BICYCLE LOAN ADULT CYCLE TRAINING LESSONS

Would you like an Interest We have arranged some free cycle Free loan of up to £500 to training sessions for ECC staff. purchase a bicycle and The cost will be covered by ECC but related equipment? staff will have to be prepared to attend With the help of our colleague, 3 consecutive Saturdays at the Rose Parnell in Employee Chelmer Cycling Club, Meteor Way, relations, this is exactly what we (off Waterhouse Lane) Chelmsford, are hoping to introduce. Rose between the hours of 9am and has produced the Draft Bicycle 10.30am. We will be running one Loan Scheme policy, which is course this autumn, and are taking currently out to consultation. names for those interested in brushing We would like to take this up their cycling skills for courses to be opportunity to thank Rose for all run next Spring. There are places for 5 her help and we hope to have people on each course. If you would some good news in our next like a place please give us a ring - first newsletter. come first served.

A Guide to Public Transport COUNTY COUNCIL STAFF CAR SHARE SPACES from Anglia Railways Stations from March 2002 We have been very fortunate in obtaining five multi-storey car park spaces for ECC staff who regularly car share. This booklet includes details of taxis, cycle facilities, car parking, buses and community The permits are issued subject to the following priority criteria: transport appropriate to • NUMBER OF PEOPLE SHARING • FREQUENCY OF SHARING • DISTANCE TRAVELLED Chelmsford, They are not issued on a , permanent basis and the allocations are reviewed on a International, monthly basis. We are very Ingatestone & proud to have negotiated these railway stations. spaces on behalf of ECC staff. If you would like a Car sharing is another form of sustainable travel that reduces congestion and copy of this leaflet pollution, can relieve stress, enables members of staff to share their travelling ring us on either expenses, and most importantly of all, reduces the number of extension 51120 or single occupancy cars. 51117. ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL STAFF TRAVEL PLAN NEWSLETTER Autumn 2002 Issue No 3 Season ticket loan scheme Hello again

Essex County Council Welcome to the third edition of our runs a season ticket loan newsletter for Autumn 2002. This scheme that is available to time we are focusing on the railways most permanent members and how they can make getting of staff. The loan can be around for work and leisure more for up to £5000 per annum enjoyable and less stressful than the to buy annual rail or bus car. In this edition you can find out season tickets. how to apply for an interest free loan to buy a rail or bus season An annual ticket saves you money. ticket, and learn how to check and For example, if you travel by rail from Colchester to Chelmsford, a weekly season ticket will cost plan your rail journey on the Intranet you £27.20, based on 48 weeks a year, that works out at £1305.60. An annual season ticket will cost you £1088, a saving of over £200. You would save around £175 per ‘Journey Planner’. year coming from Braintree to Chelmsford. Remember that you can also use a season ticket for You can also find out about some of the free travel at weekends and discounted fares for a companion. work being carried out on the county's All the information you need to apply for an Interest Free Season Ticket Loan can be found on the rural railways through the Essex and South Intranet, follow these stages; get onto the main intranet page, click on Policies, Strategies and Community Rail Partnership. They Information on the left hand side, then Policy Personnel Framework on the drop down list. are currently working on a scheme with the Once in this section, look for number 5, Pay, Benefits and Allowances, and click on, Season Ticket Loan. After information about the scheme, you can scroll down to find the application form. Countryside Agency to set up cycle hire facilities at Manningtree and Key The Rail Network in Essex stations. How about a visit to the East Anglian Railway Museum at station, near Colchester, where you may run into Thomas the Tank Engine, or can book up a Rail Christmas ride with Santa. West Anglia Great Northern We also have our regular ‘Did you know?’ Anglia Railways feature with some interesting facts about rail travel. The back page gives an update on some of the other travel initiatives we have LUL Central Line been working on since the Summer edition. Silver Link Our Winter Newsletter will be looking at the Car. Yes,we do know that sometimes the Car is the only practical means of transport, so we are going to be looking at how it can be more enjoyable, less stressful and cheaper. If you would like to submit an article, or have staff travel queries, please call us on extension 51120 or 51117. Teresa Prosser and Janet Totham Travel Plan Co-ordinator and Assistant Travel Plan Co-ordinator The Essex and South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership

The Essex and South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership is part of a network of Community Rail Partnerships across the country, from the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership in the southwest to the Llangollen railway in Wales and the Highland Rail Partnership in Scotland.

