Salford Draft Local Plan

Consultation Response from Friends of Station March 2019 Foreword

Friends of Walkden Station (FOWS) are an award winning community voluntary group established to make practical environmental improvements to the station and to lobby constructively and effectively for improved facilities and rail services. We are very pleased to respond to the Salford Draft Local Plan consultation.

FOWS have enjoyed a good working relationship with over more than a decade, and we greatly value the progress that we have made through constructive engagement with the Council on a range of developments for the station. Some of our most important priorities, such as step free access and park and ride provision, may now be close to coming to fruition. We are now looking to the future.

Introduction FOWS endorse the need to produce a coherent and effective Local Plan that sets out how we develop our city in the years to come. We need to be both ambitious and realistic, to ensure that we can look to a future where the whole of Salford benefits from a better, fairer and more prosperous city, with greater opportunities for all. As a group focused on our railways, our response will mainly focus on the transport elements of the plan, and how transport in general, and railways in particular, can provide the fast, efficient and low carbon connectivity that our city will need. We will be making some new proposals which we feel will offer a once in a generation opportunity to deliver transformational change for our transport network in Salford. This is especially focused on regeneration benefits for some of our most challenged neighbourhoods.

We have taken care to align our proposals with plans for residential, industrial and leisure developments that are highlighted in the revised Salford Draft Local Plan (SDLP) and also to align with similar proposals in the Greater Spatial Framework (GMSF).

We note that local communities may produce Neighbourhood Plans under the Localism Act 2011 (para 1.8). As our proposals are mainly focused on the Walkden and Little Hulton areas, particularly in terms of regeneration, such a Plan may further reinforce their benefits, for example we believe that they fulfil the criteria of SCC’s strategic policies on accessibility as listed in Annex E.

Executive Summary

We believe that Walkden and its catchment area have great untapped potential which needs to be harnessed and developed to transform this part of Salford.

Within our response we propose two schemes for the West Salford area that introduce light rail Metrolink style technology to enhance, not replace, one of our city's busiest railway corridors. We believe our proposals are very closely aligned to the City Council's stated

2 objectives with greater benefits than could be achieved by replacing heavy rail services through Walkden. We also make recommendations to raise the profile of Walkden and increase prosperity in our area west Salford.

Taken together, the benefits of our proposals include:-

• Transformational improvements to public transport in Little Hulton, one of 's most deprived districts • Aligning transport infrastructure to residential and industrial developments proposed for west Salford • Promoting a fairer Salford by spreading investment more evenly throughout the city, especially in deprived areas • Promoting a healthier Salford by providing safer routes for walking and cycling and promoting public transport usage, leading to a low carbon future • Improving Walkden’s facilities and accessibility to create a thriving town which is an attractive place to live and work • Reducing the strain on already congested roads in the area by facilitating and encouraging inter-regional rail patronage to a major North West tourist attraction • Enabling rail-based options for mass movement of people and goods between Logistics North, West Salford, and the city centre • Protecting rail services via Bolton and via the Chat Moss line from an influx of passengers displaced by loss of fast direct trains between Wigan and Manchester • Preserving the Wigan to Manchester via Walkden railway as an invaluable diversionary route, and protecting its direct connectivity to destinations across the North to allow greater opportunities for residents of west Salford to access jobs, education and leisure facilities throughout the area

We commend this response to you and await your feedback.

3 Salford Draft Local Plan and the Salford Rail Strategy

We acknowledge that the SDLP is designed to align closely with GMSF but have serious concerns that it does not align with the excellent Salford Rail Strategy (SRS) adopted by Salford City Council in 2018. The SDLP endorses proposals with significant negative consequences for Walkden and for wider connectivity to, from and through west Salford to other parts of the city region and beyond. The previous version of this plan did not contain those proposals, in particular the possibility of complete replacement of heavy rail services on the Walkden line with a partly on street rapid transit alternative. This suggestion had been carefully considered and rejected by the SRS and we understood the SRS would inform the rail elements of SDLP. This does not appear to have been the case, which we find hugely disappointing. We will set out our concerns, and alternative proposals to achieve Salford’s development objectives, in detail later in this response.

We have provided Transport for Greater Manchester with a very detailed response to the draft Transport Strategy 2020-2025 Delivery Plan, and also responded to the GMSF consultation. Our response to the SDLP is closely aligned with these.

Spatial Portrait We consider that west Salford has huge economic and tourist potential. The area is sometimes undervalued and overlooked, especially areas to the north and west of the catchment area of Walkden station. We disagree with this negative view and believe the area is similar in its potential to other areas of Greater Manchester such as Withington and Chorlton which were once regarded in similar terms.

Walkden has (or potentially can have) all of the ingredients required to be a very desirable place to live and work. Central to this is its excellent transport connectivity, a key priority of FOWS.

There are however concentrations of deprivation in some neighbourhoods such as Little Hulton and Eccles which share similar challenges to large parts of the centre of the conurbation. (para 2.3)

Our proposals would have a transformational effect on the regeneration of Little Hulton in particular and have been carefully designed with this principle aim in mind.

Rail infrastructure that is vital to the functioning of the wider network - this transport infrastructure provides direct links to Leeds and Liverpool, and Manchester Airport, which is just 10 miles to the south of the city (para 2.5)

Walkden currently enjoys direct rail connectivity to Leeds, the Calder Valley, the principal towns in east Lancashire, and to Merseyside (direct services to Southport, and to Liverpool with one change at Wigan or Kirkby). Replacement of rail services by a localised tram-train

4 only service would break many of these connections. There is potential to increase the current range of destinations still further (for example to Blackpool and Bradford), however our main gap is the lack of direct services to Oxford Road, Piccadilly and Manchester Airport which may not necessarily be resolved by rapid transit alternatives either.

Numbers of inward visitors to Salford will be significantly boosted by the major new RHS Garden Bridgewater development planned to open in Worsley in 2020. We wish to see visitors using rail wherever possible to reach the Garden by sustainable means, with the station at Walkden serving as a fitting gateway and bus and cycle links providing reliable connections. This requires connectivity across the wider region (and the North) to be enhanced - not reduced - or the Garden will be overwhelmingly accessed by private cars.

We have also designed our proposals to significantly enhance connectivity by public transport from Salford to the rapidly growing Logistics North employment area. Although just over the border into Bolton, Logistics North is a large source of employment for neighbouring parts of Salford, some of which are are relatively deprived and have low car ownership.

