East Sussex Academies – , Site of Hillcrest School, Hastings Travel Plan County Council December 2010

QM

Issue/revision Issue 1 Revision 1 Revision 2 Revision 3

Remarks Draft to Client Issue

Date 19th November 3rd December 2010 2010

Prepared by Nick Billingham Nick Billingham

Signature

Checked by Mark Foyle Mark Foyle

Signature

Authorised by Kevin Kay Kevin Kay

Signature

Project number 11012842 11012842

File reference N:\East Sussex N:\East Sussex Academies\TEXT Academies\TEXT \REPORTS\1012 \REPORTS\1012 03 Travel 03 Travel Plan.docx Plan.docx

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Executive Summary

This Travel Plan has been produced in support of the proposed development of on the site of Hillcrest School, Rye Road, Hastings. The school will cater for 900 pupils aged between 11 and 16 as well as employing approximately 120 members of staff. A Travel Plan was produced by Hillcrest School in 2008 in order to secure funding for a number of improvement schemes. Given the fact that the staff currently employed are likely to remain employed at Hastings Academy and that the demographic of pupils attending will also remain the same it has seemed prudent to develop this Travel Plan around the base of the 2008 report. Hillcrest School and subsequently Hastings Academy has aligned itself to the national education policies of ‘Every Child Matters’ and ‘Healthy Schools’ as part of this the school have adopted a number of broad objectives for the Travel Plan to achieve, these are:

To improve the school facilities;

Actively to encourage more students to walk or cycle to school;

To encourage more staff to car share

To ensure that students are safe when approaching and entering the school site; and

To ensure that students are aware of the benefits of exercise and fitness by embedding healthy lifestyles into the curriculum. In order to achieve these objectives a number of individual targets have been set which relate to a broader objective but are measurable in regards to student and staff behaviour these targets are:

To provide 180 secure cycle parking spaces;

To provide 74 number of car parking spaces in order to meet demand;

To prevent staff from parking on-street outside the school site;

To provide shower and changing facilities within the gym for staff and students to use after walking or cycling to school;

To increase walking mode share To school, by students, from 58% to 60%;

To increase cycling mode share, by students, to the 'Preferred' level of 7%;

To increase average car share mode share, of staff, to 25%;

To reduce average single car occupancy mode share, of staff, to 60%;

To have allocated car sharing spaces within the staff car park; and

Reduce the total number of sick days taken by students during the academic year.

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1 Introduction

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1.1.1 This Travel Plan is being prepared in support of the proposed development of the Hastings Academy on the site of Hillcrest School, Hastings, East Sussex. The Travel Plan has been prepared in accordance with East Sussex County Council’s (ESCC) ‘Guidance on Travel Plans for New Developments’. September 2008. This document provides a structure for what is expected from a Travel Plan and has been adhered to within this report. : 6 5% ; % % 5

1.2.1 The proposed Hastings Academy will provide for approximately 900 students between the ages of 11-16 and will replace the existing Hillcrest School situated on the same site. This Academy will be one of two new academies that are proposed in Hastings, the other being to the west of St Leonards-on-Sea. The Academy will be a state funded all-ability school funded by a number of sponsors, with the principal sponsor being the University of Brighton, supported by BT and ESCC. 1.2.2 Students at the predecessor school are drawn from an area of deprivation and report significantly higher levels of Special Education Needs than the national average. The purpose of the Academy is to address the profound underachievement and social disadvantage in the local community, and providing the required impetus to the ‘learner’ achievement required to make further improvements in the area. In addition, this scheme will provide social, economic and education regeneration in the area. :$  5 5 ;  

1.3.1 This document will form the finalised Travel Plan for the Hastings Academy. A Travel Plan was prepared for Hillcrest School in 2008 in order to secure Capital Grants Funding for a number of potential schemes, a summary of which is contained in Chapter 5 of the transport assessment report (TAR). That Travel Plan will remain current until the completion and opening of the Hastings Academy. This Travel Plan will indeed build on the basis of the original Travel Plan and the objectives outlined within that report.