In 1996, following a meeting to explore the The Manningtree to Harwich line has been The route between and Southminster is concept of a Community Rail Partnership in Essex, named after the ship “The Mayflower” which named “The ”. Starting in the the County Council performed a study into the took the Pilgrim Fathers to America. The highly populated residential town of Wickford it feasibility of establishing a community based captain was a resident of Harwich. From travels through the small village of Battlesbridge project on three rural branch lines in Essex. Manningtree, the smallest populated town in with its popular antiques centre, the towns of The lines are well used for commuter traffic but with only 750 residents, the route , and local communities rely heavily on the car for most continues to , which still has a working through to the popular sailing destination of their off peak travel. The railway is a vital link to quay and is famous for its swans. It then of Burnham on Crouch before finishing at the their communities and through a programme of continues through the small village of , small town of Southminster. The line is well used community based projects; these lines could be Harwich International, which is a gateway to the for commuters to London, with some peak trains brought into better use. In some rural areas the continent, the coastal town of and running straight through to Liverpool Street. railway offers the quickest means of public lastly the historic port of Harwich. During the day trains shuttle between Wickford transport facility available. The CRP would bring and Southminster. The line is also used by school about a co-ordination of all agencies in achieving children travelling to the Southend on Sea area for regeneration and economic growth, using the schools and colleges. railway as the connection. The fourth route is from to Sudbury There are four railway lines covered in this and has been named “The ” partnership, two lines are in the north east of the in honour of the 18th century painter Thomas County and are located within the Tendring Gainsborough who was born in Sudbury, Suffolk. District Council and Colchester Borough Council The line begins in Marks Tey and continues over areas. The line to the south east of the County the which was opened in 1849, lies in the Dengie Peninsular and within the Manningtree station the viaduct contains seven million bricks and District Council and Chelmsford Borough stands 75 feet above the valley at its highest point Council areas, with the newest line to join the The Colchester to Clacton/Walton line starts at and has been designated a European monument. partnership passing through Colchester Town station, formerly St.Botolphs, just The line passes through Chappel and Wakes Council and finishing in the off the centre of town. It travels through the Colne famous as the location of the East Anglian Council area of Suffolk. coastal town of Wivenhoe then on through the villages of Alresford, Great Bentley – with the Railway Museum before continuing on to Bures, The route of both lines within the biggest village green in England – and Weeley which is half in Essex and half in Suffolk. The line and Colchester Borough Councils run east/west. before reaching the junction of Thorpe le Soken. finishes in Sudbury Suffolk, and close by the The route of the line furthest north runs from Here the line splits into two, one continues to the station is the house where Thomas Gainsborough Manningtree in the west to Harwich Town in the popular seaside town of Clacton on Sea in one was born. This has now been converted into a east. The second branch line runs from Colchester direction and the other goes through Kirby Cross, museum in his honour. Town to Thorpe le Soken, where it branches into Frinton on Sea, famous for its gates, and terminates two routes, the more northerly route continues to at the other seaside destination in Tendring,Walton For more information please contact Walton-on-the-Naze with the southerly route to on the Naze. This line has a very good commuter either Linda Smart on extension 51154 Clacton on Sea. base and offers a fast service to London. or Adrian Summons on extension 51184.