By promoting regeneration in our most deprived areas, our proposals will help to tackle the key challenges listed in paragraph 2.14 (page 21), much more effectively than the plans currently contained in the SDLP, especially by means of better transport connectivity.

Spatial Vision Over the next 20 years, Salford will continue its evolution into a modern global city, and one of the best business and residential locations in the country. This will involve high levels of economic growth, with significant increases in the number of jobs, residents and visitors. The approach will be to continue to accommodate this growth in the most sustainable way (para 3.3, page 22)

This is particularly relevant to the catchment area of Walkden station, with major new housing developments proposed, the expanding employment area at Logistics North, and huge tourism potential provided by the RHS Garden Bridgewater. Our proposals seek to deliver sustainable transport connectivity to deliver this, and to make this part of Salford a fantastic place to live, work, visit and invest.

We note that there is an emphasis on further strengthening the key business districts of the city centre and Media City. This is important for Salford as a whole but care should be taken not to concentrate the focus on development there to such a degree that existing potential in other parts of Salford is not fulfilled. City centre developments need to be affordable and accessible to Salfordians, and not just an opportunity for outside investors to benefit.

Investment will also be directed towards the significant pockets of deprivation elsewhere in the city. Across Salford, there will be a strong emphasis on providing attractive and thriving neighbourhoods, supported by good town centres and other local facilities. (para 3.13)

5 Walkden provides an exceptional opportunity as much of the town centre infrastructure already exists, is very modern but under utilised. If this can be corrected, then the town’s retail and leisure offer can be greatly enhanced, providing much needed facilities for local people and reducing the need to travel further afield. Our proposals address the significant pockets of deprivation around Little Hulton, making it much easier for residents to access central Salford and beyond, quickly, conveniently and sustainably.

Our proposals for Metrolink/tram-train to serve Little Hulton directly opens up the transport connectivity for the Brackley housing development (policy H9/4) which offers parallels with proposals to develop land for housing close to Irlam station. Our blueprint for public transport in Walkden provides a multi-modal hub for the town and its catchment area, easily rivalling Eccles in terms of connectivity (para 3.11).

The potential to significantly enhance the city’s tourism role will be realised, with new facilities such as RHS Garden Bridgewater helping to attract more visitors to the area and contributing towards the city’s economic success. (para 3.15)

Proposals to remove/replace Walkden’s rail services that provide direct connectivity to large areas of the North would run totally counter to this ambition. It would be a big mistake, which could not easily be reversed. Attracting more visitors by car is hardly going to meet our reasonable aspirations to improve sustainability, reduce congestion and improve air quality in our city.

Encouraging active travel is a high priority for FOWS. We want to provide the best possible facilities for cycling to and from the station, cycle facilities at the station, possible cycle hire options for rail travellers to continue their journeys by cycle (for example to the RHS Garden which could be a day out in itself combined with the loop lines/Greenways and our superb canals). We wish to see greatly improved pedestrian access to Walkden Station with priority over road vehicles in the immediate area, greatly enhancing safety and encouraging people to walk rather than drive for short distances. For those who need to use their car for part of their journey, the proposed park and ride site next to the station will provide the required facility, freeing local residential streets from excess car parking. In the future, many of these car journeys are likely to be replaced by new “last mile” technologies such as driverless electric shuttles operating door to door on demand – Mobility as a Service.

A high quality, efficient and accessible transport system will be vitally important to the city’s success, and there will be continued investment in Salford’s transport infrastructure to assist in the delivery of the city’s growth aspirations and enhance Salford residents’ accessibility to key employment and leisure destinations both within and outside of the city. One of the biggest public concerns that must be addressed by new development is the potential impact on transport congestion. The scale of growth will generate an increased demand for travel, and it will be essential that the potential for walking, cycling and using public transport is maximised.

Paragraph 3.18 reflects the fundamental reasoning behind all of our proposals. For rail, our main area of concern, the Salford Rail Strategy is a major step forward in delivering this

6 positive change. However the SDLP is a step backwards. There is nothing in this Plan that will significantly improve transport for Walkden, in fact quite the opposite.

At this stage, it is not possible to identify many of the precise transport schemes that will need to be delivered, but work on this will be ongoing in order to ensure the successful implementation of this plan. Where appropriate, it may be necessary to delay development proposals until suitable transport solutions have been identified.

We have such a proposal that delivers exactly this for west Salford and beyond. We will develop our ideas in detail throughout this response and commend them to SCC for their serious consideration.

Strategic Objectives Our proposals would make a significant positive difference to the . Examples of strategic objectives that would directly benefit are:-

• Increase in visitor numbers to key attractions in the city • Significant reduction in per capita carbon dioxide emissions • Increase in the proportion of journeys to and from work that are by walking, cycling and public transport • Improvement in journey times on the key route network (by modal shift)

Other strategic objectives will benefit indirectly through the benefits of regeneration leading to improved quality of life for residents and improved access to work, education, healthcare and leisure. In particular, our proposals would make new housing developments much more accessible, in areas where good quality affordable housing is especially viable.

A Fairer Salford Significant transport interventions require major investment. To improve fairness, areas that currently suffer from deprivation and don’t have access to clean, modern public transport such as rapid transit should be the number one priority for this investment. In Walkden, incremental investment in our rail services would achieve significant benefits over time, for example further increases in frequency through increasing track capacity and speed, and providing services to additional destinations such as Manchester Piccadilly and the Airport.

If we are to invest very large sums of money in transport projects, then they should deliver transformational change, or they should not be considered. Our Little Hulton Loop proposals would spread prosperity in west Salford to where it is most needed. If we are serious about making a fairer Salford, then this is where we should be concentrating our investment. In contrast, spending multiple hundreds of millions of pounds on a potential project that would lead to reduced connectivity, slower journeys and only a tiny handful of additional stations and stops on an existing, fit for purpose route would do little to improve fairness or to create new opportunities.

7 Early and continuous engagement of local stakeholders, including residents, can help to achieve greater ownership and acceptance of development (para 5.6)

We agree, which is why we intend to promote our proposals to the community. At no stage was FOWS consulted on SCC’s aspirations for rapid transit/tram-train conversion of our railway, and we would hope that future engagement on such fundamentally important issues will be better.

