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1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND

1.1.1 This Strategic Transport Statement has been prepared on behalf of The Urban Engineering Studio to support proposals for 2,100 homes as part of a mixed use settlement at Airfield in . Further work will be needed in the form of a Transport Assessment and this statement is subject to discussions with Network Rail, Highways and the local highway authority Central Bedfordshire.

1.2 SITE LOCATION

1.2.1 The site is situated 1.5km to the south west of Tempsford and 2km to the north west of Everton. It is bounded by the (ECML) to the west, Tempsford Road to the south and agricultural farm land and farmsteads to the north and east. The site location is shown below in Figure 1.1.

Figure 1.1: Site Location Plan

1.3 EXISTING ACCESS

1.3.1 Existing access to the site is from Tempsford Road to the south and an unnamed road leading to Woodbury Low Farm to the north. These could be upgraded to provide future access to the development.

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1.4 REPORT STRUCTURE

1.4.1 The remainder of the report is structured as follows:

Æ Section 2 identifies local and national transport policy relevant to the proposed development; Æ Section 3 discusses existing transport conditions at the site; Æ Section 4 provides information on the proposed development; Æ Section 5 sets out the access strategy for the proposed development; and Æ Section 6 discusses the sustainable transport strategy for the development.

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2 RELEVANT POLICY 2.1 NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK

2.1.1 The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was published on 27 March 2012 and is a key part of the reforms to make the planning system less complex and more accessible, to protect the environment and to promote sustainable growth. There is an overarching presumption in favour of sustainable development that should form the basis of every plan and decision.

2.1.2 Under the NPPF, development should only be prevented or refused on transport grounds where the residual cumulative impacts of development are severe (NPPF paragraph 32).

Æ Decisions on developments that generate significant amounts of movement should take account of whether: Æ The opportunities for sustainable transport have been taken up to reduce the need for major transport infrastructure, depending on the nature and location of the site; Æ There is safe and suitable access to the site for all people; and Æ Improvements can be undertaken within the transport network that cost effectively limit the significant impacts of the development.

2.1.3 The NPPF also advises that plans should protect and exploit opportunities for the use of sustainable transport modes for the movement of goods or people. It therefore advises that, amongst others, developments should be located and designed where practical to:

Æ Give priority to pedestrian and cycle movements, and have access to high quality public transport facilities; Æ Create safe and secure layouts which minimise conflicts between traffic and cyclists or pedestrians, avoiding street clutter and where appropriate establishing home zones; Æ Incorporate facilities for charging plug-in and other ultra-low emission vehicles Æ Consider the needs of people with disabilities by all modes of transport (NPPF paragraph 35).

2.2 CENTRAL BEDFORDSHIRE CORE STRATEGY AND DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT POLICIES

2.2.1 The Central Bedfordshire Core Strategy and Development Management Policies set out the long term strategic vision for Central Bedfordshire and a series of policies to inform this vision. Those relevant to transport and access are identified below:

2.2.2 Policy “DM9 Providing a range of transport” requires planning applications for 50 or more dwellings or 1,000 square meters of floorspace to submit a Transport Assessment and Travel Plan.

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3 EXISTING CONDITIONS 3.1 INTRODUCTION

3.1.1 This section discusses the existing transport conditions at the site. It sets out the travel characteristics nearby urban settlements comparable in characteristic to the propose development and discusses the existing accessibility of the site by all modes of transport.

3.2 JOURNEY TO WORK MODE SHARE

3.2.1 In order to estimate the likely mode share of trips generated by a development at Tempsford Airfield Journey to Work Mode information has been obtained from the 2011 Census and is summarised in Table 3.1 below.

Table 3.1: Journey to Work Mode Share TEMPSFORD SANDY (E00087994 OUTPUT AREA) (CENTRAL BEDFORDSHIRE 001 MSOA) Journeys to Journeys to Mode Percentage Percentage Work Work Train 6 4.8% 225 8.3% Bus 1 0.8% 43 1.6% Taxi 0 0.0% 4 0.1% Motorcycle 0 0.0% 20 0.7% Driving a car or van 105 84.0% 1,951 71.9% Passenger in a car or van 6 4.8% 134 4.9% Bicycle 3 2.4% 72 2.7% On foot 2 1.6% 260 9.6% Other 2 1.6% 6 0.2% TOTAL 125 100.0% 2,715 100.0%

3.2.2 Table 3.1 above shows that 84% of all journeys to work from Tempsford and 71.9% of journeys to work from Sandy are made by car. The proposed scheme would seek to achieve the most sustainable scenario by improving on the Sandy mode shares and seek to increase bus and cycling and reduce the need to travel by car.