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2 Development Proposals

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2.1.1 The Academy will be developed on the same site as the present Hillcrest School, located on the A259 Rye Road to the East of Hastings. Figure 1 shows the location of the site in relation to Hastings and surrounding area. : 5% ; % % 5

2.2.1 Due to the fact that Hillcrest School needs to remain opened whilst construction of the Academy occurs, the build will take place in a four-phased approach. Full details of the development proposals can be found in Chapter 4 of the TAR, whilst below provides a brief summary of each stage.

Phase 1 – Academy construction

Phase 2 – Demolition of existing school

Phase 2A – Provision of new pedestrian access

Phase 2B – Construction of all-weather pitch 2.2.2 The proposed Hastings Academy will provide for approximately 900 students in line with the current service provided by Hillcrest School, although the breakdown by years for the new Academy is not yet known, it is however likely to match the proportions for the existing Hillcrest School, as such table 2.1 below shows the proportion of pupils per year. Table 2.1 – Proportion of students per school year. `Q]Q` 1QJQ` V:`  %RVJ  V:`   Q V:`   Q V:`  Q V:`  Q V:` Q  Q

2.2.3 The number of staff is expected to remain roughly the same as those employed at Hillcrest School, table 2.2 below shows the breakdown of staff by role. Table 2.2 – Number of staff. %IGV`Q` QCV  :`` V:H.V`   V:H.1J$ 1 :J   %]]Q`  :``   &:`V :@V`  )1 H.VJ :``    

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3 Site Travel Opportunities

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1.1.1 As part of the existing Hillcrest School Travel Plan a survey of travel habits of both pupils and staff was undertaken in January 2008. The results of the survey are summarised below in table 3.1. Table 3.1 – Summary of 2008 Pupil and Staff Survey (mode of travel to and from school). %]1C  :``  +*  +* *QRV H.QQC H.QQC `V`V``VR H.QQC H.QQC `V`V``VR :C@ Q Q Q Q Q  Q &7HCV Q Q Q Q Q  Q &:` Q Q Q Q Q  Q `:1J Q Q Q Q Q Q &:`.:`V Q Q Q  Q Q Q 0% Q  Q Q Q Q Q  .V` Q Q Q Q Q Q

SOURCE: Hillcrest School Travel Plan, 2008. 3.1.1 Sustainable modes of transport make up a proportion of trips made to/from school by pupils while staff movements are characterised with a higher car mode share. $:  ;<  % %;

3.2.1 The site is currently accessed off Rye Road by two vehicular accesses and a separate pedestrian access. Due to the nature of the current access arrangements parents, driving their children to school, often will stop on Rye Road to let them out. This existing situation may create issues both in regards to the safety of other drivers but also students walking to school, whose visibility to other drivers can often be obscured by these parked cars. $:$ 5% ;  ;< ;

3.3.1 The proposed access strategy includes the provision of two vehicular accesses and a single pedestrian access into the Academy. Further to this there will also be a construction access into the site for use whilst the Academy is being built and Hillcrest School demolished, this will then revert to a delivery access following completion of on- site works. The design of the access junctions means that parents dropping their children off will do a loop within the front of the school site, thus reducing the propensity to park on Rye Road, further to this waiting and parking restrictions will be adopted on Rye Road outside the school site. 65 