Policy F1 (An inclusive development process): The proposed major residential development at Brackley would be directly served by Metrolink/tram-train under our proposals. This would be a good example of where a Social Value Strategy could include a transformational proposal to engage with residents.

Policy F2 (Social Value and Inclusion): Our proposals fulfil all five of the key metrics, delivering significant social, economic and environmental benefits to a large and deprived area of west Salford.

Policy F3 (Inclusive Places): Amongst our key ambitions:-

• Making it easy and attractive to walk, cycle and use public transport, with motor vehicles not being allowed to dominate; Our plans for improved access to Walkden Station and its surrounding urban realm meet with this aim.

• Offering excellent external connections, both through sustainable transport links that enable people to take full advantage of wider opportunities; This underlines our determination to promote solutions that use sustainable transport to revolutionise transport provision to offer just this, particularly in Little Hulton.

• Delivering a diverse mix of decent and adaptable homes, including affordable housing that enables everyone to meet their housing needs Providing high quality public transport connectivity will make such developments more practical, with affordable homes that are well connected to jobs and facilities, offering the opportunity for increased social mobility in a fairer city.

Policy F4 (also see Policy AQ1): Minimising carbon emissions and reducing congestion with its associated pollution are key benefits of increased public transport investment. FOWS particularly wish to see SCC lobby strongly for electrification of the Walkden railway line in order to deliver long term benefits for future generations.

Climate Change It is widely accepted that road vehicle emissions are a major contributor to carbon based pollution. Rail based public transport can make a big difference, as it will takesome considerable time for electric vehicle technology and grid capacity to lead to meaningful reductions in road vehicle emissions. However, rail electrification technology is widely used

8 and proven and there is no reason why it can’t be implemented on Salford’s railways as soon as possible. With the Bolton corridor now complete (serving Salford city centre), the line through Walkden should be next along with Bolton to Wigan. Currently only the latter is planned which is unfair on Salford and its residents where some of the city’s most heavily used stations stand to miss out. While some rapid transit/tram-train options are likely to feature electrification, these are likely to be a decade or more from implementation, and even so, the existing line can be electrified with provision made to extend this to accommodate future developments such as our Little Hulton Loop proposals.

Policy CC1 (Climate Change): Amongst our key ambitions:- Minimising carbon emissions, including by:

• Directing development towards locations that minimise the need to travel and maximise the ability to make trips by sustainable modes of transport Major developments around Little Hulton and Logistics North would be directly served by rapid transit under our proposals. Improved cycling and walking infrastructure connecting new developments around Walkden with the station can encourage active travel. Making best use of Walkden’s development potential for retail and leisure would minimise the need to travel (for example, concentrating leisure development around the AJ Bell Stadium will encourage car use from areas such as Walkden due to its poor public transport connectivity, and increase carbon emissions).

• Delivering higher densities of development on the most accessible sites Brackley golf course would be a perfect example, if served directly by a Metrolink stop.

• Providing more walkable and cyclable neighbourhoods that reduce demand for car use This is especially important for access routes to and from Walkden Station.

• Supporting the sustainable movement of freight, such as through Port Salford and urban consolidation centres that facilitate zero carbon last mile delivery We think that there is potential for direct deliveries from Logistics North to the city centres of Salford and Manchster using light rail freight vehicles at night. This could enable delivery of goods right to the doorstep of retailers at locations such as Exchange Square, using zero emission electric freight units.

• Reducing the reliance on the private car, which will ease the impact of increasing oil prices on residents and businesses Our proposals will deliver exactly this, with maximum returns on transport investment.

9 Efficient and coordinated use of Land Maximising the efficient and effective use of land in all neighbourhoods, helping to minimise the loss of green areas and maximise opportunities to make trips by public transport, cycling and walking

FOWS strongly support this policy. Our rapid transit proposals maximise the efficient use of land in terms of public transport accessibility (paragraph 7.3 and policy EF1). They provide excellent access by zero emission public transport to a wide range of amenities from deprived areas of the city. A transport Masterplan for the Walkden and Little Hulton areas could be a positive step in developing these proposals in coordination with other planned developments in the area (paragraph 7.5), aligning with the SDLP and GMSF.

Planning Conditions and Obligations FOWS agree with SCC that it will be very important to ensure that the contributions obtained from developers are maximised in order to reinvest in local facilities. An excellent example is the use of developer contributions from local housing projects to help improve facilities at Walkden station. Going forward, if our Little Hulton Loop proposals are taken forward, then developer contributions (and/or the Housing Infrastructure Fund) could be good sources of funding to contribute to tram stops and infrastructure.

One good example of coordination is that the proposed Brackley development would be directly connected by Metrolink to a large local school (Harrop Fold) under our proposals, which will help to justify the development in terms of proximity to educational facilities. We note that transport is quite rightly a top priority for planning obligations (policy PC1) and we would look to prioritise transport solutions that are, where possible, sustainable and low carbon i.e. rail based transport, cycling and walking, over road based proposals.

Area Policies Creating a fairer Salford by:

• Ensuring that areas of major change develop in a way that mitigates the negative impacts borne by deprived communities, such as poor air quality, and positively enhances the environment. (Page 45) Our proposals would stimulate significant regeneration in Little Hulton, one of the most deprived communities in Salford. By introducing clean, electric rapid transit services to the heart of this community, travel will become more sustainable will reductions in carbon emissions and improvements in air quality.

• Continued investment in the very good public transport accessibility of the City Centre will be needed so as to ensure that these employment opportunities are accessible to residents across Greater Manchester and beyond, providing an

10 enormous labour market that will help to attract businesses to the area (paragraph 9.2) Residents from beyond Greater Manchester will benefit greatly from very good public transport access to both central Manchester and central Salford. However, Salford residents should not be denied very good public transport access to destinations beyond Manchester, so that they can take advantage of opportunities to work and study in other areas of strong economic activity. The optimum solution is a combination of heavy rail and rapid transit in order to effectively serve these different markets. The same is true in reverse, particularly with access to the RHS Garden development in mind. Walkden is well placed to be an effective multi-modal transport hub, similar to Eccles which already has both heavy and light rail which serve different purposes.

Policy AP1 (C – New Bailey): Significant improvements to Salford Central station are long overdue and need to be delivered as a priority. Fast services from Walkden to Salford Central with just one stop at Salford Crescent could interchange at Salford Central with services to and from Liverpool, relieving congestion at Victoria and providing easy connections for passengers in both directions. This may provide an alternative to the M62 and A580.