3.2.3 A plan showing the destinations of journeys to work from Sandy (Central Bedfordshire 001 MSOA) is provided in Figure 3.1 below.

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Figure 3.1: Destination of Journeys to Work from Central Bedfordshire 001 MSOA

3.2.4 Figure 3.1 above shows the major employment destinations to be Sandy and surrounding villages, Bedford, St Neots, , Lechworth Garden City, Stevenage, Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield and Bletchley.

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3.2.5 It should be noted that journeys to work only makes up a small proportion of all person trips. The 2015 National Travel Survey (NTS) indicated at 12.5% of all trips for rural villages are for commuting purposes. Other journey purposes, such as Shopping, make up a much larger proportion of trips (17.8%). Therefore good accessibility of key local facilities by non-car modes of transport (schools, health care facilities and supermarkets) will be key to encouraging sustainable travel by residents.

3.3 PUBLIC TRANSPORT ACCESSIBILITY

3.3.1 No buses currently route via Tempsford Road. The nearest bus stops is approximately 2km to the south east on Road, Everton opposite the Lawens. The proximity of the site to existing bus services will potentially allow for the rerouting of services through the site.

3.3.2 is located 4km to the south of the site and is served by a half hourly service towards King’s Cross and Peterborough with journey times of around 45-60mins.

3.4 LOCAL HIGHWAY NETWORK

3.4.1 Existing access to the site is from Tempsford Road to the south and an unnamed road leading to Woodbury Low Farm to the north.

3.4.2 Tempsford Road is a rural unclassified single carriageway road of approximately 6m in width connecting the villages of Tempsford and Everton. The road has no footway provision or street lighting and is subject to the national speed limit. Tempsford Road crosses the ECML at Everton Public Highway Level Crossing 400m to the west of the site access.

3.4.3 The unnamed road leading to Woodbury Low Farm is a no-through route connecting the village of Tempsford with farmsteads and farmland to the east of the ECML. This is a rural unclassified single carriageway road of approximately 4m, with no footway provision and no street lighting. The unnamed road connects with Station Road 650m to the north west at Tempsford Public Highway Level Crossing. There is, however, highway verge to accommodate a footway/cycleway if required.

3.4.4 The A1 is situated 2km to the west of the site and is accessible via Tempsford Road to the south or via Station Road to the north. This provides onward connections to the A427 and A428 to the north and A1(M) to the south. This site is therefore well located for access to the strategic road network. These junctions are not considered to have capacity issues, and this will be confirmed through a Transport Assessment in due course.

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4 PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT 4.1 TEMPSFORD AIRFIELD NEW SETTLEMENT

4.1.1 A first phase of up to around 2,100 homes as part of a mixed use settlement delivered in the current plan period is proposed for the south of site. The initial amount as part of the 2,100 could be around 750 homes to coincide with measures to provide upgraded crossing of the railway. There is then potential for a total 4,000 homes beyond the current plan period for the whole site.

4.1.2 This scale of development has the potential to offer a sustainable master plan that creates an environment for reducing the need to travel. The proximity to Sandy offers wider travel by cycling, bus and rail. The site can also provide facilities that benefit other nearby villages thereby reducing the amount of wider car travel in the area.

4.2 TRIP GENERATION AND MODE SHARE

4.2.1 The likely trip rate and mode share of the proposed development has been estimated through a search of the TRICS 7.3.3. The person trip rate and mode shares are provided in Table 4.1 and Table 4.2 below.

4.2.2 The TRICS database contains limited data on the trip generation and mode share of large freestanding residential developments. As such trip rates for sites on the edge of town have been used, given the potential proximity to Sandy and the sustainable approach for the master plan.