3.3.2 The proposed main Academy access will be a 6.8m wide ghost island priority junction allowing access to the car parks and drop off area. This new access will replace the existing main access which was a simple priority junction with no formal right turning facilities. The new access will provide a small right turning lane to now formalise the access and allow 1 right turning vehicle to wait off the main carriageway. 3.3.3 This new junction will also provide access for buses to enter the site and drop students off, as well as to the sports and leisure hall. Due to the topography of the site, 11012842 East Sussex Academies, Hastings Academy 7

the access will have a gradient of 1:10 from the site entrance to the drop off point. Because of this, any bus provision through the development will need to utilise the loop formation, pass the car park which will reduce the overall gradient required to navigate through the Academy. 3.3.4 Further to the main Academy access, a separate service access for deliveries and refuse collection will be provided away from the main school junction. This will be a single 3.5m carriageway allowing one way movement (satisfactory given likely usage level). However, at the mouth of the junction, the carriageway will be widened to 6m in width to allow a service vehicle to leave the A259 if another service vehicle is waiting to egress.    ; ; 5;< 

3.3.5 Pedestrian access into the development will be provided via a new access point which again has to contend with severe level changes. The main pedestrian routes uses flights of stairs to navigate these changes in levels, however, an additional route has been provided that meanders along the contours of the land to provide a safe 1:21 gradient to meet accessibility guidelines for the disabled. 3.3.6 The existing signalised crossing located on the southern corner of the school will be relocated further north of the proposed service access in close proximity to the proposed pedestrian access. The location of the pedestrian crossing has been dictated by both the location of the new accesses and to minimise crossing of the delivery access. To facilitate the crossing, a new footway will be required across the existing verge. 3.3.7 ESCC have proposed to provide a cycle new route called the Ridge & Hillcrest Link which will link Hastings to Ore Station onto Hillcrest School (Hastings Academy). This will utilise the existing footway provision along parts of the A259 Rye Road which are 3m in width, and low trafficked routes off the main road. No date has been provided on when this link could be implemented however. =5  ; % 

3.3.8 As part of the development, it is considered that the existing bus provision is acceptable for students and staff to access the school. In addition, the site layout now provides a bus drop off area that will be used by school buses and could through appropriate discussions; provide an additional stop to other services. Therefore, there are no planned or required improvements to any bus services or provisions as part of this development. 3.3.9 is the closest station to the school located approximately 1.5miles away. The station only provides 2 routes, one to Brighton and one to London (Charing Cross), both of which are 60 minute services. In addition, this station does not have any regular bus services that connect to the school. Having reviewed the existing school Travel Plan, it is noted that less than 2% travel to the school by train. $:' % %  >;< % %;  >;<

3.4.1 Currently 60 parking spaces are provided at the school. Anecdotal evidence suggests that this over-subscribed with approximately 106 employees trying to park at the school, resulting in a number of staff currently parking on-street where restrictions do

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not apply. With the introduction of the new Academy, and the potential for an increase in students, it provides an opportunity to reassess the current parking needs in light of the identified issues and the Travel Plan. 3.4.2 Taking ESCC Parking Guidelines into account, the new Academy will provide a maximum of 47 staff spaces, 25 non staff spaces and 2 visitor spaces. The ESCC Supplementary Planning Guidance also indicates the required disabled parking provision. The guidance indicates that for a premise that the public has access to for recreation and leisure, 6% of the total capacity is required. 6 spaces have been provided, which is equates to 8%. 5 >;<

3.4.3 New cycling parking facilities will be provided allowing for safe and secure storage of bicycles. Applying ESCC Standards, 180 cycle parking spaces could be provided on site although it may be more suitable to provide a lower yet higher quality number of spaces which aligns with the actual level of demand. $: 5%8  44> %

3.5.1 From on-site observations, three routes have been identified that are predominantly used by students and staff of Hillcrest School to access the site on foot. Figures 2 and 3 show where all students live in relation to the school and their usual method of travel. This analysis aligns with the routes observed so far, as the areas of Hastings of where large numbers of the students are walking from would utilise one of the routes identified. As such the proposal to promote these as low trafficked routes would be beneficial in encouraging further people to walk and cycle to school. The routes identified are as follows:

From Ore Village up both sides of Rye Road From on-site observations, this is the most heavily utilised of the pedestrian routes, due to the large number of students that live to the south west of Hillcrest School. Rye Road has 3m wide footpaths on both sides of the road as well as a number of signalised and unsignalised crossing points, particularly near to the school. Although no formal cycle route currently exists on Rye Road, as stated previously, a proposal exists for a cycle route between Hastings Town Centre and the Academy utilising parts of Rye Road.

