Area Transport Delivery Strategies Delivery Transport Area O Our Transport Strategy

Our Transport Strategy Chapter 6 Area Transport Delivery Strategies Acce ssibility 185 Essex Local Transport Plan 2006-2011 Our Transport Strategy Chapter 6 Area Transport Delivery Strategies The Approach 6.1 The County has a transport network that has been established over a long period of time and is dominated by three radial road and rail corridors into London: the M11, the A12 and the A13/A127 corridors. Essex is a gateway to and from Europe and the world for the East of England and the country as a whole, with an international airport and major sea ports providing access to mainland Europe and other important world trade regions. 6.2 London has always been a major attraction for Essex residents for both business and leisure purposes, creating a pattern of travel that has resulted in today’s key transport corridors. London needs to be serviced and supplied with goods, many of which pass through the ports and airports in and around Essex with 53% of domestic goods from the East of England destined for Greater London originating in Essex, whilst 73% of imports arriving in the East of England destined for Greater London arrive in Essex ports. (Data from East of England Development Agency (EEDA), England Freight Scoping Study 2005). The radial network forms the key, arterial routes, connecting people with places, goods and services. The M25 links these corridors around London, reinforcing the position of Essex as a gateway to Europe and the world through the ports and airport and, via Kent, to the channel ports and Channel Tunnel. 6.3 Several major urban areas have been established along these corridors, specifically the large urban areas of Basildon, Chelmsford, Colchester and Harlow. These provide a focus for business, education, health, shopping and leisure activities. 6.4 East-west movement is becoming increasingly important, especially to serve Stansted Airport and the new development that is occurring at the Bathside Bay freight terminal in Harwich. The improvement of the A120 corridor will provide a key link and an alternative route to the established radial routes that are currently running at or near capacity. 6.5 The Draft East of England Plan (DEEP) has a number of sub-regional areas that are fundamental to deliver the national growth agenda; three of which directly overlap with the Area Transport and Delivery strategy areas. To maximise local delivery a further two transport strategy areas have been developed to cover the rest of the County. These five strategy areas recognise and reflect the established transport corridors, growth scenarios, economic characteristics, land-use sub regions, and individual characteristics of the areas they cover. The area strategies and their associated programmes of work will be used to direct funding that will include 186 Essex Local Transport Plan 2006-2011 developer contributions and other public sector, and Government funding initiatives towards the appropriate identified schemes. In addition, the area strategies will be used to assist in the development and production of District and Borough Council’s Local Development Documents (LDDs). Area Strategy Key road and Distinctive Area Supporting Evidence Served rail network Features (Districts) settlements in area and key Basildon and • A13 and A127 dual • A nationally recognised • The County Council will need to Thames carriageways priority growth area provide integrated transport Gateway • C2C railway – • 635,000 people living in solutions to manage the likely (Basildon, London to the main three major demand from the additional Castle Point and Southend-on-Sea separate conurbations of pressure imposed by the Draft Rochford) • Great Eastern Thurrock, Basildon and East of England Plan railway branch line Southend-on-Sea spread • A large proportion of the – Shenfield to along a narrow strip population live within the Thames Southend-on-Sea beside the Thames within Gateway regeneration area, as a • Basildon the Thames Gateway result the County Council must • Wickford South East area consider sustainable measures to • Billericay • Many brownfield help residents travel efficiently. In • Castle Point regeneration and addition the County Council has • And the development the opportunity to seek neighbouring opportunities. alternative funding sources to unitary authorities • An “extremely busy assist in the regeneration process of Thurrock and transport” area with high • Essex has some of the busiest Southend-on-Sea levels of transport rail networks in the country and movement within and as a result the County Council through the area must take every opportunity to • High levels of commuting increase the capacity of these movement westward modes or look towards managing towards London the level of demand • Strong but over utilised • The County Council must also radial links to London address the key radial routes into the urban areas to ensure that the best possible use is being employed 187 Essex Local Transport Plan 2006-2011 Area Strategy Key road and Distinctive Area Supporting Evidence Served rail network Features (Districts) settlements in area and key Chelmsford and • A12 dual • Strong employment area, • The Heart of Essex represents a the Heart of carriageway especially for strong employment area and acts Essex • A130/A131 dual and administration and as a key locale for commuting (Chelmsford, single carriageway financial services into London which has created Maldon, • A414 single • Connects UK to the huge pressures on the inter-urban Brentwood and carriageway leading port complex in road and rail corridors parts of • Great Eastern Haven Gateway and onto • In addition to commuting, Braintree) railway – London Europe and the world tourism represents a major travel to East Anglia and • A heavily used narrow influence, the transportation branches to road and rail corridor network will need to cater for Southend-on-Sea running across the heart seasonal traffic and Braintree of Essex accessed by a • Brentwood wide area • Chelmsford • A130/A131 emerging as a • Witham north-south route • Maldon connecting Thames Gateway with Heart of Essex and Stansted • Major commuting to London – Chelmsford rail station is the busiest in the region • Major employment attractor for Braintree and North Essex • Coastal tourism and leisure opportunities Colchester and • A12 dual • Strong employment area, • The Haven Gateway area the Haven carriageway especially for represents strong employment Gateway • A120 dual and administration and area and acts as a locale for (Colchester and single carriageway financial services commuting into London. There Tendring) • Great Eastern • Connects UK to Europe are also transportation links with railway – London and the rest of the world Europe via the international ports to East Anglia and via a leading port within the area branches to complex in Haven • Tourism plays an important role Sudbury, Clacton- Gateway in this area with coastal resorts on-Sea and • Knowledge based and such as Clacton-on-Sea, Frinton- Harwich tourism activities on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze • Colchester • Positive economic growth • “Growth point” status is presently • Clacton-on-Sea • High levels of being sought for the Haven • Harwich employment containment Gateway area, which would • Coastal towns in need of enable funding to be directed revitalisation towards this area as a matter of • Area of Outstanding priority Natural Beauty “Constable Country” in Haven Gateway 188 Essex Local Transport Plan 2006-2011 Area Strategy Key road and Distinctive Area Supporting Evidence Served rail network Features (Districts) settlements in area and key Harlow and the • M11 motorway • Strong north-south • The impact of the airport on the M11/Stansted • A414 single transport links via the area must be considered as well Corridor (Epping carriageway M11 and rail routes but as the ability to cope with the Forest, Harlow • West Anglia main these overloaded due to access demands placed upon it and parts of railway – London the strategic nature of the by managing demand and Uttlesford) to Stansted and route between London developing more demand Cambridge and the north management approaches to • Loughton • A rapidly expanding accessing the airport • Epping international airport • The town of Harlow is in need of • Harlow • Harlow town in need of regeneration through the • Saffron Walden major economic development of sustainable regeneration transport networks such as • A nationally recognised walking and cycling growth area • In addition the town of Harlow is • Contrasting development in a nationally recognised growth pattern – urban sprawl area which must recognise the connected to London in impact and role transport can the south, high quality play rural landscape in the north attracting tourism in the form of day trips and leisure activities such as walking and cycling • Earmarked for 40,000 additional jobs and 35,050 new dwellings between 2001 and 2021 (DEEP) Braintree and • A120 dual and • Developing an east-west • In order to cope with the sheer north Essex single carriageway link provides strategic demand for east-west movements (including parts • Great Eastern access to Stansted Airport the County Council will pursue a of Braintree and railway branch line and Haven Gateway strategic east-west link part of Uttlesford) – Witham to • Braintree town is the which (Stansted to Braintree) has Braintree main focus in a largely already been completed • Braintree rural area • Tourism in the area is an • Halstead • Significant employee/job important feature with

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