Table 4.1: Person Trip Rate AM PM TOTAL

Arrival 0.209 0.539 0.748 Departure 0.786 0.341 1.127 Total 6.646 5.651 12.297 Table 4.2: Mode Share AM PEAK PM PEAK ALL DAY

Mode Arrivals Departures Total Arrivals Departures Total Arrivals Departures Total Vehicle (Driver) 56% 40% 56% 64% 55% 56% 56% 57% 56% Vehicle (Passenger) 19% 32% 22% 17% 23% 22% 21% 24% 22% Cyclist 1% 3% 2% 3% 5% 2% 2% 3% 2% Pedestrian 22% 17% 16% 12% 14% 16% 16% 16% 16% Public Transport Passenger 3% 8% 4% 4% 3% 4% 4% 4% 4% Based on the trip rates and mode shares presented in Table 4.1 and Table 4.2 above, the trip generation and mode share of a 2,100 and 4,000 residential development has been estimated and is summarised in

4.2.3 Table 4.3 and Table 4.4 below.

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Table 4.3: Trips generated by 2100 residential dwellings

AM PM ALL DAY

Mode Arrivals Departures Total Arrivals Departures Total Arrivals Departures Total Vehicle (Driver) 244 659 1161 723 394 1027 4768 858 5567 Vehicle (Passenger) 82 534 470 195 162 416 1828 365 2253 Cyclist 2 44 50 35 39 44 196 39 241 Pedestrian 95 275 331 133 103 292 1395 238 1585 Public Transport Passenger 15 139 78 47 18 69 326 56 373 Table 4.4: Trips generated by 4000 residential dwellings

AM PM ALL DAY

Mode Arrivals Departures Total Arrivals Departures Total Arrivals Departures Total Vehicle (Driver) 466 1254 2212 1376 751 1956 9082 1635 10604 Vehicle (Passenger) 157 1016 895 371 309 792 3482 696 4292 Cyclist 5 85 96 66 74 85 374 74 458 Pedestrian 181 524 630 254 196 557 2657 453 3019 Public Transport Passenger 29 265 148 89 34 131 622 107 711

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5 SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT STRATEGY 5.1 INTRODUCTION

5.1.1 The foundation of the scheme is a sustainable and deliverable master plan and with effective integration of the development into the surrounding transport network. This will be achieved through our work developing the site proposals and the sustainable transport strategy. The site can take advantage of current and future planned infrastructure to ensure it is viable from a transport perspective.

5.1.2 We will consider the implications from the proposals for the A1 corridor and potential for rail improvements on the ECML. This will include further discussions with Highways England and Network Rail to understand the potential planned improvements for the following:

Æ RIS2 DfT Strategic Study for the A1; Æ RIS2 DfT Strategic Study for the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway with the RIS1 element for the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet coming forward for construction over the next 4-5 years; Æ Central Section alignment via Sandy; and Æ East Coast Main Line Upgrade programme of work, potentially during Control Period 6

5.1.3 This sustainable transport strategy will be developed into a deliverable implementation plan through the design charrettes and working with transport stakeholders. The first will be strategic and site wide in first quarter of 2017. We will include consideration of the A1 within a strategic review into which the plan sits through this first charrette. The sustainable transport strategy will focus on achieving effective bus and cycle connections to existing settlements, such as:

Æ Sandy at 4km by proposed cycle route following existing rights of way, which is a viable journey time to encourage cycling at around 15-20minutes through upgrades to the existing PRoW network and improvements to the road network to incorporate cycling measures; Æ A network of cycle routes linking Tempsford and Everton villages, over a distance of circa 1- 2km using existing lower trafficked routes; and Æ A New bus services linking Tempsford village, the new settlement and Everton village to Sandy, including the railway station. The new settlement scale of housing and mixed uses will make such a service viable to the benefit of new and existing residents.

5.1.4 There are also opportunities to provide connections to the existing Sandy railway station and any future station changes, including a possible re-located station, delivered by the East West Rail project.

5.1.5 The site provides an opportunity to open up a dialogue with Network rail through our established contacts to explore options to cross the railway and allow closures of the level crossings working jointly with Network Rail to deliver a solution that meets railway objectives while being viable for the development.