Policy AP1 (G – Crescent): Improvements to Salford Crescent station should include additional platforms and junction/capacity improvements. The station itself requires retail and café facilities to properly serve its function as a transport hub for a fitting western entrance to the centre of Salford.

The expansion of the Metrolink network through the area will be sought, including a new Metrolink line from Victoria in Manchester to Salford Crescent Station, a new Metrolink line connecting Salford Quays and Salford Crescent Station, and the conversion of the rail line between Salford Crescent Station and Wigan to tram-train use. When combined with other station improvements, including better integration between different forms of public transport, this will help to strengthen the role of Salford Crescent Station as a key local and regional transport interchange. (Page 48)

We categorically disagree with the plan for the total conversion of our rail line to tram-train operation. We have set out many of our reasons already in this response, and we will set out in full our proposals for tram-train in west Salford later in our response. We would support a new Metrolink line between Salford Quays and Salford Crescent, and we would also support additional rapid transit/tram-train capacity to complement but not replace our existing heavy rail operation services at Walkden. The Salford Rail Strategy agrees, and FOWS endorses its recommendation that a combination of both modes is the way forward for our line.

We believe that any tram-train service should initially go no further than the Little Hulton loop as Wigan is too far for light rail and the service would be too slow. It is unlikely that frequencies on the section beyond Walkden would be high enough to provide meaningful benefits above and beyond what could be delivered by heavy rail improvements such as increased line speeds and digital signalling, along with electrification.

11 If our rail services were to be completely replaced by tram-train right out to Wigan, then we believe that this will result in Wigan passengers (and possibly Hindley and Daisy Hill) moving to faster heavy rail services via Chat Moss and Bolton, exacerbating congestion there. Any proposal to divert services on street through Salford would make the service unattractive for longer distance trips. Our fastest services from Walkden to Salford Crescent take around eight minutes, and anything slower than this would be a step backwards, especially if services which currently in some cases run non-stop on this section were to be replaced by a light rail alternative with multiple stops (at places with far less demand than Walkden). We also consider that the loss of longer distance through services would completely negate the potential of rail access to the RHS Garden Bridgewater, leading to greater car use.

For all of these reasons, we firmly believe that the re use of disused infrastructure along our line for tram-train to run alongside heavy rail services would be the optimum solution, delivering maximum benefits for the investment, and opening up any possibilities for future extensions of the system into other areas that currently lack rail services. Our proposals will still deliver all of the aspirations of Salford City Council and TfGM in terms of new stations proposed in the 2040 Transport Strategy and GMSF, along with direct rail connectivity to the two key residential and employment areas of Little Hulton and Logistics North.

Salford Crescent’s role as an interchange is not going to be strengthened if the current ease of connections between Victoria and Piccadilly services from Bolton and Walkden is removed and replaced by changes to and from street level. This would make the station less attractive to use and more difficult for passengers with reduced mobility. We must therefore be careful that by planning improvements to transform public transport in the central areas of Salford, we do not introduce disbenefits to other busy towns such as Walkden.

Policy AP3 (Salford Quays): We agree that Metrolink/rapid transit technology is the ideal solution for improved access to Salford Quays and Media City. This is a perfect example of where light rail should be used – where heavy rail would be impractical. However, this type of “clean sheet” light rail development, providing entirely new lines, should not be reserved for just the most affluent parts of Salford.

Economic Development Salford is transforming into a modern global city, which we should all support and be proud of. In order to maximise its potential, Salford needs to share the economic benefits across all of its districts and especially those that are more deprived. This can be achieved by increasing economic activity and improving facilities in those areas, and by prioritising improvements in connectivity between those areas and the opportunities afforded by the city centre.

Salford does have excellent rail links and we need to maximise the benefits of these, using new technology to expand our rail network and not just replace existing services. This is the only way that extensive modal shift, with all of its benefits, can be achieved.

12 The spatial strategy for economic development in Salford focuses on where the city has the greatest economic potential when balanced against environmental and social considerations. It recognises that Salford is part of a much larger functional economic area covering the whole of Greater Manchester and beyond. The economic success of Salford, and the prosperity of its residents, will therefore be heavily reliant on investment and opportunities outside the city, and improved public transport to access them. (paragraph 10.3)

FOWS completely agree with this statement, and this endorses our view that connectivity from our railway stations should NOT just be limited to services into the city centre, but should provide fast, efficient connectivity to the wider city region and beyond. Where direct services are not practical, convenient connections need to be available, but people will not make longer distance journeys by rail if services are slow and connections are poor. The spatial strategy for economic development in Salford is therefore contradicted by the suggestion of tram-train conversion of the Walkden line in Policy AP1. The economic success of Salford relies on the prosperity of the whole city, which is why our Little Hulton Loop proposal is a perfect example of where significant public transport investment should be targeted to maximise economic development in our more deprived areas.

Our views are further supported in principle by Policy EP1:-

The city will focus particularly on those ways in which it can best make a strong and positive contribution to the overall success of Greater Manchester. This will include taking advantage of Salford’s excellent location and transport infrastructure, especially the opportunities provided by the enormous concentration of economic activity in and around the south-east of the city. It will also recognise the importance of seeing the Greater Manchester economy as an integrated whole, and ensuring that Salford residents can access economic opportunities outside the city.

Our proposals will help to deliver some of the key components of the spatial strategy for economic development in Salford (page 63), including:-

• Protect and enhance the existing town centres, and the employment areas that have long-term economic potential, providing an important source of local employment and business opportunities (both Walkden and Little Hulton) • Significantly enhance the city’s tourism role, both as an important economic contributor in its own right and as a way of raising the city’s profile to attract further economic investment (connectivity to the RHS Garden Bridgewater by rail) • Improve transport connections, particularly public transport, to key employment areas within and outside the city, enabling Salford residents and businesses to take full advantage of their diverse opportunities, including… Logistics North in Bolton (our proposals deliver this)

13 Economic Inclusion and Industrial Development Our proposals have economic inclusion as one of their principal aims. Connecting some of our most deprived neighbourhoods by public transport to jobs, education and training opportunities in a sustainable way underpins our strategy.

Smaller scale office development in towns such as Walkden (paragraph 10.10) would help to reduce dependence on the declining retail sector, encourage more restaurant and café type businesses, increase footfall and help economic regeneration. These should be able to take advantage of good public transport links to encourage workers to leave their cars at home.

