Dorset and East Devon Waterborne Transport Scoping Study
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Dorset and East Devon Waterborne Transport Scoping Study September 2oo9 A study report by Fisher Associates (September 2oo9) for Dorset AONB and Jurassic Coast Transport Working Group This report was commissioned by the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) to investigate potential for waterborne transport along the Dorset and East Devon Coast which would offer an enhanced, reliable and realistic alternative transport opportunity for both functional and leisure journeys, and would enable integration between waterborne and surface transport. The Steering Group for this project comprised representatives from Dorset AONB, the Jurassic Coast Team, Devon and Dorset County Councils and the Jurassic Coast Trust. For further information, please contact: Sue Mitchell, Dorset AONB 01305 228236 [email protected] or Sally King, Jurassic Coast Team 01305 225091 [email protected] map image (Not to be used for navigational purposes) Imray Folio 2300, with thanks to Imray Nautical Charts 2009. Reproduced by Permission of Imray, Laurie Norie and Wilson Ltd Front and rear cover photographs: Stephen Paul Hardy All photos in report sourced by Fisher Associates Dorset and East Devon Waterborne Passenger Transport Scoping Study Final Report 24th September 2009 Prepared by Fisher Associates for Dorset AONB Document History Details Date Notes Draft Final Report 7th August 2009 Draft submitted for review Discussion Draft 9th September 2009 Revised working draft incorporating comments for discussion at review meeting Final Report 11th September 2009 Final draft submitted for approval Final Report 24th September 2009 Final Report incorporating final amendments Fisher Associates, Seaways, Rowes Lane, East End, Lymington, SO41 5SU Tel: 01590 626 220 www.fisherassoc.co.uk Fax: 01590 626 359 1 Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................3 2 STUDY FOCUS AND METHODOLOGY..................................................................................4 3 MARKET ANALYSIS..................................................................................................................6 3.1 POPULATION ...........................................................................................................................................6 3.2 TRAVEL TO WORK MARKET ..................................................................................................................7 3.3 LEISURE MARKET................................................................................................................................. 11 3.4 ATTRACTIONS ...................................................................................................................................... 13 3.5 WALKING .............................................................................................................................................. 15 3.6 ROAD USE.............................................................................................................................................. 16 3.7 CONCLUSION......................................................................................................................................... 18 4 SUPPLY SIDE ISSUES............................................................................................................. 20 4.1 PROPENSITY TO TRAVEL BY WATER................................................................................................. 20 4.2 CONSTRAINTS....................................................................................................................................... 21 4.3 ACCESS TO THE WATER ...................................................................................................................... 23 4.4 EXISTING SERVICES ............................................................................................................................. 25 4.5 REGULATION OF PASSENGER SERVICES ........................................................................................... 26 4.6 VESSELS................................................................................................................................................. 27 5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................... 31 5.1 SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS.............................................................................................................. 31 5.1.1 Potential demand ........................................................................................................................31 5.1.2 Supply side issues.........................................................................................................................32 5.2 BARRIERS.............................................................................................................................................. 33 5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................................................................................... 35 5.3.1 Tactical steps.................................................................................................................................35 5.3.2 Strategic actions ..........................................................................................................................36 5.4 CONCLUSION......................................................................................................................................... 36 APPENDIX I: BOAT OPERATORS.............................................................................................. 39 APPENDIX II: REGULATION OF PASSENGER SERVICES (TECHNICAL)......................... 42 2 1 Introduction The Dorset and East Devon Coastal Corridor Action Plan aims for an integrated delivery plan for the coastal corridor encompassing sustainable access, transport, information and interpretation, visitor management and facilities, community celebration and action and environmental enhancement. The key partners in the project are Dorset AONB, East Devon AONB, World Heritage Team, Dorset Countryside, South West Coast Path Team, National Trust, Natural England, Dorset Coast Forum, local authorities and heritage committees. Within this context, the Dorset AONB partnership has appointed Fisher Associates to investigate the long-term potential for waterborne transport along the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site of Dorset and East Devon, which would offer an enhanced, reliable and realistic alternative transport opportunity for both functional and leisure journeys, and would enable integration between waterborne and surface transport. This report is structured as follows: ♦ Chapter 2 explains the focus and broad methodology of the study. ♦ Chapter 3 presents an assessment of the market potential for water based passenger transport services. ♦ Chapter 4 discusses supply side issues – that is to say issues connected with the vessels and landing facilities that are needed to operate services, and the constraints that impact on these. ♦ Section 5 summarises the key findings (from Sections 3 and 4), then provides an assessment of the barriers to growth of water based passenger services, and provides recommendations and conclusions. Sections 2 and 5 provide a summarised appreciation of the report for those that are short of time. 3 2 Study focus and methodology This is a scoping study. It is strategic in nature, and although it considers the present day, it is concerned primarily with the long-term perspective to 2060 and beyond, since this matches thinking on the response to climate change, sea level rise, and coastal erosion (see box on page 5). This long-term perspective means that we can realistically adopt the philosophy that “great oaks from small acorns grow”. This study also underlines the need to continually explore transportation opportunities in the context of tertiary and marine spatial plans, the forthcoming third generation Local Transport Plan, and in the context of the Government’s policy document “Delivering a Sustainable Transport System” (DaSTS) November 2008.1 The fundamental question is: How and where and when could waterborne passenger transport replace car journeys? At its core, this study provides a high level review of the potential for waterborne passenger transport in terms of the market for it, and supply side issues related to providing it. Demand comes potentially from two main classes of passenger: ♦ Local people engaged in daily activities such as home-to-work travel, travelling for working purposes, and travelling on other functional journeys (e.g. to shops). ♦ Tourists and local people engaged in leisure activity. There is a tendency to jump to conclusions on the supply side, particularly on the type and size of vessels. The UK coast hosts services operated by vessels ranging from a few passengers to a few hundred passengers, from slow to fast, and no such presumptions are made in this study. Replacing a leisure based car journey via a small boat is no less valuable than replacing a commuter car journey via a fast ferry. The focus is the “Jurassic Coast” - defined as Studland to Exmouth (excluding the Exe Estuary). However, this sits firmly in the context of the wider coastal region from Torbay to Christchurch Bay (the “Study Coast”), and it was determined at an early stage to widen the scope to consider the influence of this where sensible. As the study progressed, it became clear