1. Our role is described and our priority actions for the coming years (see Section 5 of Annex Two) are put forward as:  
  • involvement in rural assurance with priority to the national and regional level aspects over local schemes;
  • setting standards and benchmarking through the implementation teams and, by spreading good practice from lessons learnt, to inform local operators and authorities;
  • developing new solutions through the implementation teams and through research; and
  • enabling a forum for development of rural transport policy.
    1. Financial and manpower consequences
        1. In itself, this paper does not commit the Agency to new projects or programmes of work. It should enable all those involved with transport issues one way or another to explain our position more readily. It should make our influencing more effective within the resources available. 
      2. Next steps
        1. We plan not to publish this document with a great flurry (the messages are too diffuse) but to publish it in house style, circulate it to key partners and make it available on the website. 
        2. This document is intended for staff to use as a foundation for influencing at the national and regional level and for regional staff to use in place of responses to many queries and proposals.
        3. The document will form the basis for talks and be available at conferences on transport, and Countryside Agency regional seminars (for example on good practice and Local Transport Plans).
        4. Internal briefing papers and position statements are also being written on specific aspects of the transport policy, to give more detailed guidance to regional staff.  
      3. Risks and mitigation measures
        1. The publication of a policy on transport may lead to increased questions related to transport and requests for Agency involvement that we do not have the resources to meet. This points to a need for more training for regional staff in the rationale behind the transport policy statements, as well as the internal guidance to focus attention and effort on critical areas.
        2. The consequences of not producing a policy statement also carry risks. The need to produce something along these lines is in part a response to the need for greater clarity and focus in our transport work. Our influencing work at national and regional level could suffer from lack of clarity and inconsistencies. Also, bodies receiving funding from the Countryside Agency may take our financial support as being equivalent to support for their views, which is not necessarily the case. 
        3. In making our position more transparent, there is always a risk of alienation of some sectors of some lobby groups. However, if the document fails to set out a clear position, there is also a risk of partial failure to influence change through the document aiming to please all groups. Consultation will be important to minimise any such effects and ensure appropriate balance.  

Annex One

The Ten Principles

The ten principles used throughout the report are described here firstly in a form designed to be understood by those with an interest in transport policy, followed by a 'plain English' form (in italics) which may be more suitable if publicity for the principles is thought wise. For a transport audience we suggest the first form should be used to ensure the principles convey the full technical meaning implied.

Accessibility rather than mobility must be the prime aim of transport policy.

  1. Transport policy should make services and facilities easier to reach, rather than just increase the amount and speed of travel 
Transport infrastructure must be planned, designed and maintained in a way thatrespects countryside character and contributes to the environment
  1. Services and transport must link together to enhance life and the economy in rural areas 
Transport and land use policy must work together in a way that contributes to improved accessibility within context of sustainable development
  1. Roads, railways and associated building that make travel possible must fit in with the character of the countryside and improve the quality of life for all  
The cost of travel by different modes must be altered so the car is not perceived as being cheaper than public transport, and spending must be reallocated towards non car modes
  1. Travel by public transport should not cost more than by car - and government spending should favour non car transport  
The forecast rate of traffic growth in the countryside must be slowed through travel demand management being at the heart of rural transport policy
  1. We must slow the rate of traffic growth in the countryside by creating alternatives to car and lorry travel  
For long distance journeys that will involve travel through rural areas emphasis should shift towards those that have the lowest environmental impacts, with a preference for rail over road over air transport
  1. Rail is less damaging to the environment than road and air travel and we must encourage long distance travel to use less damaging modes  
People must feel safe and secure when travelling by any mode in the countryside
  1. People must feel safe and secure when travelling in the countryside  
Communities must be empowered to invest in new transport solutions safe in the knowledge that they will be able to run and maintain them into the future
  1. More decisions affecting travel should be made locally, and a wider range of longer term funding options should be available  
People must be able to choose modes, or a combination of modes, for their journeys that will vary according to the particular circumstances of their journey rather than finding that one mode is always their preferred or only choice
  1. There must be smooth interchanges between types of transport, so that people can use a combination of services with the same ease as a relying only on one.   
We must build networks that provide for access to a good range of services, and provide for people to reach and travel around the countryside with ease - by public transport and by non-motorised modes
  1. Walkers, public transport users, cyclists, and horse riders must be able to move around safely and freely, and be able to access services and the countryside easily  

Annex Two

"Transport in tomorrow's countryside"

Contents

Foreword 1 (9)

1 Transport in the countryside 2 (10)

2 A vision for transport in tomorrow's countryside 5 (13)

3 The Countryside Agency's roles in transport 6 (14)

4 Principles and propositions for transport in rural areas 7 (15)

5 Main actions 18 (25)

Foreword

Transport is one of the most critical issues of concern in rural areas. It has a major impact on people's access to employment, education and quality of life, on the viability of rural businesses, and on the character of the countryside itself. Transport is integral to all themes of the Countryside Agency's work, with our responsibility to advise central and local government on countryside issues and achieve the very best for the English countryside.

This policy statement sets out the Countryside Agency's views on transport issues so that policy makers in local and national government can understand how the Countryside Agency will be likely to react to proposals, and understand our aspirations.It will also be of interest to those in delivery roles. Building on the Agency strategy, and our policy statements set out in 'Planning tomorrow's countryside', we set out in more detail our vision of how transport should serve rural communities and those visiting rural areas.

National transport policies and practices can have a different impact in rural areas. Rural residents travel, on average, over 40% further than urban residents each week. Car reliance is higher, because facilities and services are likely to be further away, there is often lack of public transport alternatives, and car ownership is higher, particularly amongst low-income households. We put forward 10 principles which we believe will assist in ensuring policies and practices take proper account of rural needs. 

These principles must be seen in the context of sustainable development, requiring social economic and environmental objectives to be met together. Thus our policy is based around increasing the level of accessibility for rural dwellers and businesses, and people visiting rural areas, while protecting quality of life and the environment in the countryside by ensuring that necessary infrastructure for transport is in keeping with local countryside character. The aim is to ensure that all have a reasonable degree of accessibility to the services and facilities they require and that a real and credible choice is available in where and how people travel to reach the destinations they require. This means putting stress on improving conditions for public transport users, pedestrians and cyclists, and ensuring that facilities and services are available locally and in accessible locations. 

