THE STATE OF THE NATION BRIEFING EasT oF EnGLanD TransporT THE STATE OF THE The East of England is one of the UK’s most scattered and diffusely NATION populated regions taking in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, TRANSPORT Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. 2013 It is ranked fourth largest in the UK covering THE SAGA OF THE A14 CONTINUES NATIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS The ICE has compiled State of the Nation 7,382 sq. miles (19,120 km2) with a population The A14 is the strategic east-west link to the reports each year since 2000, drawing of 5,847m (2011). There has been a recent Haven Ports and is designated a Trans-European on expertise across its membership and focus of investment in some parts of the region’s Network route. From the time it became the A1/ beyond to stimulate debate and to transport infrastructure but, on the whole, there M1 link road in the 1980s it was obvious demand highlight the actions needed to improve remain some significant challenges to overcome. would quickly outstrip capacity. the UK´s infrastructure. The now defunct East of England Development Agency estimated over 750K new homes would The section between Cambridge and Huntingdon ICE’s State of the Nation: Transport 2013 be required by 2020. Many to be built in areas suffers considerable congestion. Road traffic UK report presents a series of detailed already suffering from poorly served infrastructure incidents result in the area being gridlocked for recommendations – for the short, medium and often non-existent public transport. The hours. People are late for work and meetings and long-term. While all are important, we majority will have no alternative but to use cars and flights are missed. The cost to commerce and believe that three are particularly critical to and most households need at least two cars to industry is considerable. our success: function. Yet the road network available to them is In 2000 the Cambridge to Huntingdon Multi- 1. IMMEDIATE ACTION TO IMPROVE already up to capacity and away from main routes Modal Study (CHUMMS) was launched and the rOAD CONDITIONS, PLANNING in questionable condition. results delivered in August 2001. This generated AND FUNDING There is a cost not just to the region but the a Department of Transport and Highways Agency 2. ENSURING CLEAR NATIONAL country. In May 2013 the Centre for Economics £1.2bn improvement scheme. In 2010 the incoming trANSPORT STRATEGIES FOR ALL and Business Research published a report The Coalition Government scrapped the scheme PARTS OF THE UK Impact of Infrastructure1 that said the cost of as unaffordable. A study commissioned by the 3. CONTINUING AND EXTENDING the UK’s poor infrastructure amounts to £78bn Department of Transport (steer davies gleave A14 dEVOLUTION TO FULLY- annually. It goes on to say the UK’s Gross Study Output 1 December 2011) led to the A14 INTEGRATED TRANSPORT BODIES 2 Domestic Product (GDP) could be up to five per Challenge ‘seeking views from all stakeholders on Our emphasis is on making best use of existing cent higher if our infrastructure matched that of the best solutions to the issues on this road.’ assets and achieving the most with public overseas competitors. The favoured option is a toll road which the money. The headline recommendations are Government is willing to fund if local authorities backed by a series of further points requiring The East of England is served by a highly congested transport corridor running to and contribute £150m. Leading the way Cambridgeshire rapid action and a suite of detailed changes County Council sought the co-operation of by mode and topic. The report concludes with from London, but in comparison there is virtually no provision running orbitally or further out of neighbouring authorities served by the A14 with a a proposal to create the capacity to address view to sharing the cost. In April 2013 Cambridge the major social, economic, environmental and London, in an east-west direction. Major transport hubs at Felixstowe, Harwich, London Gateway City Council reluctantly supported the scheme technological change which ICE anticipates but refused to fund it. Despite this the initiative through the 2020s. and London Stansted Airport serve the nation as a whole, putting considerable pressure on the appears to be on track with a £50m pledge from The UK report, with the full detail behind network. the Greater Cambridge and Greater Peterborough our recommendations, can be downloaded Local Enterprise Partnership. However the South at ice.org.uk/SoNTransport. This briefing The region is thought of as mainly agricultural, yet Cambridgeshire MP Andrew Lansley warns there is sheet highlights how ICE’s UK-level there are large areas of manufacturing. Getting to still a risk of funding being withdrawn if sufficient recommendations impact on business places takes time with major roads crisscrossing local investment is not forthcoming. The government and communities across our region. the region (M1, M11, A1, A11, A12, A14, and A47) have announced a £20 million programme of seeing increased demand in traffic and funding. measures between Ellington and Fen Ditton to start immediately, with delivery over the next 2 years. 