5.2 INTERNALISATION OF TRIPS

5.2.1 A mix of uses are proposed for Tempsford Airfield that are likely to reduce the need to travel and promote sustainability. These will be delivered through an effective sustainable master plan.

5.2.2 Potential reductions in external car trips of around 10-15% could be achieved through provision of schools, jobs and shopping facilities within the site.

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5.2.3 A first phase of 2,100 homes and a potential for around 4,000 homes in total beyond the plan period across the whole site will allow for a range of internal trips. For example, the National Travel Survey (NTS) sets out that education and shopping trips can represent around a 12% and 19% proportion respectively of all journeys. There is potential for a significant proportion of these trips to be retained with the site as a result of the sustainable master plan.

5.2.4 The site location also has the potential to provide effective access to the countryside providing a quality place to live and undertake leisure trips, which through design can encourage integration with surrounding rights of way.

5.3 WALKING AND CYCLING STRATEGY

5.3.1 It is generally recognised that cycling has the potential to replace the car for short journeys. To encourage the uptake of cycling by residents and workers of the proposed development a number of new cycle links are proposed. These are:

Æ An off road cycling link towards Sandy Railway Station; Æ An off road cycle link towards Sandy, connecting with the existing Sustrans National Cycling Route. This link would cross the ECML via a new pedestrian and cycle overbridge; and Æ An off road cycle link toward Everton and Tempsford villages.

5.3.2 The proposed cycle links would connect with the existing Sustrans National Cycling Network. This currently connects Bedford with Sandy Railway Station and is principally off road.

5.3.3 The existing and proposed cycle network is illustrated in Figure 5.1 below.

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Figure 5.1: Existing and proposed cycle links

5.3.4 Figure 5.2 below shows the cycling accessibility of the site and shows Sandy to be accessible within a 15 minute cycle.

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Figure 5.2: Cycling Catchment

5.4 PASSENGER TRANSPORT STRATEGY

RAIL

5.4.1 The site is located between St Neots and Sandy railway stations on the East Coast Main Line (ECML). The railway stations are around 10km and 5km respectively from Tempsford Airfield by road. This is close enough for a viable bus connection or a short car journey. Sandy railway station is within commuter cycle distance along a new upgraded route following the existing right of way with a distance of around 3.5km.

5.4.2 Sandy railway station provides hourly train services to London and Peterborough as well as other destinations along the ECML. London is around 45-60mins (depending upon which service) and Peterborough is around 30mins.

5.4.3 As the new settlement grows in size and towards the end of the plan period the East West Rail route is proposed to be delivered. The preferred corridor is planned via Sandy, announced during 2016. The exact route is yet to be determined, but a key influence will be locations of growth and potential for feasible alignments. The preferred route for the central section between Bedford and Cambridge is shown below in Figure 5.3. Clearly there is still time to influence the route through Central Bedfordshire along the Sandy corridor during the next stages of the scheme development, as the route will be unlikely to follow the disused through Sandy as it has been built on. East West rail would potentially provide journey times of around 20mins from Sandy to Cambridge, where this access to jobs. The development therefore supports economic growth with the Oxford – Milton Keynes – Cambridge corridor supporting national policies and the findings of the National Infrastructure Commission within their recent report on the corridor published in November 2016.

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Figure 5.3: Network Rail announcement in 2016 on Preferred East West Central Section route

5.4.4 There is capacity on the line to cater for the increased in trips as a result of the development from Sandy as a result of ongoing capacity enabling infrastructure plans by Network Rail. While this will need further consideration they are expected to increase capacity on this route, sufficient to accommodate any development trips.

BUS

5.4.5 While there are currently few bus services close to Tempsford Airfield there is potential for a viable half hourly peak bus service with a new settlement of around 4,000 homes linking the site with Sandy via Everton. The bus service would offer a frequent and reliable service. With a distance of around 4-5km to Sandy railway station and 6km to the centre the journey time would be attractive at around 10-15mins and would allow interchange with rail services.

5.4.6 This would serve the new development but also have wider benefit for the existing villages of Tempsford and Everton and is shown in Figure 5.4.