From Churchill Avenue and the small estate to the west side of Rye Road This route serves the communities to the west of the school including St Helens Wood and parts of Ore Village. Due to the nature of the route utilising existing residential streets, there are differences in the pedestrian provision between roads. However, virtually all the roads have footpaths and are lightly trafficked in comparison to Rye Road. Students using this route utilise the signalised crossing on Rye Road in order to access the school site.

From Downs Farm Estate via a foot/bridle path to a rear-entrance gate at the south-east of the schools ground This at present is the least used of the pedestrian routes into the site, with students living around the Bourne Streams area being the only ones likely to use it. The route 11012842 East Sussex Academies, Hastings Academy 9

is currently uninviting with a lack of visibility from adjoining properties and poor quality surface. There is potential for this route to be upgraded in terms of resurfacing and increased lighting and vegetation clearance along the route, although the quantum of pupils using the route may not provide sufficient value against other potential commitments. $:# %  4%  5 5 ;   

3.6.1 The identification of these routes highlights some potential areas for improvement. These include the following which will be addressed as part of the Travel Planning measures in line with the development proposals.

Provision of an adequate number of car parking spaces to meet demand and thus reduce the risk of on-street car parking whilst ensuring that the risk of over-provision is minimised to the benefit of the Travel Plan;

Provision of on-site safe and secure cycle storage facilities, in order to encourage increased levels of cycling among staff and students; and

Potential improvement to the foot/bridleway from the Downs Farm Estate to the rear entrance of school to promote this as a dedicated walking and cycling route, subject to agreement on funding mechanisms and review by ESCC of their on-going Local Transport Plan (LTP) commitments.

Production of promotional Travel Plan material within the School on sustainable routes, including flyers for new students and information board within the lobby.

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4 Objectives of the Travel Plan

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4.1.1 The objectives that will form the measures to be implemented as part of the Travel Plan should have relevance to the objectives of planning policy at a national, regional and local level. As such the Travel Plan has adhered to the policies outlined in the following documents, which have been identified within ESCC’s ‘Guidance on Travel Plans for New Developments’ (Appendix A):

Planning Policy Guidance Note 13 (PPG13): Transport;

DfT Guidance on Transport Assessments;

DfT Full Guidance on Local Transport Plans: Second Edition;

Circular 5/05: Planning Obligations;

Circular 11/95: Use of Conditions in Planning Permissions;

East Sussex and Brighton & Hove Structure Plan 1991-2011; and

The Local Transport Plan 2 (LTP2) for East Sussex 2006-2011.

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4.2.1 The following objectives have been identified following a review of the existing Hillcrest School Travel Plan and findings of the TAR in relation to the limitations of the current access arrangements. The objectives are as follows:

To improve the school facilities;

Actively to encourage more students to walk or cycle to school;

To encourage more staff to car share

To ensure that students are safe when approaching and entering the school site; and

To ensure that students are aware of the benefits of exercise and fitness by embedding healthy lifestyles into the curriculum. 4.2.2 These objectives as well as being shaped by the broad aspirations of national and local planning policy are also specific to the current limitations of the school and their visions. Hillcrest School has adopted the nationally promoted educational agenda of ‘Healthy Schools’ and ‘Every Child Matters’ which the travel planning objectives seek to align to.