The document sets out how our vision can be achieved, and where the Countryside Agency fits in terms of working towards the vision. This covers a wide range of areas, including some aspects such as our research and demonstration projects over which the Countryside Agency has direct control, and areas where we can influence others. 

Rural transport measures typically cover a large number of very small scale projects, but rural transport is affected by the large scale policies instigated at the national level. Thus, the nature of transport in rural areas means that we have to think big in reacting to policy by others, and think small in terms of the way transport affects individual people in rural situations.

1. Transport in the Countryside 

1.1. Rural areas differ greatly. At one extreme are areas close to cities with high levels of commuting, and relatively high population densities. At the other extreme are remote areas with low populations. There is a wide variety in between, such as deep rural but higher density areas (for example many parts of Devon), and areas that are close to cities but with lower density (for example the Peak District). 

1.2. While these areas differ markedly, many of the issues facing rural transport can be found in all areas. Broad brush analysis gives a slightly different picture than that facing urban residents (figure one). On average, car ownership is higher in rural areas and people travel further by car, but people spend about the same amount of time in travel as urban residents and their expenditure on travel is only a little higher than in urban areas. However, this 'average' picture hides extremes of great concern. A large minority who do not have access to a car can suffer real hardship from their lack of mobility due to the scarcity and dispersed nature of rural services and facilities (16% of household are non-car owning and 20% of adults do not have a full driving licence in rural areas). 

1.3. Rural people can find themselves with similar degrees of isolation, whether they are in the urban fringe, or in deep rural areas. With average earnings lower for jobs in rural areas, and the highest proportion of low income workers found in predominantly rural areas, many can find that transport is a major barrier and is a cause of social exclusion. However, due to the local diversity there can be no one blueprint that will be appropriate in all rural areas, although all areas need new solutions. 

1.4. Although about 20% of the population of England live in rural areas, about 60% of motorised traffic (measured in vehicle kilometres) is found in rural areas. This is made up partly of travel by rural residents and travel by urban residents to rural areas, but largely by interurban traffic using the motorway and major road systems. This level of traffic has significant impacts on rural areas, in terms of damage to the physical environment, damage to tranquillity and countryside character, and impacts on safety. The influence of transport infrastructure is equally important. 

1.5. Rural areas are facing significant change, and trends relating to transport are having major rural impacts, as the following examples illustrate.

  • There are continuing increases in car ownership and use across the country, but traffic is increasing much faster in rural areas than urban areas.
  • The trend is for people to move from urban to rural areas (counterurbanisation) leading to greater urbanisation of countryside, but more young rural residents are moving to towns to find suitable education, training and employment opportunities.
  • Although the trend is slowing, facilities and jobs continue to be relocated away from market town or city centres toward out-of-town car based locations. This is coupled with economies of scale tending towards fewer and larger facilities. The effects have been to accelerate the decline in rural services and to lead to a greater reliance on the car.
  • Increases in longer distance travel (for leisure and business) by car, rail, and air have increased the impacts on rural areas affected.
  • Globalisation of markets is leading to more long distance freight movement and damage to local businesses with a continued trend towards road freight.  

1.7 If current trends are allowed to continue the potential for unreversable consequences exists.

  • Traffic would continue to grow much faster in rural areas, creating further pressure for a much expanded road system or greater congestion and traffic 'trickling' down onto minor rural roads.
  • A much greater amount of land would be required to allow for the car to be used in greater numbers at homes, offices, shops, visitor areas and other destinations, with a corresponding loss of countryside character and local diversity.
  • There would be even fewer service outlets in rural areas, with a continuation of the trend to edge of town facilities where car use can be 'accommodated', but access by other modes is difficult and land take is greater.
  • There would be worsening isolation for those rural people without access to a car due to poverty, age, infirmity, or an unwillingness to drive. Rural social exclusion would increase.  

1.8. Positive changes are taking place to mitigate or address these damaging trends. Government policy for transport in rural areas has been greatly strengthened with the Integrated Transport White Paper, the Rural White Paper and the Ten Year Transport Plan. These have increased investment in transport in rural areas up to £239 million, and have introduced measures such as Rural Bus Subsidy Grant, Rural Bus Challenge, and the Rural Transport Partnerships, as well as measures to help safeguard local services in rural areas (figure two).

1.9. However, more needs to be done. It is not enough to put in place damage limitation strategies. Concerted efforts must be made at all levels to slow or reverse these trends. Rural societies deserve improved ways of catering for people's accessibility needs that are less environmentally and socially costly. The vision, principles and propositions contained in this document are our contribution to the debate.

Figure one: Transport in Rural England compared to national averages

Population

Rural ~=20%England 100%

Transport volume

40% (ex Motorways)100%

Road length

~200,000 kms~390,000 kms
Access to a car

Households with access to a car

84%72%

Households with 2 or more cars

40%26%

% of those over 17 with car driver access 

80%66%

% of men over 17 with car driver access

87%77%

% of women over 17 with car driver access

72%56%

% of income spent on transport

18.1%17.0%
Access to transport and other services

HHs within 13 mins bus target 

50%88%

HHs within 26 mins walk of a rail station

9%41%

HHs within 13 minutes walk of a food store

60%82%
Use of transport modes

Walk trips per person per year

195271

Cycle trips per person per year

1316

Car driver trips per person per year

495411

Local bus trips per person per year

2758

Rail trips per person per year

1019

Taxi/ minicab trips per person per year

<112

Total trips per person per year

1,0161,030

% of all journeys by car

74%62%

% of all journeys made on foot

19%26%

% of journeys made by local bus

3%6%
Lengths of journeys

Average length of a car journey

10.5 m8.5 m

Average length of a bus journey

6.9 m4.2 m

Average length of a walk journey

0.5 m0.6 m

Figure two: Rural Transport Policy in context

The Rural White Paper published in November 2000 includes proposals for providing for accessibility in rural areas and policies that relate to transport and service provision in rural areas, including:

  • bringing services closer to people through planning guidance, local services, and technology,
  • improving personal mobility, by recognising the role of the car, promoting car clubs,
  • rural grant schemes, concessionary fares, flexible and community transport, 
  • tackling the problems associated with rural traffic, and
  • encouraging cycling and walking 

The wider transport policy is set out in the Integrated Transport White Paper (1998) which aimed to set an extensive policy agenda to improve the framework within which transport is planned, including:

  • support for regeneration and sustainable growth of rural communities,
  • improved access to services (including through reducing the need for travel), and
  • combating social exclusion (including through improved mobility) 

The 10 Year Transport Plan sets out government funding intentions for transport and includes increased financial support for rural public transport, with a target of increasing the proportion of rural residents living within a ten minute walk of an hourly or better bus service by 50% by 2010;

  • proposals for relaxing rules to achieve greater flexibility in meeting rural needs,
  • provision for new rural bypasses to take traffic out of towns and villages and make roads safer, and
  • increased investment in road maintenance. 

Our policy links to these documents, presenting policies and proposals to aid achieving their aims 

2. Our vision for transport in tomorrow's countryside

2.1 The Countryside Agency has a vision for a countryside that is environmentally healthier, economically more successful and socially stronger. We want to see sustainable development in a living, well managed countryside. Future generations should be able to enjoy a better quality of rural life and environment than people do today. The vision is of a countryside rich in landscape and biodiversity, with an economy more broadly based than it is today, where those who live in the countryside will have full opportunities to enjoy a good quality of life, in a countryside that is welcoming to all the nation.

2.2 In this vision transport must fulfil its function of enabling people and goods to easily access their destinations, while at the same time maintaining and enhancing the quality of the countryside. Transport in our vision must be sustainable by ensuring that rural economies and quality of life, environmental qualities and the character of the countryside are maintained and supported. 

2.3 Our vision is of a future where it is accessibility rather than transport itself that enhances people's lives in rural areas and improves access to countryside.

  • People should have a realistic choice of services and facilities, and means of getting to those places.
  • Services and facilities should be located close at hand, or in easily accessible locations.
  • Networks should exist to allow all modes of travelling to be effective and to coexist with each other, meeting all journey needs.
  • There should be a reduction in situations where people are reliant on using a car. 
  • The ease of using public transport and other modes of transport should be improved (they should be available, frequent, affordable, accessible, and attractive)  
2.4 Our vision is of a future where negative environmental effects of transport infrastructure are minimised and the special qualities of the countryside are protected.
  • Sensitive planning and design of transport developments that show a net gain for the social, environmental and economic interests of the area, with no significant losses to any of them. 
  • High standards of network maintenance and improvements that respect countryside character and biodiversity.
  • Harnessing technological advances to minimise impacts.
  • All measures taken to minimise noise, visual intrusion, pollution and physical damage from traffic effects.  
2.5 Our vision is of a future where transport helps improve the quality of life of rural residents, businesses and visitors.
  • People should be able to access employment and employers access employees, goods should reach distribution points, rural people should reach services, and all people should be able to access the countryside.
  • There should be greater equality in accessibility levels between and within rural areas, transport poverty should not be a cause of rural social exclusion.
  • Traffic levels must be suitable to the location, enhancing the 'liveability' of places.
  • Safety should be improved, whether traffic related accidents or fears relating to road safety and personal security.  
2.6 The vision is a long term one which might take decades to realise, and will involve action by many. It will be important to ensure that short term measures work toward this long term goal, and that there is harmony with urban interventions (which can also have consequent rural impacts). In areas within our remit the  Countryside Agency will take a lead role, elsewhere we will seek to influence others. 3. The Countryside Agency's interests in transport

3.1 The Countryside Agency works to achieve the very best for the English countryside through leading with research and advice, influencing others and demonstrating ways forward through practical projects. Transport is an element throughout our programmes of work, bringing benefits to people living in rural areas, rural businesses and visitors to the countryside. 

3.2 The factors underpinning the development of effective rural transport show that there is a need to think big, and to think small at the same time. While the initiatives that will make a real difference to the people who need interventions to help them are likely to be small scale and locally targeted, they will be swimming against the tide if they are not backed up by strategic interventions that ensure that the benefits of those small scale measures complement the major trends of transport provision and accessibility.

Rural Assurance - putting the countryside first

3.3 "Rural assurance" increases awareness of the likely rural impacts of plans, programmes and policies of all types, while "rural proofing"is a more focused process that enables detailed assessment of how these are likely to have different impacts in rural areas than elsewhere, and if necessary, make suitable adjustments to reflect rural needs and circumstances.

3.4 National and international transport policy initiatives aimed at urban areas will often impact on rural areas in ways which may not have been considered by policy makers, and policies and actions in areas other than transport may impact on transport in rural areas. Our Rural Assurance teams work to:

  • monitor policy developments and to alert policy makers to transport issues that affect the countryside, whether related to housing, services or enterprise, and
  • fulfil our role as a statutory consultee on major transport infrastructure.  

Protecting the countryside and conserving the resource that the countryside offers

3.5 The countryside is one of England's major resources. It is of great importance in economic spheres such as tourism and agriculture. Transport infrastructure, the location of rural businesses, facilities and services, and the way that transport networks are used must all work together to maintain the resource and secure the quality of England's landscapes.

  • Through our "Finest Countryside" theme we seek to protect the special qualities of England's finest countryside, ensuring that changes to the landscape such as new infrastructure, the effects of traffic on landscape, the effects of pollutants, and the effects of road 'improvements' (kerbing etc) are in keeping with countryside character and landscape sensitivity.
  • In areas in and around towns and cities we work through our "Countryside On Your Doorstep" theme to ensure transport expansion does not destroy green corridors into urban areas so that rights of way and the network of lanes, bridleways and paths are maintained and enhanced.
  • The key transport need within our "Countryside Capital" theme is to ensure that the economy and rural businesses are able to function efficiently and operate in harmony with the economic resource that the countryside offers.  

