Central Bedfordshire Council Local Transport Plan 3
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Central Bedfordshire Local Transport Plan: Appendix D Freight Strategy April 2011 1 2 Contents 1. Introduction .............................................................................................................6 1.1 LTP Framework.....................................................................................................6 1.2 Scope of Strategy..................................................................................................6 2. Local Freight Issues................................................................................................8 2.1 Context.................................................................................................................8 2.2 Key Freight Generators and Destinations................................................................8 2.3 The Freight Industry in Central Bedfordshire..........................................................10 2.4 Impacts of Growth on Freight................................................................................11 3. Policy Context and Objectives...............................................................................13 3.1 European Policies................................................................................................13 3.2 UK National Policies............................................................................................13 3.3 Local Policies and Strategies................................................................................15 3.4 Objectives of the Freight Strategy.........................................................................15 4. Managing Freight on Roads...................................................................................16 4.1 Context...............................................................................................................16 4.2 Issues.................................................................................................................18 4.3 Environmental Assessment..................................................................................21 4.4 Policies...............................................................................................................22 4.5 Specific Proposals...............................................................................................23 5. Freight Facilities....................................................................................................24 5.1 Context...............................................................................................................24 5.2 Issues.................................................................................................................24 5.3 Environmental Assessment..................................................................................25 5.4 Policies...............................................................................................................25 5.5 Specific Proposals...............................................................................................26 6. Servicing and Deliveries........................................................................................27 6.1 Issues.................................................................................................................27 6.2 Environmental Assessment..................................................................................28 6.3 Policies...............................................................................................................29 6.4 Specific Proposals...............................................................................................29 3 7. Communicating Freight Management Measures....................................................30 7.1 Context...............................................................................................................30 7.2 Issues.................................................................................................................31 7.3 Environmental Issues...........................................................................................31 7.4 Policies...............................................................................................................31 7.5 Specific Proposals...............................................................................................32 8. Non-Road Modes...................................................................................................33 8.1 Context...............................................................................................................33 8.2 Issues.................................................................................................................36 8.3 Environmental Assessment..................................................................................37 8.4 Policies...............................................................................................................38 8.5 Specific Proposals...............................................................................................38 4 Figures Figure 1.1: Local Transport Plan Framework...................................................................7 Figure 2.1: Context Map...................................................................................................9 Figure 2.2: Key Growth Sites.........................................................................................12 Figure 4.1: Designated Road Freight Network...............................................................19 Figure 4.2: Freight Access Bans....................................................................................20 Tables Table 3.1: Objectives of the Central Bedfordshire Freight Strategy...............................15 Table 4.1: Proposed Road Schemes..............................................................................17 5 1. Introduction 1.1 LTP Framework This strategy provides the policy framework to support the management of freight transport in Central Bedfordshire. It addresses the carriage of goods by roads, rail and pipeline within Central Bedfordshire, including the provision of services and utilities and the movement of waste and aggregates from mining activity. Freight forms one of six journey purpose themes that form the basis to the Local Transport Plan (LTP), which sets out the authority’s overarching vision and objectives for transport in the period between April 2011 and March 2026. The framework of the LTP and how freight issues are embedded within the Plan is set out in Figure 1.1. 1.2 Scope of Strategy The Central Bedfordshire Freight Strategy has been developed with reference to the spatial planning documents for the area, i.e. the North Central Bedfordshire Local Development Framework (LDF) and the Luton and South Central Bedfordshire LDF. It will in turn inform future updates of these policies ensuring a coherent and strategic approach to land use and transport planning. The Freight Strategy examines the key issues regarding freight in Central Bedfordshire under the following five themes: . Managing freight on roads; . Freight facilities for road based transport; . Servicing and deliveries; . Information and working with stakeholders; and . Non-road freight modes. For each theme a seriesof policiesand supporting schemeshave been developed to set out the Authority’s approach to managing freight in Central Bedfordshire. There are a number of mechanisms through which the Authority may manage freight in Central Bedfordshire all of which were considered in developing the strategy. For example, the Authority may: . Use itspowers asa Highway Authority to manage the road network, and deploylegal meansto restrict the use of particular routesby certain typesof vehicles, and provide signing to encourage the use of advisory routes and indicate the location of facilities for use bydriver; . Use its powers a s a Local Planning Authority and influence the citing of facilities in locations that deliver greatest benefit forlocal communities and businesses; . Help make sure that any adverse effectsof new development are avoided or reduced to acceptable levels; 6 . Make representations to Central Government regarding management of air and rail freight and the strategic highway network; and . Engage with freight industry and other Government bodies through initiatives such as freight quality partnerships and other means advocated through the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Freight Best Practice scheme. Through a combination of these approaches, the Strategy aims to shift freight to more sustainable modes such as rail and water but recognises that there is limited scope for this and thus management of freight on roads is an important focus for the Authority, particularly in terms of minimising the impact of freight movements on local communities. Figure 1.1: Local Tran sport Plan Framework 7 2. Local Freight Issues 2.1 Context Central Bedfordshire is some 716 km2 in area and home to just over 250,000 people, living in around 107,000 households. It is largely rural in nature. Major settlements include Dunstable and Houghton Regis which form part of the Luton conurbation and also the market town of Leighton Buzzard. There are a number of large settlements in neighbouring authority areas that influence business and other activities in Central Bedfordshire, including Milton Keynes, Luton, Bedford and Northampton, as highlighted in Figure 2.1. The M1 motorway runs north-south through Central Bedfordshire, and provides