9832-SE Kent CRP Annual Report 2016-17.Indd
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Kent Community Rail Partnership Annual Report 2016 – 2017 Medway Valley Line Annual Report 2016 – 2017 Medway Valley Line and SwaleRail Since our last Stakeholder Meeting in April 2016 there have been some changes to our line up – we said “goodbye” to Alexis in the July and “hello” to Linda Bell in the September. We also said “goodbye” to Mike Fitzgerald, the instigator of Kent Community Rail Partnership (KCRP) who stood down after 12 years as its Chairman. We have also said a temporary “goodbye” to Guy Schofield who has been seconded for twelve months from August 2017 by Sustrans to be Project Director of the National Cycle Network, a terrific feather in his cap, but we will miss him. We encountered some criticism that our Annual Meeting was out of step with the production of yearly accounts, so instead of holding our Stakeholder meeting in March, we took the decision to defer this year’s meeting until September, so all future Annual Meetings will be in the September on a twelve monthly cycle. I am pleased to say that both Medway Valley Line (MVL) and With the amount of new build projected for communities SwaleRail (SW) have increased the number of passengers on or near our lines, it is important that we make comment they carry. We have sought from users of both lines what on Local Plans and planning applications to promote the improvements they would like to see when the new franchise use of trains, buses, cycling and walking. To this end, we is awarded and to this end we have supplied the four bidders need to engage with relevant officers of the Local Planning and the Department for Transport with our realistic ‘wish list’ Authorities (KCC, Medway, Swale BC, Tonbridge & Malling BC, together with our Strategy and Action Plans. Maidstone BC and Tunbridge Wells BC). We have met with some developers to flag up to their new residents about We have held many events over the past 18 months, all of alternatives to the car; our highways being pretty much them well attended. Our schools project under the very clogged up - so much better to allow the train to take the capable hand of Sarah Deakin has gone from strength to strain! strength and is becoming embedded in a number of primary and secondary schools covered by KCRP. Last November We have drawn up a five year strategy that involves the in commemoration of WWI centenary, SwaleRail headed possibility of extending our interests along the east coast of the major event of the year with the re-enactment of an our County, from Faversham down to Dover and soundings Ambulance Train collecting wounded sailors and soldiers are currently being taken as to how welcome this expansion landed at Queenborough and Sheerness-on-Sea. It was the would be. Initial reaction is very positive. first time a Javelin train had been seen on the SwaleRail line We have very many volunteers without whom our Community and prompted a flurry of excitement with all 350 seats on it Partnership would not survive and I would like to give them “booked” well in advance. Altogether our work this year has an especial thank you for the hours they put in to make our enabled us to engage with over 7,150 people. events “work”, adoption of their stations, attending meetings A new initiative by Guy Schofield provided two “firsts” for us. and so on. This year our volunteers gave at least 850 hours Guy successfully negotiated with Ebbsfleet to hold a Farmers’ of their time. Mike Fitzgerald has provided a shield to be Market one Friday last March, a long but profitable day for awarded on an annual basis to ‘The Volunteer of the Year’ and all concerned. In May, Community Rail in the City took place this will be awarded later this afternoon. at no less a venue than St Pancras International Station. Funding is always an issue and will no doubt continue to be Both experiences were positive ones and we hope they can so. I am very grateful to those who do provide us with grants be repeated, although we should perhaps act as facilitators to enable our work to continue and close by reflecting on a with regard to Farmers’ Market initiatives as they are labour very busy but totally rewarding eighteen months. intensive. For more details of these and many other events which we hosted this year consult our latest newsletter which Sue Murray, Chairman will be available at the same time as this report. 25 July 2017 Annual Report 2016 – 2017 Strategy – updated for 2017-22 As mentioned in the Chairman’s report, we have reviewed and updated our strategy, which is now more closely allied to the Department for Transport (DfT) and Association for Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP) strategic objectives. Key Strategic Aims for KCRP By developing strong partnerships with schools, workplaces, communities and local stakeholders, Kent Community Rail Partnership promotes two local rail lines, delivering passenger growth and improvements to rail services and station environments. We take the railway out into the community, engaging new users; helping them choose rail and active travel for more journeys. 1. We will deliver growth by • Promoting transport connectivity and door to door journeys • Creating opportunities for them to improve the public realm by increasing awareness of sustainable and active travel by co-designing the station environment. options for everyday journeys, linking the railway lines with • Building partnerships with key stakeholders including local walking and cycling routes including the NCN. planning authorities and using local partnerships to influence • Using schools & other educational establishments as a local planning decisions. conduit to enable young people and families to choose active • Influencing communities to instigate another community rail and sustainable travel. line in Kent (e.g. Dover to Faversham). • Engaging with new audiences by taking the railway out into the community and promote the area as a tourist destination. 4. We will support social & economic development by • Supporting workplaces to enable their staff to choose active 2. We will contribute to cost savings by & sustainable travel for commuting and business journeys. • Encouraging the local communities to take pride in and care • Developing tourism along the lines by supporting local for their local station leading to a reduction in crime and businesses to promote themselves as tourist destinations. vandalism. • Improving the diversity and inclusivity of the users of the 3. We will increase community involvement by railway. • Enabling the communities along the lines to get involved in improving their local railway through station adoption. Our Action Plan Our priorities for the year are set out in our Action Plan which is approved and then reviewed regularly throughout the year by our Line Groups and Steering Group. Each year we also review our performance against the plan with the DfT (Department for Transport) and ACoRP (Association of Community Rail Partnerships) and we also share with them our objectives for the following year. Maintenance of our Dedicated Line Status (for the Medway Valley Line) is dependent upon satisfactory performance against the plan. This year’s review took place in July and was successful. All our projects fall under one of our high-level objectives which for this year included: Promote use of rail by local Increase use of lines to access Improve communication & growth 1 residents, workplaces and visitors. 4 tourism and leisure facilities. 6 Community development 2 Safety on Trains (Promote) more attractive and 7 5 safer station environment, Volunteers 3 Franchise Renewal preparation facilities and trains 8 Medway Valley Line and SwaleRail Recognition Financial report It is always pleasing to have the Partnership’s Although we have lost a number of local work recognised externally and this year again authority funders due to central government has been successful in this regard. funding cuts, we continue to be financially All six of our entries to the ACoRP Community Rail awards supported by many of the parish councils along were nominated and the crowning moment was when Mike our two lines. We also receive grants from FitzGerald, our Chairman for over ten years, won first prize in Kent County Council, Medway Council and the Outstanding Volunteer Contribution category and the first ever “Lifetime Achievement Award” at the national Community Southeastern Railway. Rail Awards. We have also been successful in attracting grants/match Sarah’s initiative for transition training Year 6 pupils won the funding from others for specific projects and these monies Abellio Community Rail Challenge 2016, securing £8,000 have enabled us to carry out our programme of events and funding for the Smarter Travel Challenge. projects. Since then, Sarah Deakin’s work with Schools has been At times it has been very much a hand to mouth existence and recognised when she won the “Cycle Champion” award in the during the course of the year, we did have to make one of our National Cycle Rail Awards 2016, presented by Rail Minister Paul officers redundant due to lack of funds. Happily we have been Maynard. able to re-employ the officer, albeit on less hours than before. Sarah was also asked to present her transition work for schools As you will see from the bottom line, we have been successful to other Rail Partnerships at the Designated Community Rail in being able to roll over approximately £7.5K, not a huge sum Lines event in Lincoln in March. of money but sufficient to give us a small breathing space. Finally, Sarah was nominated for the “Community