Ensuring a prosperous countryside through local actions in communities

3.6 Local accessibility to and from rural communities is important to ensure access to facilities and services relevant to people's needs. Rural areas are characterised by small scale communities with diverse transport needs. To ensure that appropriate transport solutions are implemented requires working at the local level rather than imposing solutions from above. 

  • In England's Market Towns the critical transport need is to aid the reinvigoration of market towns as centres of activity and economy and improve public transport links to hinterlands surrounding market towns. 
  • Our "Vital Villages" theme aims to create village vitality through emphasis on accessibility of local services and facilities and strengthen local involvement though full community participation. 
  • Under our "Wider Welcome" theme we aim to widen the welcome the countryside can offer for recreation through integration of non-motorised modes, and to promote transport opportunities which reduce reliance on car borne tourism.  
4 Our principles and propositions for transport in rural areas

4.1 In this section we set out principles and describe consequent propositions that we make for issues relating to transport in rural areas. This section provides policy makers with the framework within which our responses to proposals are likely to be made.

Principle One: Accessibility rather than mobility must be the prime aim of transport policy.

4.2 Car ownership started rising rapidly during the 1950s and 1960s, increasing personal mobility or ease of movement. However factors associated with this increase in mobility have led to a sustained decline in rural services. 

  • People with cars increasingly used them to the extent where they very seldom, if ever, used other transport modes, exacerbating the decline of local transport services, accompanied by policies such as the withdrawal of rail services during the 1960s under the 'rail rationalisation' policy instigated by Beeching,
  • People with cars increasingly used services and facilities outside the local area in preference to local ones, adding to the demise of local rural services, and
  • People from urban areas chose to relocate to areas where there may be no alternatives to car travel, further exacerbating both, but contributing to their own potential lack of accessibility and isolation, should they become unable to use cars.  

4.3 These trends led to a decline in rural services as well as the viability of rural public transport and the use of local footpaths. Changing rural transport patterns have also reduced levels of community self help, exacerbating social exclusion. 

4.4 Transport is about movement of people and goods but it is accessibility (or ease of reaching places that provide goods and services) that is important. Lively rural economies need services and facilities to be accessible even for people with low mobility.Policy should aim to aid accessibility rather than increase mobility, particularly for those currently at the lower end of the accessibility scale. The aim is to provide access by a range of modes to a range of more local services and facilities. To maintain local economies it is also important for access to, from and within rural areas to be reliable and dependable.

4.5 Our emphasis will be to:

  • improve travel time reliability rather than increasing speed of travel and overall capacity;
  • encourage a full range of essential services in local areas that can support the needs of the rural economy;
  • promote research into issues such as whether local markets benefit or disbenefit from improvements for different modes of travel, and the contribution of transport to rural economic regeneration; and
  • shift the balance of costs and expenditure towards walking, cycling and public transport (Principle Four), and to develop networks that aid these modes and help all modes to be integrated (Principles Nine and Ten).  
Principle Two: Transport and land use policy must work together in a way that contributes to improved accessibility within context of sustainable development

4.6 It is important that the transport system provides for agriculture, tourism and other economic activities to work efficiently, in a way that does not harm the environment and countryside character. In order to do this it is essential that planning and land use policy works to ensure that the right developments are in the right place and that appropriate transport links enable access to them.

4.7 The Agency broadly supports the policies put forward in Planning Policy Guidance Note 13 on transport (PPG13). Countryside Agency policy on planning is contained in "Planning tomorrow's Countryside". Our planning policy is based on six core propositions.

  • Consider what development is needed to sustain the countryside as well as where it should go.
  • Integrate policies so that plans and the development plan process look first for solutions which bring social, economic and environmental benefits: there should always be a net gain and no significant losses from development.
  • Use positive objectives as the basis of planning; not 'predict and provide'.
  • Encourage high quality applications and assess them on the basis of 'are they good enough to approve?', rather than 'are they bad enough to refuse?'.
  • Give a positive role to communities and community planning.
  • Respect the character of all landscapes, and protect and enhance the best.  

4.8 In taking forward our planning policies in the transport arena, our emphasis will be to:

  • focus on the strategic level that provides the framework for local decision making - regional transport strategies and local transport plans - so that they take full account of rural needs and impacts; 
  • ensure that approaches to appraisal used for transport interventions take account of rural needs. With the new multi-criteria approaches (looking at accessibility, safety, environmental, economic and integration impacts) it is possible to incorporate environmental impacts in a more robust way than has been the case in the past. We will seek ongoing improvements to these methodologies. We will continue to develop more detailed tools to assess impacts and suggest different, or modified approaches or proposals;
  • promote accessibility as a significant criteria in making development decisions, based on a good understanding of local issues and tailored to local circumstances. Developments must be served by transport modes that best meet their accessibility needs, and promote the most sustainable transport options;
  • ensure that rural diversification, which is essential for the recovery of the rural economy in many areas, is unhindered but develops in a way which complements other land use and transport policies; and
    • promote Local Transport Plans that take more account of rural needs and rural impacts in developing measures that will be implemented, with all infrastructure proposals fully rural proofed.  

Principle Three:  Transport infrastructure must be planned, designed and maintained in a way thatrespects countryside character and contributes to the environment

4.9 Many major developments of national importance are located in rural areas, including power stations, ports as well as major road and rail infrastructure. These, and transport policy interventions and proposals, can have significant impacts on the surrounding rural areas and alter traffic levels on other roads in the areas affected.

Alterations to roads and maintenance can have impacts when junctions are altered, and kerbing, road markings, drainage, barriers, lighting or signage introduced. A recent report points to good practice in this area. Our policy on changes to areas will be specific to the area under consideration. We will take local countryside character and distinctiveness into account in deciding whether protection, enhancement, or change to a new landscape character is desirable in relation to transport initiatives and infrastructure. We will ensure that landscape sensitivity is fully accounted for through appropriate appraisal methodologies. We will seek to ensure that any alterations to road widths, alignments, kerb styles, and street furniture are made in a way which will enhance countryside character, reduce noise and visual intrusion due to the infrastructure and the traffic using the road, and not encourage traffic generation.

