Breadcrumbs
£15m Fund Lets Rural People Meet Their Local Transport Needs - 6 March 2001
The £15 million Parish Transport Grants Scheme, available over three years, will focus on small scale projects to meet local needsidentified by local communities. Parishes will decide for themselves how to use a £10,000 grant to improve transport in their area. These might include:
- cars/mopeds for community use,
- car clubs or social car schemes,
- community transport schemes,
- vouchers for taxis
- funding for a local bus company to divert or start a new service through a village.
- a minibus for young people to get home safely from night-clubs in nearby towns
Countryside Agency chief executive Richard Wakeford said: "We listen a lot to what rural people tell us they are worried about.. For many transport is a particular concern. An inadequate bus service, or lack of access to a car, may prevent them from getting to jobs, to training, and to the services that most of us take for granted - doctors, education, banks and so on. And those who could leave their cars at home have little choice.
"The Agency has a great deal of experience in helping rural transport. We already run the successful Rural Transport Development Fund and the Rural Transport Partnership Scheme, through which we have supported projects like the improvements to the Bodmin Parkway Interchange, and a new service from Newquay to Bodmin by the Western Greyhound Bus company.
"Our new Parish Transport Grants complement these existing schemes and will enable local people to decide what they want in their parish and to come up with their own solutions to meeting their needs
"The St Minver parishes in North Cornwall have already grasped the nettle and have carried out a survey which identifies the need for an evening bus service, allowing people to attend evening classes, go to the sports centre or to visit friends. I look forward to receiving their application for the new grant in April"
The grants can be claimed from April this year - up to £10,000 will be available per parish to meet some 75% of the cost of local transport projects. There will be an option for communities to make some of their 25% contribution in kind, through volunteer effort. Parishes can group together to pool their grants.
Full details of the scheme will be available from April and will also be placed on the Countryside Agency's web site www.countryside.gov.uk Communities and individuals can obtain basic information and register their interest now by calling 0870 333 0170.
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Notes to editors
For further information please contact Nigel Ellway or Julia Cropley on 020 7340 2907/9
The Rural Transport Development Fund and the Rural Transport Partnership Scheme are to be merged into a single more flexible scheme next year. The Countryside Agency has been allocated £47m over the next three years for local transport schemes (previously announced). This includes £32 million for the merged Rural Transport Partnership scheme and £15 million for the new Parish Transport Fund
Examples of projects eligible for the new Parish Transport Grants
Purchasing cars and mopeds for community use- Kickstart, Norfolk, currently running a pilot service of 4 mopeds for use by those wishing to travel to work or interview, intending to expand to 60 mopeds within the next three years;
Rosemarie Ditchman (Chair) 01362 683530
Support for car clubs or social car schemes- Chelmsford Travel Share Scheme- a pilot project assessing the travel needs of people travelling to work in Chelmsford, to be developed into a full project once the most suitable solution is found;
Adrian Summons 01245 268782 or Bill Smith 01245 493964
Funding for a local bus company to divert a service through a village- The Bury St Edmunds to Haverhill service, an improved service extended to 4 additional rural villages, providing wider scope for social and shopping journeys.
The minister also visited the Eden project where the Countryside Agency had supported a new bus service between the project and the Helston rail branchline, the bus timetable being integrated with that of the trains.
.The Countryside Agency is responsible for advising government and taking action on issues affecting the social, economic and environmental well being of the English countryside.