Other areas of the city that are earmarked for industrial development (paragraph 10.12) also need good public transport connectivity. Logistics North is mentioned and our proposals would take Metrolink/tram-train directly into the site. The importance of rail freight access to Port Salford (paragraph 10.18) is noted, but this could also be provided at Logistics North by using a spur from the Walkden line that can also be used by tram-train. While heavy bulk rail freight demand at Logistics North is unlikely, the use of lighter rail freight vehicles to aid distribution of goods into the city centre is worthy of serious consideration.

Where industrial sites are released for residential development (paragraph 10.21), these should have good access to public transport and facilities for active travel, or if these are lacking, they should be an integral part of any new development.

Culture and Tourism Policy CT1 (Tourism Development): Worsley Village, RHS Garden Bridgewater and the … Promoting improved access by public transport, cycling and walking (page 75)

FOWS strongly support this aim, but it is very regrettable that the proposals to remove our rail services at Walkden, which provide connectivity to the area from across the North, will make this much more difficult. In effect, elements of policy AP1 and CT1, while maybe unintentional, will contradict each other. FOWS have been developing plans to link the RHS site with Walkden station by bus, ideally with through ticketing and entry discounts. We have been in discussions with TfGM and are in contact with the RHS. If we lose our longer distance rail services then all of this will be undermined, possibly losing access to a potential market of up to 50,000 rail journeys per year if 10% of the Garden’s projected visitors arrive by rail.

Policy CT3 (AJ Bell Stadium): This is only 5 miles distant from Walkden and Little Hulton but there are no direct public transport connections. We note that Metrolink could serve this area as part of a proposed extension to Port Salford, but this gives the site direct rapid transit connections to and Manchester, not Salford. In our opinion this development will therefore attract the majority of Salford residents to visit by car, and make it very difficult for less affluent residents without access to a car to make use of these facilities at all.

14 Walkden has plenty of potential for similar development with land available in the centre (and already vacant in some cases). This could provide a cinema, bowling alley, restaurants and other leisure facilities, connecting with excellent public transport links. This would reduce the need for residents of west Salford to travel further to reach these amenities and offer good alternatives to using the car. The SDLP does not appear to acknowledge this at all.

Housing Detailed comment on housing development principles, including the release of land from the green belt, is outside the scope of our remit as a rail group. However, we have taken careful note of proposals in Chapter 12 of the SDLP, and to those in the GMSF, when developing our proposals for future transport infrastructure in our area. This aligns with Policy H1 (page 81) as follows:-

Ensure the provision of sufficient … transport infrastructure to serve new housing developments and their occupiers;

Focus the vast majority of new dwellings on previously-developed land in accessible locations, but with the limited release of greenfield and, through the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, Green Belt sites in west Salford to diversify the location and type of housing coming forward in the city;

Increasing the number of people who live in locations that are well-served by public transport and have good access to local facilities such as town centres will not just help to provide a range of attractive housing options for residents but will also support the achievement of goals that are partly reliant on reducing road traffic, such as lowering climate change emissions and enhancing air quality (paragraph 12.16, page 93)

Our proposals support this policy.

Individual developments that are listed in the SDLP that would benefit are:-

H9/4 Brackley Golf Course, Little Hulton This site is earmarked for 690 dwellings and therefore it is particularly important to provide it with excellent public transport links. Our proposals for the Little Hulton Loop therefore include a Metrolink stop at Brackley, giving the site direct tram-train links to central Salford, central Manchester, Walkden and Logistics North. We believe that this will make the site especially attractive and of significant value. With a good proportion of affordable homes, this would make Brackley easily accessible without the use of a car for those families who may not be able to afford cars, or for those who prefer to use sustainable transport. We have also proposed a stop at Harrop Fold which would directly connect the school to Brackley by tram.

As it is proposed to provide a linear walking and cycling route to the north of the site, our proposal is to share this alignment with Metrolink as an “active travel corridor” which would

15 also improve active travel links to Logistics North from the north of Little Hulton. The route could be designed to be tree lined so as to provide a landscape buffer from the M61.

H9/5 Ladywell Avenue, Little Hulton This would be within walking distance of our proposed Little Hulton tram stop. Note that this is not the same stop location as TfGM’s proposed “Little Hulton” station/stop which we have renamed Mort Lane as it isn’t close to the centre of Little Hulton at all.

H9/6 Land south-west of Hilton Lane, Little Hulton This would benefit from greater connectivity and service frequencies at Walkden station, and may also benefit from its proximity to the Harrop Fold Metrolink stop. If new housing on this site is mainly aspirational/higher value then realistically we can expect higher car use, which means that the site will also benefit from the provision of park and ride facilities at Walkden.

H9/7 Land west of Kenyon Way, Little Hulton While not especially close to stops on the Little Hulton Loop, this site could be well connected by bus to both the Mort Lane and Little Hulton stops, and also to Walkden Station with some optimisation of existing bus routes or introduction of new routes.

H9/10 Land south of Hill Top Road, Walkden North H9/11 Land south of Moss Lane, Walkden North H9/12 Land north of Lumber Lane, Worsley These sites would all benefit from service enhancements and improved facilities at Walkden station, along with improved bus, walking and cycling links. Lumber Lane could also benefit if our second rapid transit option (the Bridgewater Line) was built, as it would be relatively close to our proposed stop at Roe Green.

Town Centres and Retail Development Maintaining the vitality and viability of centres will be an ongoing challenge as shopping patterns and service delivery models change, especially with the growth of online retailing. Careful management of centres will be required in order to ensure their long-term success, with a clear focus on sustaining and creating vibrant destinations where activity can continue into the evening, with the retention of a robust retail presence complemented by a varied mix of uses including a strong leisure and community offer, whilst capitalising on individual identify and key assets including heritage and any tourism opportunities, all set with an enhanced environment (paragraph 13.4, page 129)

Walkden is well placed to evolve in this way, as the town centre has been extensively modernised in recent years with much of the new retail capacity so far unused. Therefore, construction and redevelopment costs should be fairly low compared with other centres where infrastructure is ageing and in need of replacement. Our proposals would enhance connectivity with Walkden substantially by rail, and by maximising the use of the town’s bus, cycling and walking infrastructure, access to the centre and its facilities should be easy. The key will be to rebalance the offer away from an over dependence on retail and more to

16 dining and leisure facilities. If these are provided, then the attraction of alternative locations further afield such as the Trafford Centre for casual dining, or cinema visits (which lend themselves to car journeys) would be reduced. It will also contribute to a fairer city, as those residents without access to a car would be able to enjoy better facilities in their local area.