4.10 When reviewing transport infrastructure issues (including the need for infrastructure and design) we will be especially concerned with protecting the environment of the countryside and more generally with the range of issues identified in figure four.

Figure four: Effects that transport changes can have on rural areas

Transport and the environment

Effects on local countryside character, taking tranquillity, air quality, noise and light pollution, cultural heritage and biodiversity into account.

Effects on rural settlement character and local distinctiveness.

Design details that reflect countryside character

Associated effects such as aggregate extraction

Transport issues relating to safety

Safety on rural roads in terms of perceptions of safety for all users as well as accident rates

Application of appropriate techniques to improve rural traffic management

Transport issues relating to the economy

Effects on economic opportunity and enterprise in rural areas

Effects on enabling rural residents to access job opportunities

Effects on the opportunities for local food produce markets

Effects on socially and economically active rural communities

Effects on high quality public services within market towns

Likely effects on journey lengths within rural areas

Effects on opportunities for affordable housing

Transport issues relating to accessibility

Effects on access for those without cars

Effects on car reliance and dependency

Effects on access for all by a range of transport alternatives

Effects on traffic levels on rural roads

Effects on severance for rural communities

Transport issues relating to integration

Effects on opportunities for transport interchanges

Effects on integration with other rural policies

Cross cutting issues

Effects of proposed scheme when viewed alongside other likely proposals in a corridor/ area (cumulative effects of multiple proposals)

Comparison of effects with other proposals to achieve same goals (opportunity costs)

Principle Four: The cost of travel by different modes must be altered so the car is not perceived as being cheaper than public transport, and spending must be reallocated towards non car modes

4.9 For many years the cost of public transport has increased relative to that of private transport. Between 1990 and 2000 the cost of running a car rose by 11% while that for rail, bus and coach rose by 20%. Since 1974 the cost increases were 1% for motoring and 81% for rail and 62% for bus and coach. To ensure real choice between transport options, parity should be restored.  Some taxation measures act against demand responsive, community and other rural public transport. Public subsidy must encourage the most effective rural public transport. The balance of spending by government and others can work against social exclusion objectives, if the focus is away from spend on public transport, walking and cycling and toward infrastructure for private road travel.

4.10 Our emphasis will be to:

  • support taxation changes that enable rural motorists on lower incomes to more easily afford to run a car, as long as such changes will not lead to general increases in traffic in rural areas;
  • support of the notion of road user charging, as long as it done in a way which will not
  • encourage greater traffic growth in rural areas, such as through charging in towns alone,
  • encourage interurban traffic to use inappropriate roads in rural areas, such as through motorway charging alone, or 
  • militate against rural motorists on lower incomes to travel locally;
  • support fares policies that enable cheaper public transport travel, especially for those on lower incomes; and
  • support increases in spending to improve conditions for walkers, cyclists and public transport users in rural areas, through national, regional and local government spending as well as our own efforts through our implementation work. Principle Five: The forecast rate of traffic growth in the countryside must be slowed through travel demand management being at the heart of rural transport policy. 4.12 Traffic is forecast to grow much faster in rural areas than in urban areas (as it has done in the past), mainly as a consequence of increased traffic between towns and more people moving to small towns and rural areas. This is compounded by high levels of congestion in urban areas diverting traffic elsewhere. The consequences of catering for growth would lead to damaging large areas of the countryside through the need for lower density of development to cater for increased use of the car (see paragraph 1.7). 4.13 To combat social exclusion, and for those unwilling or unable to drive for reasons of age or infirmity, car travel must not become the only viable mode of rural transport. Public transport, walking and cycle alternatives to the car must exist to provide choice for the bulk of journeys - for rural inhabitants and for visitors to rural areas. 4.14 Our emphasis will be to encourage policies that restrain overall growth in traffic and discourage those that would have major negative impacts on traffic levels in localised areas. 
    • Through our Wider Welcome implementation team, and others, we will encourage visitors to reach and travel around rural areas by means other than private vehicles where possible. 
    • We will supportmeasures that manage demand through tools such as a better system of rural road hierarchies and trafficrestraint, and integration to influence modal shift such as Park and Ride. Our Market Towns implementation team is active in this area.
    • We will support local actions in rural areas through our Vital Villages implementation team. 
    • In some cases new construction will be considered (such as by-passes to villages and other locations suffering from high levels of traffic on inappropriate roads) but only where the proposal demonstrates sustainable development through the integration of social, economic and environmental considerations and net gain.  

Principle Six: For long distance journeys that will involve travel through rural areas emphasis should shift towards those that have the lowest environmental impacts, with a preference for rail over road over air transport.

4.15 Long distance journeys by road, rail and air all affect rural areas in different ways. Analysis of freight, distribution, and personal travel points to worrying trends.

  • A person travelling by car produces about 300 grams of carbon dioxide per mile, compared with 340 for an air traveller, 115 for a rail passenger and 90 for coach and bus passengers. 
  • Calculations of the external costs of road and rail travel typically place road as being four or five times higher per passenger km as rail, and around six times greater per tonne kilometre of rail. 
  • Evidence points to reductions in volumes of freight lifted by road for primary extraction, moderate increases for manufactured goods, and large increases for final distribution of goods pointing to growth in freight transport being related to distribution rather than industry itself.
  • Calculations show the car distance travelled by people visiting food superstores to be about 25 times as great as the distance travelled by delivery lorries bringing the goods.
  • Long distance travel for passenger travel is rising faster than for shorter journeys so it is important to affect these journeys, most of which will pass through or around rural areas. Air travel is forecast to grow at rates which we believe would have serious negative environmental impacts.  