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5 Targets of the Travel Plan

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5.1.1 The Travel Plan targets will be linked to achieving the objectives outlined in Chapter 4, which broadly align themselves with the principles of providing opportunities to travel away by other means than private car. 5.1.2 Targets will be finalised following the completion of staff and student travel surveys, undertaken upon occupation of the Hastings Academy. This will give a basis for determining the travel patterns of students and provide a marker for monitoring the performance of the plan. 5.1.3 Notwithstanding the above, initial targets outlined within this Travel Plan have been determined based on the student and staff travel surveys undertaken in 2008 as part of the Hillcrest School Travel Plan submission. These surveys remain relevant as the catchment area will remain similar and as such similar travel patterns will exist. Table 3.1 provides a summary of the modal split for students and staff travelling to and from school. These splits will be used in order to determine the level of modal shift targets. 5.1.4 As outlined in ESCC guidelines, any targets identified should be SMART ( Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timed). As such the targets outlined in Table 5.1 below relate back to the objective they seek to achieve, are linked to existing modal shares in order to make them realistically achievable and have timescales for their completion.

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5.2.1 The Travel Plan targets will be monitored during the undertaking of the annual student and staff travel surveys. The targets themselves have a numerical element to them so that the results can be easily analysed and progress against benchmarks

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measured. Further to this, the questions asked within the travel survey will be tailored in order that the answers received can be analysed against the targets.

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6 Travel Planning Measures

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6.1.1 Travel Plans have been widely used by developers and Local Authorities to mitigate the traffic impact of existing and proposed developments. Much of the early work on these Travel Plans was retrospective in an attempt to encourage car sharing and alternative modes of travel. 6.1.2 Predominately, the focus of Travel Plans is towards changing the modal choice for regular journeys such as work commuting and education trips. The reasons for this are the regularity (daily) of occurrence and the fact that they occur during the peak periods on the highway network where the greatest environmental benefits can be realised. 6.1.3 The following measures detailed below are proposed to be implemented in order to mitigate the main reasons for private car trips being made to Hastings Academy instead of more sustainable methods. An allowance should therefore be made within the annual Academy budget for delivering these measures. #: % 55   <;

6.2.1 With the development of the new Hastings Academy it provides an opportunity for a number of innovative measures to be implemented in order to make travel by sustainable means as easy as possible. 6.2.2 The site has been designed so that a ‘step-free’ pedestrian and cycle access is provided from Rye Road to the school buildings. This route will be Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant and will respond to comments made by both students and staff that the lack of a suitable route prevented them from cycling to school. 6.2.3 The level of parking provided within the school site will be increased in order to meet some of the demand that is not currently met by the current provision. ESCC may wish to complement this with further parking restrictions on Rye Road in order to ‘lock-in’ any benefit created and to support the implementation of a relocated pedestrian crossing. #:$ % %; 4% 8 5>;< ; 5;<

6.3.1 The provision for alternative transport modes within the development plans focus on making walking and cycling realistic alternatives to the private car for short journeys by ensuring good facilities and direct routes for each are provided. 6.3.2 Ample secure and covered cycle parking will be provided at the school in accordance with ESCC’s cycle parking standards and discussions with Council officers. 6.3.3 A Walking and Cycle Train scheme could be implemented at the school. Typically for younger students, this is an escorted walking and cycling scheme for students, which will both further encourage reluctant kids to take part as well as increasing the safety of those students. As identified previously, a large proportion of the pupils use Rye Road as their main access route to the school. The appetite for this will need to be explored by the head teacher and its staff for the application of this measure for older people. 6.3.4 Of greater benefit may be a cycling proficiency scheme will be brought into the school and time set aside for pupils to undertake the course. Such a scheme as well as teaching the students how to cycle safely, will be used to teach the students the benefits of a healthy lifestyle in line with the objectives of this plan.

