Nottingham Together
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BRINGING NOTTINGHAM TOGETHER SPECIAL REVIEW IN ASSOCIATION WITH REALISING A VISION AND CREATING NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITY am delighted to preface this special in Beeston and Chilwell. It serves two of the publication on the development of three biggest employers in Greater Nottingham INottingham Express Transit (NET) Phase – the University of Nottingham and Queen’s Two now that the two new lines to Chilwell Medical Centre – and places 20 of the 30 largest and Clifton are open and providing new employers within 800m of a tramstop. Our city is opportunities for tens of thousands of residents already one of the least car-dependent in the UK, and businesses in the Greater Nottingham area. but the new lines have the potential to take a Nottingham has received massive investment further three million journeys off the city’s roads, in its transport infrastructure in recent years reducing by one-third the growth of peak-time car as, in addition to the two new tramlines, journeys to and from all central locations by 2021. Nottingham Station, the ring road and the A453 Tram services could also be expanded to link road between Nottingham and the M1, create links to the HS2 project, freight airport have all been upgraded. This scale of works has interchanges and other settlements around the Councillor inevitably been challenging and it might have city. We are also watching the national tram-train Jane Urquhart been easier if the investment had been spread pilot in Sheffield with interest, as this could offer Portfolio Holder for over a number of years, however this wasn’t important new opportunities for extending NET. Planning and Housing, Nottingham City Council possible as Government funding for each scheme With customer satisfaction at 96% in the 2014 had to be spent or potentially lost. Passenger Focus survey, NET is perceived as A decision was therefore made to proceed with the most popular tram service in the UK, and a concentrated period of works, rather reliability and punctuality stand at an than a less intensive programme enviable 99%. It is also significant which may have caused lesser that our integrated system disruption, but over a much places an emphasis on park- longer period. and-ride, with feeder bus Our city is The Workplace links, the rail interchange already“ one of the least Parking Levy has been and multi-modal ticketing car-dependent in the UK, an important tool in resulting in an estimated but the new lines have the development of 30% of users directly the potential to help take Phase Two: acting as an “ transferring from their a further three million incentive for employers car or using the NET- journeys off the city’s to manage and potentially based park-and-ride on roads. reduce their employees’ car Line One. dependency. The WPL has With the opening of helped Nottingham City Council Phase Two we aren’t resting attract investment to improve the on our laurels however. Since Line city’s transport provision that it would One was first developed, the city has not, otherwise, have been able to attract. held the ambition of creating a network which For every pound raised we anticipate another could be further expanded like the Metrolink GBP3 (EUR4) of investment in the city and system in Manchester. So as part of the council’s GBP10 of economic benefit. support for the GBP150m (approx. EUR200m) The Centre for Economics and Business redevelopment of the Broadmarsh Shopping Research has also predicted the expanded Centre and regeneration of the area, we are network could generate long-term employment planning an additional tramstop on Middle Hill, growth of up to 8000 jobs and boost the local dedicated to the centre. economy by GBP300m (EUR405m) per year. Having been involved with the tramway, first It has already generated construction as a councillor in Bulwell when Line One was opportunities for local businesses, with over being planned and built and then later as the 1000 people employed and subcontracts with a Portfolio Holder, it’s been challenging at times, value of over GBP100m (EUR135m) having been but always rewarding to see the transformation let to companies with a base in the made to my city. NET’s success has been Greater Nottingham area. achieved through hard work and determination; It is providing access to about 1270 city yes, through political courage to stick to a clear workplaces, to which 55 000 employees vision, but also through the hard work and commute, and to a further 600 workplaces dedication of all of the teams involved. Grateful thanks are due to Nottingham City Council, Tramlink Nottingham, Taylor Woodrow Alstom and Nottingham Trams for their time and generous assistance in the preparation of the text. Text and images: Neil Pulling, except where stated. Design: Debbie Nolan Production: Lanna Blyth Commercial: Geoff Butler/Alison Sinclair