4.16 Our emphasis will be to:

  • promote auditing, intervention and incentivesthat improve efficiency,rail capacity and new trackto foster the development of high speed rail (passenger travel and freight) over short haul air flights and long distance car travel;
  • encourage a robust national policy of demand management - especially for air travel with target ceilings for future levels of air traffic, and investing in surface transport links to airports;
  • ensure the government's rail freight target of an 80% growth by 2010 is reached, and then seek further steady increase in the proportionof goods carried by rail;
    • seek to encourage the use of inland waterways, and encourage larger changes in specific areas where the potential exists for significantly greater use, recognising that the existing canal system in most areas can only carry a very small proportion of freight;
    • seek to expand the role of coastal shipping movement;
    • support road hierarchy systems that favour appropriate road use, where HGVs use motorways and the major trunk routes for as much of their journey as possible, and discourage use of unsuitable minor roads; 
    • encourage the location of distribution centres and industry uses such that local and regional economies can be encouraged, and distribution economics favours shorter distance distribution. Our "Eat the View" initiative seeks to encourage local distribution;
    • support measures that improve suitable vehicle use (e.g. co-ordinate deliveries such that vehicle movements can be minimised); and 
    • establish the forecast impacts of atomised systems of distribution to individual households, encapsulated in car reliant shopping locations and home delivery.  

Principle Seven: People must feel safe and secure when travelling by any mode in the countryside.

4.17 Many in rural areas have fears for personal safety when walking. According to a CPRE survey 65% feel threatened on country lanes by traffic, and 91% feel that the 60 mph speed limit on country lanes should be reduced. Although fears for personal security when walking to, waiting for, and travelling on public transport are generally less than in many urban areas there is evidence that public transport is often not used because of fears.

4.18 We will encourage appropriate demand management and the calming of traffic on all roads where it is needed, to slow excessive speed, to enable greater certainty in predicting journey times. 

  • Our work on creating networks for non motorised modes seeks to segregate modes, or mix them, where appropriate and to provide for routes alongside roads or within minor roads in keeping with countryside character, and in a safe manner.
  • We will support initiatives that seek to reduce the culture of speed associated with car use, through reducing and enforcing speed limits, and through publicising the dangers of high speed and the advantages of lower speeds.  
  • Increasing familiarity with travel modes and ensuring other people are around can play a major role in reducing fear for personal security, and much can be done in these areas. We will argue for consideration of reducing the fear of crime and injury beingincorporated into all new initiatives in the same way that disability issues have become recently.  

Principle Eight: Communities must be empowered to invest in new transport solutions safe in the knowledge that they will be able to run and maintain them into the future.

4.19 Transport policy implementation has historically been a 'top-down' activity; frequently transport initiatives required in the past were large scale schemes aimed at large scale problems. But the diversity of rural areas means that many initiatives that will benefit transport in rural areas need to be small scale and tailored to local needs. It is important that local communities are able to develop transport initiatives and gain funding and support that will put them into reality, while ensuring that the 'top-down' initiatives synergise rather than conflict with the locally developed 'bottom-up' solutions. Local Authorities are often caught in between top-down and bottom-up activities, and their involvement in both should be built upon.

4.20 Rural transport initiatives often require extended funding to ensure that they can be operated effectively. Short term funding schemes and challenge funds often lead to proposals that will not be sustainable after funding has ended leading to large scale effort to find funds from elsewhere. Funding mechanisms that split capital from revenue spend often mitigate against solutions that can improve transport in rural areas.

4.21 Our emphasis will be to:

  • help people to create solutions that reflect the needs of a representative section of the local community;
  • prioritise schemes and policies that bring benefits to those who suffer from low levels of accessibility (such as Wheels to Work schemes, community car clubs, and schemes that make efficient use of private vehicles such as taxi share schemes, and community taxis. In many cases more research and appraisal tools are needed to ensure that resulting schemes will be beneficial.);
  • improve regulations relating to community and flexible transport so that they do not act as a stumbling block for action;
  • improve the integration between community transport initiatives and mainstream transport or initiatives arising from Local Transport Plans; and
  • promote access to mainstream funding mechanisms, and address barriers to progress through new and improved funding mechanisms.  
Principle Nine: People must be able to choose modes, or a combination of modes, for their journeys that will vary according to the particular circumstances of their journey rather than finding that one mode is always their preferred or only choice. 

4.22 Public transport on its own can never provide the level of service in rural areas that it can in dense urban areas due to lower population density, and the dispersed destination needs of residents and visitors.The current focus is on improving the physical integration of different modes of transport. However, travel attitudes in the UK historically favour direct journeys and there is significant resistance to making interchanges, or using more than one mode of transport for specific journey purposes. Unless this changes the impact of actual integrated services will be constrained. 

4.23 Particularly in rural areas, the ability to provide door to door services is limited. The future rural direction is more likely to revolve round feeder services to interchange nodes, and in more remote areas more than one interchange might be the norm. For this to work, people's attitudes to making interchanges needs to be explored in more detail, and barriers overcome. Analysis suggests that in 1999 24% of car journeys were considered "car dependent", a further 35% were considered heavily reliant on the car, and 20% regarded as 'reliant' on the car. About 20% of current car journeys were ones that the driver felt could have been made by other modes. Early results from one-to-one attempts to influence people's travel patterns in a rural area around Frome - without major actual improvements to services - have proved successful in achieving modal shift with up to 10% fewer car journeys. This demonstrates the importance of encouraging the individual to think about the way they use transport modes.

4.24 Our emphasis will be on:

  • better linkages between all modes of transport, and transport designed to serve facilities and services better, so that people have choice in how to travel depending on the different journeys they wish to make;
  • interchanges in urban and rural areas with information at hand and synchronised journey timings to make interchange between modes easier and make journeys involving interchange quicker and more comfortable and reliable;
  • ensuring that cars can be safely parked to enable use of bus and rail services for longer haul elements of journeys. Park and Ride services can form part of this, as can links to higher speed services closer to home than on the edge of urban areas;
  • increasing the catchment for rail including by initiatives such as safe routes to railway stations and Bikerail schemes, particularly safe storage for cycles at railway stations;
  • encouraging dedicated rail-bus links (such as the Cuckmere Rambler, and Helford Branch Line services which are supported by the Countryside Agency); and
  • enabling cycle and car hire more easily at railway stations and interchanges to enable people to leave cars at home through having less need for them at their destinations.  
Principle Ten: We must establish networks that provide for access to a good range of services, and provide for people to reach and travel around the countryside with ease,by public transport, and non-motorised modes.

