Active Travel Case Study American Express Community Stadium Brighton & Hove Albion F.C

EUROPEAN HEALTHY STADIA NETWORK

ACTIVE TRAVEL CASE STUDY AMERICAN EXPRESS COMMUNITY STADIUM BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION F.C. (UK) ACTIVE TRAVEL CASE STUDY AMERICAN EXPRESS COMMUNITY STADIUM BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION F.C. (UK)

Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. are • The number of people using multi-modal currently based at the American travel to the stadium (walking or cycling in Express Community Stadium, combination with public transport) commonly referred to as . accounts for more than 50% of the total The club and their community trust, attendance, approximately 12,800 people Albion in the Community (AITC), have per match during 2015/ 16; established a Travel Management Plan • The club has 172 covered and secure in conjunction with local authorities to cycle racks with a further 46 within the encourage fans, staff, visitors and other newly landscaped street; users of the stadium to use walking, • The main road to the Amex from Brighton cycling and public transport as city centre has a dedicated and well- alternatives to travelling by private car. signposted cycle lane. On-site signage Main activities and achievements directs cyclists to cycle locking facilities. The Amex was the first building of its kind in the UK to achieve a BREEAM very good rating on completion of the stadium in July 2011, and continues to focus on reducing

CO2 emissions by encouraging the use of public transport and active travel options. Though the priority for Brighton & Hove Albion is sustainable transport, and a significant proportion of this consists of journeys via public transport, by its very nature the use of public transport is a form of multi-modal travel as it has an implicit . • Official parking around the stadium and local sites is limited and accounts for just 15% of the total attendance. This is the reverse of a large number of other English Football League clubs where in the order of 80% travel to their stadium by private car and 20% by sustainable means; Above: Cycle locking facilities at the Amex

2 Travel Management Plan The Travel Management Plan, operated in partnership with Brighton & Hove City Council and Lewes District Council, is intended to reduce the use of private vehicular transport to the Amex on matchdays and non-matchdays. The main aims are to: • Encourage fans, staff, visitors and other users of the stadium to use walking, cycling and public transport as an alternative to private car use; • Increase the awareness of staff, visitors and other users of the advantages and potential for travel by more environmentally friendly means; • Introduce a package of physical and management measures that will facilitate staff and visitors to travel by modes of transport other than private car; Above: Falmer train station is just a short walk from the Amex • Promote the benefits of sustainable travel • Brighton Aldridge Community Academy which include health, reduction in stress, increased productivity and • Brighton & Hove City Council environmental friendliness; • Brighton & Hove Buses • Increase awareness of and improve road • British Transport Police safety and personal security; • East Sussex Fire & Rescue • Identify a nominated member of staff to • East Sussex County Council act as a Travel Plan Co-ordinator (TPC) • Falmer Parish Council Partners • SECAmb The TPC works closely with Brighton & • Southern Railways Hove security, health and safety • Sussex Police departments; transport officer; supporter services; and marketing and • University of Brighton communication departments internally, • University of Sussex before liaising directly with external Communications and Promotion of stakeholders. The TPC also attends a Travel Activities Management Group composed of the The success of the travel following stakeholders and organisations management plan is in part thanks to the which meet regularly to discuss promotion offer of free public transport use for both and maintenance of sustainable travel to the home and away supporters as part of their stadium. These include: matchday league ticket.

3 Brighton & Hove Albion use this in tandem Evaluation of Activities with the travel guide, to discourage the use The club assesses how supporters choose of private vehicles to and from the stadium. to travel to the stadium on matchdays as The travel guide provides a plethora of they enter the stadium perimeter by information for individuals and groups monitoring the number of supporters at wanting to walk or cycle to the Amex and various entrance points. In each year this explains that fans attempting to park in the survey was conducted, over 50% of area surrounding the stadium will be supporters visiting the stadium used a deterred by stewards and may risk parking combination of walking or cycling with tickets. Live social media updates on a public transport and this has been matchday also inform fans of travel options. maintained in the 2015/16 season (53.1%). The travel guide is emailed to all match Supporter satisfaction with travel options is attendees in a pre-match brief, is available also examined through an online survey. via the C website and is also circulated Over 90% of respondents rated their travel regularly via social media. experience as positive in 2015/16. Sodexo, the catering partner, How have activities been funded? promote the rail links, bus service and cycling to the stadium for all non-match day Associated costs are part-funded through events to their staff. Furthermore, each the price of matchday tickets; the rest is event organiser receives a Welcome subsidised by the Club. Providing a with a directions guide once their sustainable transport plan was an essential event has been booked. part of the planning permission to build the _

Travel options taken by fans on a matchday

17.0% 14.0% Parking 17.7% 22.2%

12.9% 12.0% Coach 5.6% 8.0%

16.4% 13.0% Park & Ride 13.3% 17.6%

0.6% Cycling Only 0.4% 0.4%

40.0% 31.0% Multi-modal (Train + Walking) 34.2% 32.1%

13.1% 19.2% Multi-modal (Bus + Walking) 23.2% 19.6%

0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0% 35.0% 40.0% 45.0%

2015/2016 2013/14 2012/13 2011/12

4 Above: Manager Chris Hughton (centre right) supporting the Brighton to Paris bike ride in 2015 Amex and therefore the transport levy on • Brighton & Hove Albion organise an matchday tickets plays a vital part in annual to event with allowing Brighton & Hove Albion to individual participants raising money for maintain all of the access areas and travel AITC to enable them to carry out a range methods that service the stadium including: of activities including health initiatives, walkways surrounding the stadium school and social inclusion programmes compound, bike storage facilities and across the region. The event attracts extension of the platform at the nearby both seasoned and amateur cyclists, Falmer Station. who also act to encourage cycling as an Fundraising and cycling advocacy alternative mode of transport and for Albion in the Community have been recreational purposes. involved in a number of successful cycling Future plans advocacy projects, contributing to the The Travel Management Strategy is growing cycling culture in and around extremely successful in encouraging both Brighton, including: home and away supporters to travel to the • a Bike Train event in 2012 promoting and stadia on matchdays by sustainable means, encouraging fans to cycle to the stadium with just one in five using private vehicles. on matchdays in conjunction with the The Club monitors travel patterns on a Club and a local cycling organisation. season by season basis, adjusting resources The event was led by local MP and accordingly and working closely with local current Co-leader of the Green Party of stakeholders to ensure the existing balance England and Wales, Caroline Lucas. is maintained.

5 EUROPEAN HEALTHY STADIA NETWORK

Primary authors: Dr Matthew Philpott, MA, PhD Michael Viggars, MA Key Contact: Sue Burchett European Healthy Stadia ® Network Compliance Manager 151 Dale Street Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Liverpool L2 2JH United Kingdom [email protected] +44 (0) 1273 878 283 [email protected] www.seagulls.co.uk +44 (0) 151 237 2686 www.albioninthecommunity.org.uk www.healthystadia.eu