Walkden’s rich industrial heritage along with the RHS Garden Bridgewater development could also lead to opportunities and this should be explored so as to provide an alternative destination for RHS visitors to dine, shop and relax, rather than just the Trafford Centre.

With this in mind, we feel that policy TC1 is not ambitious enough in relation to Walkden. We broadly agree with policy TC2, especially that main town centre uses should be in locations that are accessible by walking, cycling and public transport. Note that improvements to pedestrian and cycling routes between Walkden station and the town centre are needed.

Education Policy ED2 (Schools and Further Education facilities): Our proposals for Metrolink/Tram- train in Little Hulton have been designed to link new and existing housing developments with major schools, in particular Harrop Fold. There could also be potential to link the system more closely with Walkden High School if our Bridgewater Line proposal is taken forward for further development. In addition to this, Little Hulton would be much better connected to higher education establishments in Salford, especially the University of Salford.

Salford Royal Hospital A longer term aspiration is to extend the rapid transit network beyond Monton to link directly with Salford Royal Hospital. This could be done by extending our proposed Bridgewater Line concept on street through Monton Village to the hospital, then continuing via Stott Lane to link up with the existing Eccles Metrolink line. This would open up huge opportunities for patients and visitors to access the hospital by tram or tram-train from large areas of Salford, avoiding road congestion and reducing car use.

Accessibility As a community rail group, this is clearly an extremely important area of concern to us, where we have some of our our strongest views, but also our most progressive ideas for transformational change to the public transport network (especially rail based) to enhance connectivity and to promote a fairer Salford. FOWS agree with paragraph 16.1 (page 153) and this is key. Where we have some significant differences with the SDLP is how this should be achieved.

Although public transport services are relatively good for many areas of the city, other areas are less well-served. When combined with the costs of travel, these issues can reduce the ability of all residents to share in the benefits of growth (paragraph 16.2)

17 We agree, and our proposals are designed to address this.

Salford has a relatively settled urban form, and a well-established, fairly extensive transport network, and therefore the provision of a major transformation in the city’s transport infrastructure is unrealistic both physically and financially (paragraph 16.4)

We disagree – this simply isn’t correct. Our proposals are realistic and would offer very good value for money. New Metrolink lines have been developed in other parts of our city region (for example in Wythenshawe, and now Trafford Park) on new alignments. If this is good enough for Manchester and Trafford, why not for west Salford? The proposal to convert our railway service to tram-train operation without opening up the system to areas that most need it are extremely disappointing, ill conceived. and likely to represent poor value for money by standard BCR measures. If large amounts of money are going to be invested in rail based transport (with a probable cost of hundreds of millions for tram-train to Wigan) then this should be primarily targeted at regeneration of deprived areas as was the case in Wythenshawe. Anything less will not deliver on the promise of building a fairer Salford.

Policy A1 (Sustainable Transport Strategy): the themes of this policy have already been addressed elsewhere in this response.

Policy A2 (Transport Hierarchy): FOWS strongly agree with SCC with regard to the required transport hierarchy. However, at Walkden Station, the current hierarchy is quite the opposite with motor traffic (passing traffic, non-rail users) having top priority, then bus users who have reasonable access to the station but limited services, then cyclists and finally pedestrians who have to dodge 3 lanes of busy A-road traffic to access the station. If we are serious about the transport hierarchy then we should already be addressing this at our transport hubs.

Policy A3 (Sustainable Streets): FOWS endorse and agree with this policy.

Policy A4 (Walking and Cycling): FOWS strongly agree with and endorse SCC’s ambition to significantly increase the proportion of journeys made by walking and cycling. This is a central plank in our strategy to improve Walkden station and increase its usage. We offer our firm support to SCC to work together to improve cycle access and facilities at the station and its access routes such as the loop lines/Greenways, and to provide excellent facilities for cycle storage, and potentially cycle maintenance and cycle hire, at the station itself. Furthermore, we wish to work closely with SCC to identify and implement improvements to pedestrian access to Walkden station and to pedestrian safety around the station itself.

Policy A5 (Public Transport): As we have mentioned already, we are deeply disappointed with proposals contained within policy A5, with which we fundamentally disagree. While we would certainly agree with the aspirations in sections A to E (page 162), the means of achieving this are not, in our opinion, in line with those in paragraph 1.

18 Here are some excerpts from existing policy documents that illustrate our concerns:-

Salford Draft Local Plan (November 2016) – Policy A4, pages 123/124

Salford’s public transport network will be significantly enhanced over the period 2015-2035, in order to maximise travel choices and support the city’s growth ambitions.

Opportunities to interchange between services and modes will be encouraged, with a focus on the city’s town centres and railway stations, and Salford Central Station, Salford Crescent Station, Walkden Station and Irlam Station provide particular opportunities in this regard. Priority will be given to improving access to these locations and important interchanges outside of the city.

The city council will support proposals that deliver improvements to:

Network capacity, including through improvements to the frequency, speed, directness, reliability and geographical coverage of public transport routes and services

The enhancement of the city’s other rail stations, particularly in terms of passenger facilities and disabled access;

This was very much in line with the priorities of FOWS, and still is. We draw particular attention to SCC’s support for more direct services and increased geographical coverage, now even more important for Walkden with the opening of the RHS Garden Bridgewater. While improvements to service frequency are welcome, they are not the most important factor.

Salford Rail Strategy (July 2017) – Excepts relating to Walkden and the Atherton Line

4.7.5 Salford Priority No.2 - Salford City Council wishes to see the following developments in train services: (note that we have emphasised some key points in bold)

The provision of through services to Manchester Piccadilly from all three Salford rail routes. Presently there are no through services to Piccadilly from the Wigan - Atherton – Salford Crescent Line. Salford City Council sees this gap as a major issue, which must be resolved as soon as possible, given the importance, patronage levels of the busiest stations on the line and its future potential;

A review of the Atherton line speed. The Wigan – Atherton – Walkden – Salford Crescent route was built as a fast main line in 1888, and continued to be used as such until the 1970’s. The current line speed varies, the top speed is too low, and should be reviewed, with a view to increasing it to at least 75mph;

Salford City Council wishes to maximise the role of Walkden as a transport interchange. This will underpin economic development and improve access to employment, education, health care and the leisure.