TAUT Editor: Simon Johnston Special publication, produced by Tramways & Urban Transit © 2015 www.tautonline.com NET Phase Two Special / 3 FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS... ore than a decade separated infrequently bridged River Trent. Despite car-free households at 44%.” This may the start of Nottingham highway improvements, maintaining indicate a preference for public transport, MExpress Transit operations smooth traffic movement is a challenge. impracticalities of car ownership or other in 2004 and the start of services across Nottingham’s rail services are mostly factors. A 2013 ONS report may have a dramatically expanded tramway. The concentrated at the main station, which is relevance: “Nottingham had the highest system that welcomed the public on on the southern edge of the city centre. percentage of workless households... with the morning of 25 August 2015 had not Nottingham has a nationally atypical 30.1%... up on the previous year.” The city resulted from incremental additions, but relationship with public transport. “Outside certainly doesn’t have the look or feel one that at 32km (20 miles) was overnight London, the average number of bus that these figures may suggest. A varied over twice as long as it had been just journeys per head was 51. In authorities setting, distinctive architecture, a large the day before. Similarly, the number of with highest bus use (Brighton and student population – and with retailing and tramstops had gone from 24 to 51. Nottingham), the average was over three entertainment still buoyant in the central Nottingham, in the English East Midlands, times this level,” say the England Annual core – Nottingham retains a lively flair. is one of many cities across the country Bus Statistics 2013-14. In December 2012, vying to promote the strengths of its local The Office of National Statistics (ONS) A NEW TRAMWAY economy. In a climate of national debate stated: “Outside London, Nottingham Essential features of the 2015 expansion around the devolution of powers from had one of the largest proportions of lay in the early plans for what was an centralised government, each city and region is seeking to bolster its prospects in terms of attracting investment, improving employment opportunities, providing better services and increasing its appeal to visitors. The city at the core of the urban spread had 305 700 residents at the 2011 census; a mid-2013 estimate of 310 800 is indicative of an increase across the area. Greater Nottingham’s main long- distance road links are the M1 motorway (London is 176km/110 miles to the south), with much east-west traffic channelled via the A52. Locally a focus of radial roads The first of the two universities to enjoy a tram service, Nottingham Trent’s main buildings are next to Line One. The line was the first in the UK to enjoy full level access. has a natural obstacle in the form of the 4 / NET Phase Two Special www.tautonline.com Old meets new: NET Alstom At either side of Moor Bridge, the Hucknall line’s Citadis 230 in Old Market single-track sections impose operating limits. Square on 17 June 2015. A clear illustration of a railway inheritance, the Phoenix Park branch near Cinderhill stop. The idea of a“ network came before we even got the powers to build Line One; it’s just that the first line was the “ most pragmatic approach to get things going. CHRIS DEAS – PROJECT DIRECTOR, NOTTINGHAM CITY COUNCIL The adjoining tram and heavy rail installations at Bulwell. entirely new 1435mm-gauge tramway. Nottingham City Council’s original NET reinvigorating the economy, Nottingham Nottingham’s original electric system Project Director, Pat Armstrong, identifies Development Enterprise (NDE). lasted from 1901 until 1936, with a 1988 as the point at which the prospective There was broad public and private trolleybus network begun in 1927 and system gained serious consideration. sector support at the time, although gone by 1966. Modern UK tramways may It was a time when industries that had ambition was tempered by realism not have proliferated in the French manner, underpinned the local economy for years when it came to how and when such a but re-adopting the mode was under close were shrinking or had gone completely; network might be delivered. Colleague and examination in several countries around mining and various forms of manufacturing successor to Pat Armstrong, Chris Deas the same time and there was support from were such cornerstones. Part of an urban (current Project Director at Nottingham the city’s German twin of Karlsruhe. regeneration strategy and a wish to bolster City Council) explains how the first Most British schemes were dropped, central Nottingham’s commercial future, phase – a single branching line extending but a few survived. Manchester’s street a network of six routes was felt to be north from the city centre – was a realistic connection of former heavy rail lines realistic.