4.25 The growth in car use and policies that have catered for that growth have had unfortunate side effects of reducing the ability of public transport and non-motorised modes to act as realistic modes of transport in rural areas. Action is needed in both of these areas to redress this balance. It should be possible to do this in ways that will not make private motorised less convenient than it currently is, while providing alternatives and making travel for those without cars much easier.

4.26 The development of an integrated public transport system that allows high quality, convenient, affordable, reliable, and easily understandable travel between any locations in England is an important part of our long term vision. Those without cars should have access to a high quality public transport system, and that those with cars should have a realistic choice to make their journeys by public transport, at times that suit them. It is also important that visitors to an area can be confident that they can reach it and travel around easily using publictransport. Those living close to higher frequency busroutes in rural areas use them nearly as much as those with similar frequency services in urban areas.

Figure five: Characteristics of a new public transport network

Interurban Links. A network of frequent rail and bus services running between towns and cities with limited stops, with synchronised links from points along the routes to serve the surrounding rural areas. Service levels set using the concept of Passenger Service Requirements (PSRs), as currently for rail, accounting for settlement sizes, historical movement between settlements along the route, and expressed demand.

Local public transport. A wider variety of forms of local public transport, integrated to

maximise walk and cycle catchments of the routes. This would be a mixture of

conventional bus routes, locally determined community transport schemes and other

flexible approaches tailored to local areas. Local transport based on local people's

involvementin needs assessment and design

Linking local transport to the interurban network.  Staging points on interurban routes with

synchronised timings and with good interchange facilities, including car and cycle parking will provide for seamless travel.

Public transport information and marketing.  Good information and clear signing available to

allow people to make journeys with confidence. Information that is easily accessible and understandable to people, marketed well. Through ticketing available.

4.27  Our emphasis will be to:

  • encourage priority (through Regional Transport Strategies and Local Transport Plans) to developing the type of network described in figure five, by
  • building on existing services,
  • working with community transport and other local transport providers to co-ordinate and synchronise services, and
  • co-ordinated publicity, ticketing and information for those parts of the network that have attained the appropriate level and quality of service;  
  • work with bus operators and central and local government to improve rural public transport networks through an improved mixed use of commercial market, quality networks, and quality contracts where they are needed;
  • work for a better balance between express and stopping rail services supporting extra rail lines in some cases, and realistic efforts to bring old routes back into service, and (re)open rural rail stations;
  • argue for improvements to the service standards for rail set in Passenger Service Requirements in rural areas, with criteria set according to the extra accessibility that can be offered by such service levels;
  • explore initiatives which bring a degree of local management back to rail provision, that allow local and community bodies to take control of rural rail routes that are not parts of the strategic 'intercity' rail network.  

4.28 Design and maintenance of roads to cater for increased traffic has effectively broken many of the networks that existed for those choosing to travel by foot, cycle or horse. These networks should be reinstated through new links and alterations to roads to enable these users to travel easily and safely to their destinations. It is important to ensure that conflicts between non-motorised and motorised networks are minimised from both a safety and enjoyment point of view. Our Enjoying the Countryside team are developing a shared network approach to enable these networks to be re-created.

4.29 The creation of complete networks separate from major roads is an important, and long term, aspiration. Our immediate emphasis will be to:

  • prioritise footways and footpaths that enable access to villages with services from outlying hamlets, links that enable access to public transport and access to facilities such as schools and village halls;
  • prioritise cycle links around towns that enable networks of quiet lanes and greenways to be reached for recreation, and for day to day journeys by residents;
  • encourage the auditing the current situation to identify improvements and new links that will enable the greatest improvements to the non-motorised networks, in terms of those that offer the greatest accessibility improvements for residents and visitors, and provide for expressed needs.  

5 Main Actions Required 

5.1 If our principles are to be applied to transport in rural areas many actions will be needed, by ourselves, by national and local government, and by others who are active in transport. In order to provide a supportive framework for these actions may require changes to legislation or government guidance, to levels of funding available, or a change of attitude by, or training for, those charged with implementation. Here we outline the key changes that require action, showing the principles to which they most closely relate.

Realignment of public spending (Principles Four, Five, Six, Seven, Nine and Ten)

5.2 Spending at government and local level should be rebalanced to give greater priority to walking and cycling, then public transport, and finally car. A greater proportion of Local Transport Plan and other funds should be directed toward improving local access by walk, cycle and public transport. Spending should be realigned from road building towards maintenance with the emphasis on safety and danger reduction rather than speed.

Convergence of costs of transport modes. (Principles Four, Five, Six, Seven, Nine and Ten)

5.3 The gap between the costs of using private and public transport has continued to widen over recent years. Policy should ensure that they are narrowed. Local authorities should have the ability to set fare levels on tendered and franchised services. Local authorities should use Quality Partnerships and Contracts to influence fare levels for buses where appropriate.

Accessibility audits (Principles One, Nine and Ten)

5.4 Audits of local areas should be developed to assess whether transport systems provide for accessibility by each mode of transport, and carried out in all rural areas. Analysis will need to be done for 'home based', 'facility based', and 'visitor need' accessibility. The methodology needs to be developed but could be based on simple GIS methods. These audits and other local parish analysis will suggest where improvements are needed. Planning new service provision and infrastructure changes will require special skills that may now be lacking in local authorities. Work is needed to ensure that planning covers both logistical and social aspects of efficiency and need. We intend to aid this process through our research programme.

Rural proofing and appraisal (Runs through all principles)

5.5 Rural proofing needs to be developed further, incorporated fully into government thinking and brought into Local and Regional policy reviews. Appraisal methods need to be tuned and developed to help rural and environmental impacts to be more fully accounted for. Our proofing and research teams will continue to aid this process.

Capital and Revenue spend (Principles Eight and Ten)

5.6 A funding system needs to be developed to ensure that capital spend can be fully utilised by provision of revenue spend allowance. This appears to be a major barrier to effective investment in rural transport initiatives in many cases.