EASTEAST ANGLIANANGLIAN RAILRAILWWAAYY MUSEUMMUSEUM

The East Anglian Railway Museum is situated There are three special “Santa Steaming” days - can be found here. at Chappel and Wakes Colne railway station 1030-1600 - (where all visitors can have unlimited There are also rides on Santa's steam-hauled train, and (subject three restored near Colchester, which is on the Marks Tey- to weather conditions) the miniature railway will signal boxes on the Sudbury line, and therefore very easy to get to also be operating. Children will receive a gift from site, one of which is Father Christmas, whilst seasonal refreshments manned and by public transport. It can be found just over will be given to the adults in your party. Children controls the points the footbridge. It would make a very pleasant under 3 who want a gift from Santa are charged for the steam train. at a reduced rate: if a gift is not required, then day out for all the family. Opening hours are Visitors are they are admitted free. welcome to look 1000-1700 every day except Christmas day. Check the dates on telephone number around the shed 01206-242524 to see when Thomas the Tank and see the Engine next visits and also for other special steam volunteers at work. The workshops are engine days. adjacent and there is a wide variety of machinery to enable most engineering and The museum has a wide collection of carpentry work to be carried out - locomotives and rolling stock, some of which are unfortunately, due to health and safety reasons fully restored and others are undergoing repair the public is not allowed access to the and restoration. The restoration shed was built in workshop area. 1983-4, prior to which most work had to take place in the goods shed or in the open. A variety There is a refreshment bar serving burgers, of engines and old trucks and railway memorabilia chips, sandwiches and drinks and snacks. USE THE RAIL The Essex and South Suffolk AND BUS JOURNEY PLANNER Community Rail Partnership You can use the online Rail and Bus CYCLE HIRE PROJECT Journey planner to select your train or The Essex and South Suffolk bus for your journey. After inputting Community Rail Partnership is working details of your journey the program will with the Countryside Agency on a offer a selection of times to help you proposal to set up a cycle hire facility reach your destination on time. for all cycle users at two First Great Eastern stations. It is hoped the cycle Go to the INTRANET front page hire scheme will be up and running in and select Spring 2003. FGE have agreed to let ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES the scheme operate from some of their TRAVEL unused station buildings and the TRAVEL INFORMATION stations for this pilot scheme are, PLAN A JOURNEY. Manningtree station located on the and Southminster The North bank of the River Stour is within This will bring you to BUS AND RAIL station on the Crouch Valley Line. Suffolk and was designated an Area of JOURNEY PLANNER Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in early The scheme aims to provide local 1970. It is part of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths 1st Box employment, act as a boost for the and stretches from the Essex Suffolk boarder Type in name of departure station/bus stop. local economy and encourage cycle along the coast to just south of Kessingland. After entering a name into the field box, tourism within rural Essex. Southminster is located to the south east of the select “stops” to indicate you need a station The cycle hire shop aims to provide a wide county and is located within the Dengie or bus stop. peninsula, the peninsula offers a largely flat You must then click on SEARCH and select range of cycles for hiring including adult and child Mountain Bikes, Unisex Bikes,Trailer unspoiled and remote area of tidal mud-flats the station/bus stop from the list offered. Buggy,Tag-a-long and an Electric Bike for those and salt marshes to the eastern end of the 2nd Box with mobility problems, with free use of a safety peninsula, between the adjacent Blackwater and Crouch Estuaries. The salt marsh is the largest Type in destination into the field box. helmet when hiring a cycle. continuous example of its type in Essex and the Select “stops” to indicate you need a station Manningtree station was chosen as it is close to foreshore, salt marsh and beaches support an or bus stop. the Dedham Vale and the Stour Valley outstanding assemblage of rare coastal flora. You must then click on SEARCH and select Countryside Project, which is an “Area of It is of importance for wintering populations of the station/bus stop from the list offered. Outstanding Natural Beauty” and home to wildfowl and waders. The Dengie is an integral 3rd box “Constable Country” made famous by the component of the phased Mid-Essex Coast painting by John Constable. Manningtree is on If an intermediary stop is required for your Special Protection Area (SPA). It is also the Essex Cycle Route and also, part of the journey select the station/bus stop required designated as a Ramsars site, Special Area of national Cycle Route One runs close to using the VIA button. Conservation (SAC), Marine Special Area of Manningtree. The Essex side of the River Stour Conservation and a National Nature Reserve 4th box is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), (NNR). The whole of the Dengie coastline is Select your departure/arrival date and time. A Ramsars site, Special Protection Area, Special part of the Coastal Protection Belt and the Deselect rail or bus/coach to choose your Area of Conservation, Marine Special Area of eastern shore is a Site of Special Scientific choice of travel. Conservation and a National Nature Reserve. Interest (SSSI).

The Journey Planner will show a selection of travelling times ready for you to choose the most suitable for your personal choice. DID YOU KNOW? RAILWAYS ARE WORTH £3bn PER YEAR The rail network is worth nearly £3 billion a year in reduced road congestion and casualties and in environmental and health benefits, according to a report produced by transport consultants Steer Davies Gleave entitled “The Case for Rail”. Their report highlighted that railways: • Reduce congestion, casualties, noise and • Supports tourism in many cities and rural areas. air pollution compared with equivalent journeys Are used by a full range of social classes and by road and air. • income and age groups. • Enable the economy of major cities and metropolitan areas to function and grow. • Can provide a reliable freight alternative to • Can act as an agent for economic regeneration increasingly congested roads. • Help regional economies by linking regional • Create and sustain skilled manufacturing jobs. centres to the rest of the country The report estimates that around 130,000 • Allow business users fast city centre to textphone 0870 241 2216 city centre travel and enable them to work direct jobs and six times that in suppliers are during the journey. dependent? on the rail industry.