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6.3.5 The proposals for the new Academy include a new gymnasium. The school will be encouraged to allow pupils and staff to use the shower and changing facilities in the gym before school if they have walked or cycled, so as not to discourage them to do so in bad weather. #:'    %    

6.4.1 An internal ‘car share database’ will be set up to encourage car sharing as a means to travel to and from their destinations, thus reducing both the total number of vehicular trips and the number of single occupancy vehicle trips generated by the Academy. Within this scheme staff will be able to identify fellow employees that live locally, from this staff will be able to make arrangements between themselves as to their preferred method of sharing. 6.4.2 The Academy will be encouraged to provide a number of allocated car sharing parking spaces so that those that do choose to car share will be safe in the knowledge that a parking space will be available for them. These spaces should be allocated as close to the main entrance of the school as possible in order to further emphasise the benefits for those that do join the scheme. 6.4.3 A Car Share Database will also be available on the Academy Website. Using this service parents will be able to identify other students that live close to them and leave messages for those parents. This would be particularly useful for pupils who live some distance from the school, and thus have no viable alternative but be driven to school, taking a number of children to school in a single car. #:    % ;   6 4 %4 ; % 6;< ; 5 ;< 6 6%%5

6.5.1 As mentioned in Chapter 3 routes have been identified which are heavily used by students for currently walking to Hillcrest School. These routes will be promoted as low trafficked routes and have a number of measures implemented as part of them, including the potential formalisation of the foot/bridleway between the school and Downs Farm Estate, starting a walking and cycling train along Rye Road and restricting parking on Rye Road. These measures will ensure that these routes are inviting to those wishing to use them as well as encouraging further students to do so. 6.5.2 Within the 2008 Hillcrest School Travel Plan submission, one of the key targets was to request that the local authority revises the signage outside the school on the A259 to make the main school entrance safer by moving the 30mph speed limit beyond Guestling Bradshaw Primary School and placing more school warning signs and slow down signs as motorists approach the schools from the east of the A259. From a recent site visit it has been noted that that this has not occurred, although the reason for this has not been ascertained. The possibility for such will be explored again as part of the Travel Plan following on-going liaison with ESCC. 6.5.3 Another target of the 2008 Travel Plan was to invite wardens and community police officers to patrol outside the Academy more frequently to re-enforce the message that Rye Road should not be used for dropping off children at the base of the main entrance way. 6.5.4 The new Academy access has been designed so as to deter this occurring, but a similar approach will be made to ensure it is having the desired effect.

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6.5.5 A request will be made to the local authority that the drains are cleaned regularly to prevent large puddles forming at crossing points along Rye Road thus forcing students to cross in unsuitable locations, as anecdotal evidence has sometimes suggested. #:#    % ;   6  ;  8  %4 6 6 56 =;4 %4 8 5>;< % 5;<

6.6.1 Time will be set aside in the P.E. curriculum to discuss with the pupils the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle and the role that walking and cycling can play in achieving this. 6.6.2 Pedometers could be provided to a number of students that currently walk to school and those that don’t to see how the distance walked by each group in a day compares against each other. The students involved will then produce a give a presentation to their fellow students about the results of the experiment and its impacts in regards to the healthy lifestyle agenda. #:&  

6.7.1 The measures identified above have been defined in regards to the positive impact they can provide in meeting both the Travel Plan objectives in Chapter 4 and subsequent targets set out in Chapter 5. 6.7.2 The measures provide ideas for type of schemes that could feasibly be implemented at Hastings Academy. However, once the Hastings Academy is complete it will be for the Travel Plan Co-ordinator and Senior Management to identify the specific measures they wish to use. These final measures will then be submitted and agreed with ESCC. Whilst some external or match-funding grants may be available as part of local, regional or national commitments to encourage sustainable travel, the Academy should set aside an annual budget to implement these measures. 6.7.3 Chapter 9 of this Travel Plan examines the annual review process of the progression and achievement of the Travel Plan targets. If it is identified that Travel Plan targets are not being met or are unlikely to be met in the future, remedial measures will need to be identified. If this is the case thee further measures will also be submitted to ESCC for review.