Land use policy (Principle Two)

5.7 It is important to ensure that land use and transport remain integrated through what emerges from the current review of the planning process. Planning Policy Guidance Note 13 principles for encouraging developments in central places with good public transport and walking and cycling access should be strengthened (and implemented). Local services must be maintained and supported to increase the numbers of local facilities in rural areas.

Regulations to enable new transport services (Principles Eight and Ten)

5.8 Regulations governing public transport provision should be reviewed and altered to ensure that spend on rural public transport is effective. In particular regulations should enable networks across rural areas to be planned more simply than at present, and enable and encourage locally tailored community transport and demand responsive services.

Strengthening local level involvement (Principle Eight)

5.9 Involvement of parishes in transport planning and provision to make significant local changes should be encouraged. Barriers to voluntary action and involvement in parish and other local government activities need to be researched and reduced. Local consultation and participation should be encouraged to aid the parish level improvements, and to audit plans drawn up for transport at the local level.

Countryside Agency actions 

5.11 Rural assurance and proofing will be carried out according to priorities that reflect our role as a national organisation. These will emphasise the strategic over the particular.

  • Our greatest priority will be to offer advice on national transport policy and government advice relating to guidance for regional transport strategies and local transport plans.
  • Our involvement in specific local transport policy issues and individual interventions will be generally be restricted to proposals that have potential to:
    • have a major impact on a Countryside Agency initiative;
    • have a major effect on local countryside character, including National Parks, or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty; or
    • have a major economic or social impact on rural areas.  
5.12 In this assurance and proofing activity we will concentrate on the following transport related initiatives: 
  • relevant central government policy (e.g. review of the 10 year Transport Plan);
  • Regional Transport Strategies;
  • selected Local Transport Plans that incorporate sizeable or significant rural areas;
  • selected multi modal studies which are particularly significant to rural areas through scale or scope;
  • major strategic and infrastructure consultations; and 
  • major transport developments directly affecting rural areas.  
5.13 We will focus on linkages between top-down centrally organised and bottom-up community initiated provision in rural areas as well as accessibility. We will develop our rural assurance to provide more detailed transport rural proofing using checklists and specialist tools for analysis. 5.14 Setting standards and benchmarks We will carry out research to identify accessibility standards for rural areas and will encourage auditing of rural accessibility in order to set benchmarks that should be achieved for different types of area. 5.15 We will continue to develop our programme of research and experiments under the following five objectives.
  • Develop, evaluate and disseminate good practice in delivery of rural transport
  • Greater understanding of people's expectations, and barriers to use, of rural transport
  • Policy barriers to the delivery of rural transport and rural transport initiatives
  • Test and demonstrate new approaches to rural transport framework and provision
  • Raising rural quality standards of transport infrastructure proposals 5.16 We will encourage good practice found by our implementation work and by our research experience through the publication and dissemination of good practice guides and other information. Our priorities over the next two years relate especially to good practice in rural aspects of Local Transport Plans, initiatives arising from Rural Transport Partnerships, and addressing transport and social exclusion in rural areas. 5.17 Developing new solutions Building on the data and experience gained from our Rural Transport Partnerships in particular we will continue to develop and disseminate greater understanding of effective rural solutions, identify and overcome barriers to implementing suitable solutions and promote inclusion of the approaches into mainstream provision.Evaluation of the Rural Transport Partnership will aid this process as well as research on mechanisms for encouraging community level activity in transport schemes such as Quiet Lanes. The work of the implementation teams (Vital Villages, Market Towns and Wider Welcome) has a crucial role here in funding both innovative schemes, and also tried and tested ones. Partnership working with Local Authorities involved in Local Transport Plans will help to encourage and spread good practice. 5.18 Providing a forum for rural policy development The Agency will work with government, local authorities and others to increase dialogue and understanding of rural transport issues, to aid the development of appropriate measures from all sectors. We are especially well placed to carry out this role. We will develop the learning network for Rural Transport Partnerships into a means of training and educating a much wider set of transport professionals about rural transport issues. We will establish a forum specifically for furthering our work on rural networks, and will work in the wider arena to build understanding and development of rural transport policy and rural traffic issues.  

Annex Three

Summary of comments received on previous draft of document.

Note that some amendments were made to the paper to address these comments.

DfT and DEFRA

Both DfT and DEFRA recognise that the document is the Countryside Agency's position statement, and therefore did not feel it necessary to comment from the perspective of government policy. However, they noted that it was generally in line with government policy as put forward in the Rural White Paper.

Raised as important issues which they felt were not fully covered were the interactions between transport and economic development and regeneration, and the effects of long distance commuting on character of rural life and society. On both of these issues they felt that the document did not make it clear what our view was. We have amended the document to allow Principle Two to say more on these issues, though, especially the first one is a major issue which extends beyond transport policy into policy for the countryside.

English Nature

They felt that most of the paper concurred with their position, and welcomed the inclusion of biodiversity as an aspect of appraisal, but suggested that multi modal studies, air travel and the space required for road travel be given more prominence.

CPRE

CPRE viewed the document as a 'good read' and as tackling the issues well. Their summary of what CPRE "would like to convey" in comments is: "CPRE believes the policy paper provides a comprehensive approach to tackling transport problems and recognises the key links which the Agency can make to rural service provision and planning. We hope the Agency will examine the need for and available alternatives to, new transport infrastructure and nit unduly restrict its remit to issues of design (Principle Two). There is no key action for promoting rural traffic management or reference to light pollution."

Transport 2000

Transport 2000 were generally supportive of the document. They highlighted several issues they would like to see addressed including more on distribution of goods, travel plans for businesses, schools etc. in rural areas, linking land use and strategic sustainable planning.

Association of Community Rail Partnerships

ACoRP were also supportive of the document and made several fairly detailed comments requesting a raise in the profile of local rail within the document. Some of these have been incorporated, but we feel that this is an area where a future more detailed guidance note for Regional Staff on rail issues would help.