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7.1.7 Given the very low BCR of the route, the franchise proposal to improve rail services, and the potential for higher line speeds and electrification, Salford City Council has concerns with the concept of replacing heavy rail on the Walkden line “like for like” with tram- trains.

7.1.8 The former 4-track formation of the route offers the opportunity to develop a new and exciting concept in Greater Manchester, tram train operation alongside an improved and faster heavy rail service. Tram train could be developed as far as Walkden using the disused 4-track formation where the route can divert to serve Little Hulton, Bolton and Leigh using the formation of the disused Manchester to Bolton Greater Moor Street railway line which closed to passengers in 1954 and finally in the early 1960’s.

FOWS strongly agree with and endorse the priorities set out in the Salford Rail Strategy. We have been working on ideas to further develop this, and in view of GMSF, the housing provisions of the SDLP and the opening of the RHS Garden Bridgewater, we have developed our proposals for the Little Hulton Loop, maximising the benefits of tram-train for Salford.

Revised Salford Draft Local Plan (January 2019)

The following are identified as key transport infrastructure priorities:

The conversion of the rail line between Salford Crescent Station and Wigan to tram-train use, bringing the north of the city and neighbouring Wigan into the Metrolink network

This policy contradicts the Salford Rail Strategy and the 2016 SDLP. It is fundamentally the wrong solution, would have significant disbenefits for Walkden, and we do not, and will not, support any such total conversion of the railway to tram-train. However, we contend that our alternative proposals for tram-train/rapid transit to complement rather than replace heavy rail services have significant merit, and huge potential for regeneration to deliver transformational change in public transport provision for west Salford: • Wigan can be brought into the Metrolink network by delivering a tram-train route between Wigan and Leigh via Platt Bridge, using the former Bickershaw colliery branch with an on street section into Leigh town centre. This would have huge benefits for Leigh, not least direct connectivity to HS2. • Tram-train operation via Atherton would not benefit Wigan as the distance is too great and any on street running beyond Salford Crescent would make the service much too slow. This would lead to Wigan passengers moving to services via Bolton and via Chat Moss, adding to the congestion there. • It would be very expensive and possibly disruptive to implement and quite unlikely to have a good BCR unless it is revised to include significant regeneration (which is the basis of our proposals for Little Hulton).

Additional platforms at Salford Crescent and electrification of the Salford’s remaining railways (therefore by definition including our line) are mentioned as priorities and we certainly agree with these.

20 Manchester Piccadilly Station is the most significant transport interchange in the North of , providing city to city connectivity and direct access to Manchester Airport, and as the proposed location for a new City Centre HS2 station it has the potential to become an even more significant gateway. It is therefore essential that access to this interchange for Salford residents is maximised. (paragraph 16.13)

This is absolutely correct and FOWS completely agree, however we see nothing in the SDLP that commits to providing such a link from Walkden and its catchment area.

Salford’s town centres and rail stations provide opportunities to interchange between different public transport modes, and there is significant potential for these interchange points to facilitate more travel by public transport provided that some of the barriers to using it are addressed. Eccles Town Centre, Salford Central Station and Salford Crescent Station offer particular opportunities in this regard. (paragraph 16.14)

We note that unlike the 2016 version of the Strategy, policy A5 (2) no longer specifically refers to Walkden regarding improved public transport interchanges in town centres. This is also very disappointing. Why is Eccles mentioned but not Walkden?

It is such a disappointment to us that after over a decade of dedicated campaigning to improve our rail services to the point where we will soon have a 15 minute frequency, with fast services into central Salford and Manchester and direct connections throughout a large part of the North, SCC now see sweeping all of this away in favour of a purely local, multiple stop, slower light rail option as a priority. We hope that this will be reconsidered. However, we will now present our alternative proposals, which we hope SCC will agree are a positive step to promote transformational change for Salford’s rail network.

Park and Ride Policy A10 (Park and Ride Facilities): Introduction of Park and Ride at Walkden Station is a top priority for FOWS, and we appreciate the excellent co-operation that we have received when discussing this with SCC. We hope that this is delivered as soon as possible. We are satisfied that proposals for Park and Ride at Walkden will satisfactorily meet the six tests that are listed under policy A10 (page 169).

21 FoWS proposals for new Rapid Transit services Option 1: The Little Hulton Loop This route is designed to connect Little Hulton and Logistics North with central Manchester via Salford. The line runs alongside the existing rail alignment from Pendleton to a point west of Walkden where it diverges to form a new route using some completely new formation and some disused railway alignment before rejoining the existing Atherton Line corridor. As there will be some short stretches of shared track, the line is proposed to be tram-train as opposed to conventional Metrolink. There will be an interchange at Walkden with heavy rail services to provide wider connectivity both eastbound and westbound.

Rapid transit services will join the Atherton Line formation in the Pendleton area from a new on street route from the City Centre. As both TfGM and Salford City Council are considering options for the on street section, we will not expand on those here. From Pendleton, the former fast lines would then be reinstated with rapid transit and heavy rail services running in parallel to a point west of Moorside where the M60 crosses the line. At this point we propose that the two modes share the two tracks until just west of the M60 where the four track formation is again reinstated as far as Walkden. If the M60 bridges can accommodate three tracks then it would be recommended to use these to increase flexibility, but our proposed 10-11 tph frequency across the two modes should be comfortably accommodated on two electrified tracks for this short distance. One advantage of the shared section of track is that the rapid transit alignment can move from the down side of the route to the up side to the east of the M60 in order to use the existing station infrastructure at Moorside and Swinton.

Stops would be located at Irlams o’ the Height, Pendlebury, Swinton and Moorside on the two rapid transit tracks. The former fast lines would be reinstated to serve that purpose, although consideration could be given to some heavy rail provision at Swinton.

West of the M61 at Linnyshaw Moss, the heavy rail tracks would remain as today, with the rapid transit services using the reinstated two tracks as far as Walkden. The station and track layout at Walkden may preclude two additional platforms, in which case there could be a single bi-directional platform for rapid transit slightly offset to the east of the current heavy rail platforms and linked by an accessible bridge from the main platforms. This then serves as the interchange between heavy rail and rapid transit services.