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Figure 5.4: Proposed Bus Link to Sandy Railway Station

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6 HIGHWAY STRATEGY 6.1 VEHICULAR ACCESS STRATEGY

6.1.1 The site is well located with effective access to the A1 with a direct route. Tempsford Road between the site and the A1 is suitable for the scale of traffic with some minor carriageway widening and adjustments within the highway boundary. While there is good road access our approach will be to only deliver highway improvements for the most sustainable development scenario for trips.

6.1.2 The distance to the A1 is about 3-4km. While there is congestion currently experienced on the A1 at the Black Cat roundabout to the north this will be addressed by the RIS1 A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet scheme being progressed for construction in the next 4-5 years.

6.1.3 The RIS2 A1 strategic study is also looking at upgrades to the A1 between M25 and Peterborough and proposals include improvements to make the road of a more consistent standard along its length through the study area. This would include works to address the section between Biggleswade and St Neots, including where this development would access onto the A1. The RIS2 programme is planned for post-2025, but potentially starting with the local plan period, subject to funding and approvals.

6.1.4 The site offers a sustainable location along the Oxford-Cambridge and Peterborough-London growth corridors for Central Bedfordshire with London, St Neots, Peterborough, Bedford and Cambridge being the major destinations for journeys from the development. The ECML provides rail access to a number of these and East West Rail in the future will enable access to jobs in the area from Tempsford Airfield

6.2 RAIL ACCESS

6.2.1 We will work with Network Rail to:

Æ Consider transport interchange improvements at Sandy to make rail more attractive and ensure the upgraded station will be able to cater for the increased patronage. This will be aocal point for both new development and existing villages thereby promoting rail for existing and new residents; Æ Develop a suitable solution for proposals to the ECML and East West Rail for integration of the site with the current and planned rail network; Æ Consider closure of the level crossing to vehicles facilitated by the new vehicular route(s) through / close to the development providing Network Rail with the ability to close the level crossing(s) to provide significant benefits to improve operational efficiency of the line and enable passenger growth along the line. Further work would be needed to establish a suitable trigger point for closing the level crossing(s). All vehicular traffic would also benefit from reduced delay as it will be re-routed via new link road bridge(s); and Æ Improved connections across the railway with bridge crossing points linked to a comprehensive network of walking and cycling routes. This will ensure excellent levels of overall accessibility. Provision of improvements to the existing bridge and/or delivery of a new bridge for rail and non-rail users as an alternative to the existing level crossings. This could include a new ramped bridleway bridge near the existing Tempsford Village level crossing.

6.2.2 These measures are subject to further discussions, but could improve integration of the new development with Tempsford, Everton and Sandy as well as the wider area, in addition to improving access to Sandy train station. With the proposed additional bridge(s), the proposed

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development will be well connected to the area of Tempsford west of the railway. It is therefore considered that with this level of provision, the railway will not act as a significant barrier to movement.

6.3 TEMPSFORD VILLAGE AND TEMPSFORD ROAD (EVERTON) LEVEL CROSSINGS

6.3.1 Phase one of 2,100 homes could include a new bridge over the railway. We would need to review with Network rail the exact timing for any bridge and level crossing closure, but based on comparable schemes we would consider that at least 750 homes could be occupied before any upgrades or a bridge is needed. The current Tempsford Road (Everton) level crossing has some delay, but it is not significant and therefore there is scope for additional traffic prior to the need for any mitigation measures.

6.3.2 With the whole site at 4,000 homes this could include the other bridge or working with Network Rail to develop a solution for a single all vehicle highway bridge that continues to provide access across the ECML. This could be combined with a bridleway bridge at the Tempsford Village level crossing to provide connectivity and continued NMU access into the countryside.

6.3.3 Further work would be needed to assess the transport impact on Tempsford Road and the level crossing(s) and possible phasing of a new bridge through a Transport Assessment. The outline proposals in this Transport Statement are therefore subject to a full Transport Assessment and associated discussions with Network Rail in relation to mechanisms for delivery and their plans for ECML upgrades.

Tempsford Airfield WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff The Urban Engineering Studio Project No 70029035 Confidential December 2016