1. www.cebr.com/reports/impact-of-infrastructure 2. A14 challenge: finding solutions together consultation response THE STATE TRANSPORT www.gov.uk/government/consultations/a14-challenge OF THE NATION 01 In April 2013 the Highways Agency announced A11 Upgrade BUS AND RAIL a £3.06m plan to increase the carriageway to It is excellent news that work began in January Bus services in and around the region’s towns are three lanes between Histon and Girton. Work will 2013 to dual the last remaining single section reasonable whereas in rural areas regular services start and be completed in 2014. The A14 needs carriageway of the A11. The £105m Fiveways are patchy. Whilst some services are still subsidised a solution yet progress is painfully slow. The last to Thetford dualling and improvement by local authorities this is becoming increasingly ICE State of the Nation report on transport was scheme4 will widen 9.1 miles (14.8km) of difficult as budgets are stretched. It is also a difficult published in 2008. Exactly the same problems the A11 – a key route between the M11 and business case for bus operators who are expected were identified but there has been little progress. Norwich. It will shorten journey times and to maintain regular services in rural areas whilst The longer it takes the greater the cost to the hopefully reduce the many accidents caused by passenger usage and revenue does not stack up. region and to the nation. overtaking on the old single carriageway road Transport capacity is also lacking within major CASE STUDIES urban areas, which will be the focus for major growth in the region. In Norwich funding has been secured for a Northern Distributor FOCUS ON NORFOlk Road; a key component of the Norwich Area ICE urges better east-west connections to the north Transportation Strategy. This new road will of the region through improvements to the A47. provide strong and sustained economic benefit The road is part of the Trans-European Network for Norwich, unlocking new business sites and links Norfolk to the Midlands and the North on and giving access to existing industrial and one side and Europe on the other. This strategic link commercial estates. Overall, the Northern has suffered from a lack of investment resulting in Distributor Road has the potential to bring Cambridge Guided Busway – chronic congestion, slow and unreliable journeys, £1.3bn of investment into Norfolk courtesy of Cambridgeshire County Council and a poor casualty record. The Northern Distributor Road also ensures the A47 Gateway to Growth development of a sustainable transport system Cambridge Guided Busway opened in August 2011 Norfolk County Council has launched a for Norwich, providing the road space for linking Cambridge with St Ives and Huntingdon. It is programme of improvements3 including some improvements such as Bus Rapid Transit and the longest busway in the world. Specially adapted dualling, junction improvements and a new river facilities for cyclists and pedestrians, as well as buses travel on a dedicated concrete track with the crossing at Great Yarmouth. relieving congestion – particularly on the outer ability to run on ordinary roads at each end. The ring road – and limiting the unsuitable use of project was two and half years late and £34m over Major improvements to overcome bottlenecks minor roads. budget. From the start the project had many critics such as dualling the North Tuddenham to Easton and groups opposing it including the Member of stretch are needed, as well as targeted focused Major rail investment to improve journey times Parliament for Cambridge who dubbed it ‘a white improvements at junctions to release planned is needed on the Great Eastern Main Line elephant’. Despite the late start to services and housing and jobs growth. Work undertaken for better linking the cities of Norwich, Ipswich, the criticism it attracted before building work was Norfolk County Council shows that targeted Colchester and Chelmsford to London. More completed the Busway has been a success with the improvements could boost the economy through frequent services are needed on the inter- millionth passenger5 in January 2012. In the first an additional 10,000 jobs and an increase to regional routes connecting between Norwich year of operation 2.5 million journeys were made - GVA of £400m per annum. Travel times are and Cambridge, King’s Lynn and Cambridge, 750,000 more than forecast. Since go-live more than expected to improve by 30 minutes. and Ipswich and Peterborough. four million passengers have used the Busway and the two bus operators have had to increase services.