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7 Travel Plan Co-ordinator

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7.1.1 The role of the School Travel Plan Co-ordinator will be to oversee the implementation of the Travel Plan and liaise with the Local Authority and the school governing body. The School Travel Plan Co-ordinator will also be responsible for implementing appropriate measures, carrying out travel surveys, monitoring results and reporting. 7.1.2 The role of the School Travel Plan Coordinator will therefore be to:

Liaise with East Sussex County Council;

Manage potential schemes and initiatives including car sharing, minibus, cycle train and walking bus.

Liaise with the bus operator and the local authority regarding information arising from School Travel Questionnaire to investigate the potential to improve services; and

Produce marketing material for both staff, pupils and parents. 7.1.3 Administration of the School Travel Plan involves the maintenance of necessary systems, data and paperwork, consultation and promotion. These duties are permanent, and regular updating of the School Travel Plan document will be part of the responsibility of the nominated person within the proposed school. 7.1.4 A programme of monitoring and review would be implemented to generate information by which the success of the School Travel Plan can be evaluated. Monitoring and review will be the responsibility of the School Travel Plan Co-ordinator. &: %; ; %4  5 5 ; %-% ; %

7.2.1 A School Travel Plan Co-ordinator will be appointed before the implementation of the Hastings Academy Travel Plan to ensure that they have reasonable time to familiarise themselves with the role prior to its implementation and monitoring. 7.2.2 Once the appointment is made (to be a nominated member of staff), the name and details of such person will be passed to the relevant contacts at ESCC.

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8 Marketing and Promotion

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8.1.1 The School Travel Plan Co-ordinator will be responsible for the implementation of the School Travel Plan which should follow the following course of events:

Prior to the occupation of the school, the School Travel Plan Coordinator will create a standard format of promotional material to be provided to pupils, parents and staff;

The TPC will be responsible for making pupils, parents and staff aware of the alternative travel choices and initiatives available to them by providing the travel information when new pupils or staff start at the school. This information will take the format of a standard promotional document, a ‘Travel Pack’; 8.1.2 Further to the Travel Packs that will be distributed to all staff and pupils when they begin at Hastings Academy, there will also be individual marketing aimed at either staff or pupils/parents as outlined below. .: >;< 4%  5 B ;

8.2.1 All pupils and parents will be made aware of the School Travel Plan at the commencement of each term. Details of the scheme, its objectives in enhancing the environment and the role of individuals in achieving its objectives will be explained. 8.2.2 Promotional material will be issued to each pupil and parent and displayed prominently in key locations such as the school reception as well as within a handbook that will be issued to all pupils/parents when a child is added to the school roll. 8.2.3 Parents will be directed to the Hastings Academy website where further information in regards to the Travel Plan and events will be advertised. 8.2.4 The promotional material and the handbook will advise those persons wishing to raise specific transport-related matters to discuss them with the School Travel Plan Co-ordinator. In turn, School Travel Plan Co-ordinator should with the school senior management and planning authority as required. 8.2.5 Although it is not practicable to provide information in this way to visitors to the school, all available opportunities will be pursued to ensure that their exposure to material which can influence their choice of mode is maximised. .:$ >;< 4%  44

8.3.1 All staff will be made aware of the School Travel Plan at the commencement of each term. Details of the scheme, its objectives in enhancing the environment and the role of individuals in achieving its objectives will be explained through email and letters in each staff member’s pigeon hole. 8.3.2 Promotional material will be issued to each staff member and displayed prominently in the staff room where a staff Travel Plan notice board will be erected. 8.3.3 Details regarding the car sharing scheme will be forwarded to all staff via email as well as details posted on the staff noticeboard

11012842 East Sussex Academies, Hastings Academy 19

9 Monitoring and Review

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9.1.1 An initial travel survey will be undertaken upon occupation of the Hastings Academy in order to determine the baseline travel characteristics for the school as well as informing the implementation of the Travel Plan and assist in determining site specific measures to reduce car use. 9.1.2 Following this, surveys will be undertaken annually for the first five years in order to determine the impact of the Travel Plan upon modal shares and establish the likely remedial measures required in order to meet the Travel Plan targets. 9.1.3 The travel surveys will be undertaken in line with Standard Assessment Methodology (SAM) in line with ESCC guidance, this methodology collects data on:

On-site parking supply and usage

Inbound and outbound movements by all travel modes on a typical day

Car occupancy

Development details including Travel Plan measures 9.1.4 Following review of the travel surveys the data will be provided to ESCC to be fed into the national TRICS database and will be used to check the performance of the Travel Plan, a requirement of ESCC. 0: %;% ;< 6 44; %4 6  5 5 ;

9.2.1 Monitoring of the Travel Plan over time allows its effectiveness to be assessed, reviewed and monitored. The indicators that will be used within the Hastings Academy Travel Plan monitoring are:

A reduction in the number of staff single occupancy vehicle trips

Increase in the modal share of both walking and cycling trips made by pupils

Reduction in the amount of on-street parking on surrounding roads

Reduction in the number of accidents on roads surrounding the school

Reduction in the total number of student sick days in the academic year 9.2.2 The School Travel Co-ordinator will compile a Review Report following the review of the survey results. The report will also incorporate the results of on-going monitoring throughout the preceding period. The Annual Review Report will be made available to the planning authority. 0:$   ;<

9.3.1 The School Travel Plan is a strategy that will evolve over time. Although the objectives of the Plan to ‘educate’ pupils, parents and staff and to facilitate travel by sustainable modes will not change, it may be possible over time to define or re-define specific targets. If the targets to be achieved or the base accessibility data changes then the Travel Plan will be revised and re-issued.

11012842 East Sussex Academies, Hastings Academy 20

10 Summary and Conclusions

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10.1.1 This Travel Plan has been produced in support of the proposed development of Hastings Academy on the site of Hillcrest School, Rye Road, Hastings. The school will cater for 900 pupils aged between 11 and 16 as well as employing approximately 120 members of staff. 10.1.2 A Travel Plan was produced by Hillcrest School in 2008 in order to secure funding for a number of improvement schemes. Given the fact that the staff currently employed are likely to remain employed at Hastings Academy and that the demographic of pupils attending will also remain the same it has seemed prudent to develop this Travel Plan around the principles set-out in the 2008 report. 2: %;5 %;

10.2.1 A number of limitations to sustainable travel were identified within the 2008 Travel Plan which will either be resolved by the Academy development proposals or will need to be addressed through travel planning measures. Using the 2008 travel surveys as a base for determining current travel modes, a number of targets have been proposed in order to reduce the number of trips made to the site by car. These targets include:

Increase the average walking mode share trips made to and from the school by students to 60%;

Increase the average cycling mode share trips made to and from the school by students to 7% (from a 0% base);

Increase the average car-share mode share of members of staff to 25%; and

Reduce the total number of pupil sick days taken during the academic year.

10.2.2 In order to achieve these targets, a number of measures will be implemented in order to make it easier for staff and students to make their trip to the Academy by sustainable means. Although the final measures will need to be agreed by the school Travel Plan co-ordinator, senior management and funding secured from ESCC a sample of the types of measures that would likely by successful have been included in Chapter 6. 10.2.3 The measures will be linked to targets, which in turn facilitate the overall objectives of the Academy identified in Chapter 4. Yearly travel surveys should be undertaken, facilitated by the school Travel Plan co-ordinator (an appointed member of staff), which will act to determine if the travel planning targets are being met and any subsequent remedial measures required.

11012842 East Sussex Academies, Hastings Academy 21

Appendices, Figures & Tables

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TITLE:

HILLCREST TRAVEL PLAN BEXHILL Cooden

FIGURE No: FIGURE X

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Leonard's Green Old Town

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Stade Harley Wood HILLCREST TRAVEL PLAN West Marina Harley Shute

FIGURE No: FIGURE X

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