From Walkden, rapid transit continues using the reinstated former fast lines to a point just west of the proposed “Little Hulton” stop, which we would rename Mort Lane to better reflect its location.

Assuming there is sufficient space to build at the higher level, one possible option is to descend the line at Mort Lane to ground level where (subject to release from green belt) a park and ride stop could be provided. Because the location is over 1km from the centre of Little Hulton, 3.5km from Logistics North, and 3km from the proposed Brackley Golf Course residential development, we don’t believe it can function as a practical option for any of

22 Route Diagrams – Little Hulton Loop and the Bridgewater Line

Fig 1: Map of proposed route and station sites for Little Hulton Loop

Fig 2: Schematic diagram of Wigan-Manchester railway and proposed Little Hulton Loop

23 these locations. We consider the greatest potential for this stop is to function as a park and ride option for Mosley Common, Astley and Tyldesley.

We propose that the rapid transit line now crosses under the Atherton Line and uses a new formation to run through the Logistics North site where two stops can be provided, the northern one to be co-located with bus services, and local amenities. The route would then continue across the A6 on the level on a new formation and run alongside the M61 (bearing in mind that if a major housing development goes ahead there will need to be a buffer between these houses and the motorway, the line can form a part of this). A stop will then be provided at Brackley to serve the 700 proposed new residences there. From here, the line continues to meet the formation of the former Roe Green to Bolton railway which takes it into Little Hulton, where a stop will serve the centre of the town. The line then continues along this alignment with one further stop at Harrop Fold before rejoining the Atherton Line again just west of Walkden. The challenge here will be moving from low to high level routes but there is a former colliery line alignment between the two which could be used for a short distance.

Below: A view of Swinton station, showing the current running lines and overgrown land to the left where the fast lines formerly ran.

24 Option 2: The Bridgewater Line This is the same route as Option 1 except that instead of rejoining the Atherton Line it would pass beneath it to continue along the low level route to Monton.

The line would be fully integrated with walking and cycling facilities on this route to form an “active travel corridor”. Stops would be provided at Walkden Low Level, Roe Green, Worsley and Monton.

Fig 3: Schematic diagram of Option 2: Little Hulton Loop with extension to Monton

Another benefit of this option is that it would open up the Metrolink network to those heavily congested areas which have high levels of car use and effectively provide a double interchange at Walkden.

Protecting former Railway routes Policy A14 (page 172): It is important to protect the alignments of former railways from development as they now have a greater chance of both being required for re-use in the future, and this being viable due to advances in rapid transit technology. Light rail and guided bus systems can both operate on street, therefore breaches in old railway routes may not necessarily now preclude a reinstatement, however further development on these old lines should not be allowed.

Where former railways are proposed for rapid transit use, we advocate their reinstatement as “active travel corridors”, combining rapid transit, walking and cycling infrastructure to maximise their benefits.

25 Heritage Railways are a fundamental part of our industrial heritage and as such represent a heritage asset that is still a vital component of our transport system. The world’s first inter-city railway passed through Salford, and as a city we should be proud of the railways that brought us so much prosperity.

In Walkden and Worsley, we have a rich industrial heritage including, but not limited to, coal mining, canals and railways. The new RHS Garden Bridgewater is being constructed on a historic site, and the existence of so many heritage assets in our area opens up opportunities to encourage more inward visitors to enjoy them. Naturally, FOWS supports the use of sustainable transport, and rail in particular, to bring these visitors to Salford.

FOWS carefully consider the heritage aspects of Walkden Station when planning environmental improvements to the station. Working with a local artist, we have installed a series of laser cut steel roundels depicting scenes from Walkden’s local history, and our future aspirations for the station include restoring the historic canopy, improved lighting in and around our station building, and reopening the waiting room with a heritage theme. Many improvements have been made to Irlam station on similar lines, and they make a big difference to the passenger and visitor experience.

Policy HE4 (page 213): Change will be carefully managed across Salford, including in the following locations - Worsley Village and the Bridgewater Canal Corridor, where major investment in the area’s heritage assets, including those within RHS Garden Bridgewater, will support the expansion of its strategically important tourism and leisure roles

It is very important that SCC work closely with the RHS, FOWS and other stakeholders to maximise this opportunity so that the area does not become blighted with road traffic, and that public transport access and usage to these locations is maximised.

Green Infrastructure Policy GI5 (West Salford Greenway):- Improving the extent and quality of public access to and within the Greenway, with the strategic recreation routes along the Bridgewater Canal and the former railway line providing connections to other parts of the city, and maintaining a diverse range of recreational uses

We acknowledge that Option 2 (the Bridgewater Line) makes use of this former railway line between Walkden and Monton. Any proposal to introduce rapid transit on this alignment would need to be designed to protect the recreational value as much as possible, by ensuring that high quality walking and cycling paths are protected and upgraded. It may be that local communities would prefer to retain the alignment as it stands, however there would not appear to be any alternative routes that could link these parts of Salford (which are severely blighted by traffic and its associated air quality issues) by rapid transit modes.

26 Option 1 (The Little Hulton Loop) is our main proposal, with Option 2 viewed as a possible alternative, and we are hopeful that Option 1 should not encounter any significant local opposition as the benefits for Little Hulton would be so great.

Air Quality Policy AQ1 (Air Quality): FOWS support the proposed measures in policy AQ1 (pages 262/263) to improve air quality in our city. In particular, we strongly support SCC’s policy to electrify our rail lines, for which we have been lobbying strongly for some time. As road transport is recognised as the main source of poor air quality in Salford, any significant modal shift away from road will result in significant improvements.

FOWS will continue to work with SCC and other stakeholders to lobby for improvements to our station and its services and access routes in order to encourage greater usage. This can only be beneficial to the city of Salford, its residents, its visitors and its environment. We hope that our ideas and proposals throughout this response to the SDLP can contribute to this.

Conclusion Salford has an exciting future. We firmly believe that our city has excellent potential to become a very attractive place to live, work, play and invest. In order to facilitate this, we need to deliver the best possible transport connectivity and our proposals seek to do just that.

FOWS wish to work in partnership with Salford City Council as plans evolve for the future of our city, for the benefit of our community, our environment and our future prosperity.

Andy Barlow (Report Author) March 2019 e-mail: [email protected]

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