Transport Strategy for the South East ii Transport Strategy for the South East Prepared by: Prepared for: Steer Transport for the South East www.steergroup.com tfse.org.uk WSP www.wsp.com June 2020 Contents iii Contents iv Foreword vi Executive Summary Chapter 1 Chapter 3 Chapter 5 Context Our Vision, Goals Implementation 2 A Transport Strategy for and Priorities 94 Introduction South East England 54 Introduction 94 Priorities for interventions 4 How this transport strategy 96 Funding and financing was developed 55 Strategic vision, goals and priorities 97 Monitoring and evaluation 59 Applying the vision, Chapter 2 100 Transport for the South East’s role goals and priorities Our Area 102 Next steps Chapter 4 14 Introduction 18 Key characteristics of Our Strategy the South East area 68 Introduction 28 The South East’s relationship with the rest of the UK 69 Radial journeys 73 30 The South East’s relationship Orbital and coastal journeys with London 78 Inter-urban journeys 34 Policy context 80 Localjourneys 36 The South East’s 83 International gateways and transport networks freight journeys 89 Future journeys iv Transport Strategy for the South East At the time of writing, in the midst of an Foreword unprecedented public health emergency, the future is uncertain for us all. But one thing we do know is that this crisis will pass and, when it does, thoughts will quickly turn to how best we can support people, businesses and communities in our region to recover and thrive once more. That’s why it’s so important Cllr Keith Glazier that organisations like Transport for the South Chair, Transport for the South East East continue with their work and maintain the focus on long-term positive change, even I’m incredibly proud to during these tough times. We know that investment in better transport present our Transport will be vital for the South East’s economic recovery and we know that a prosperous, Strategy for the South better connected South East will be vital for the UK’s economic recovery. The publication East, which sets out, of this strategy marks the next step in the development of Transport for the South East, for the first time, a which has quickly emerged as a powerful and effective partnership for our region. shared vision for the Speaking with one voice on the South East’s South East and how strategic transport needs, our partnership of civic and business leaders has been able a better integrated to directly influence how, where and when investment takes place in our roads, railways and more sustainable and other transport infrastructure. transport network can By setting out our thirty-year vision for the region and the strategic goals and priorities help us achieve it. which underpin it, this document provides a clear framework for future decision-making which will help us create a more productive, healthier, happier and more sustainable South East. Better for people, better for business and better for the environment. Foreword v We already have the second largest recent months, with people advised to avoid East is so important, bringing together local regional economy in the UK, second only public transport where possible. When they authorities, local enterprise partnerships and to London. Our strategy would help the return, the service on offer to them and to the organisations like Network Rail and Highways South East’s economy more than double new users we need to attract must be the England to plan for the future we have over the next thirty years, providing new best it can possibly be. chosen. jobs, new homes and new opportunities We need to ensure that new and emerging This strategy was published in draft in – all supported by a modern, integrated technology is used to its full potential to October 2019 and since then we have carried transport network. A prosperous, boost physical and digital connectivity. We out an extensive programme of consultation. confident South East where people want need to make the case for policy changes More than 3,000 responses were received to live, work, study, visit and do business. which enable more joined up planning, as part of that process, providing valuable We are clear that it cannot be growth at particularly between transport and housing, insight into the needs and priorities of any cost and that new approaches are to help build more sustainable communities. people, businesses and other organisations needed to achieve our vision. Transport across the South East and beyond. And we know we will need to make some is the single biggest contributor to UK tough decisions about how, not if, we Our challenge now is to use this strategy greenhouse gas emissions and the manage demand on the busiest parts of our to develop something which has never majority of those come from private transport networks as we cannot continue to before existed – an integrated, prioritised, cars. And transport is the only sector simply build our way to growth. deliverable, strategic transport investment whose contribution continues to grow programme for the South East which will while others reduce theirs. That needs to This is a thirty-year strategy. The changes we enable us to achieve our collective vision. change. want to see will not all happen overnight, and, in some instances, there are policy challenges If we get this right, the prize is huge – for The first step on this journey is a simple and other hurdles which stand in our way – government, for taxpayers, for businesses one; we must make better use of what we not least the unprecedented impact of the and for everyone who lives and works in the already have. Our road and rail networks Coronavirus pandemic which has touched South East. in the South East may be congested but so many lives and caused far-reaching we know that, in the short-term, targeted economic hardship. But I am confident in the investment to relieve pinch-points ability of our partnership to make the case for alongside new technology like digital doing things differently as we look forward, railway signalling are the best and most together, to a brighter future. effective ways to address short-term capacity and connectivity challenges. I’m also convinced that some of the biggest issues we face in our communities Beyond that, the strategy is clear that – improving air quality, investing in better Cllr Keith Glazier catering for forecast road traffic growth public transport, supporting the switch to Chair, Transport for the South East in the long term is not sustainable – so green vehicles, encouraging active travel we must turn our focus towards large- and more sustainable employment and scale investment in public transport. This housing growth – require a bigger picture shift has become even more important in view. That’s why Transport for the South vi Transport Strategy for the South East Introduction The publication of this strategy in summer 2020 has coincided with the Executive This document is the Transport Strategy Covid-19 global pandemic. We recognise for the South East. It has been prepared that changes to the way we live, work Summary by Transport for the South East, the and do business as a result of coronavirus sub-national transport body for the are likely to have an impact on travel South East of England (see Figure i), with behaviour and demand for travel. In the the support of its 16 constituent local short term, these changes could go some transport Authorities, 5 local enterprise way to helping to achieve the strategic partnerships, 46 district and borough priorities set out in this transport strategy councils and wider key stakeholders. but, given the level of modal shift Transport for the South East’s mission required to achieve our vision for 2050, is to grow the South East’s economy significant challenges are likely to remain by delivering a safe, sustainable and that will require strategic intervention. integrated transport system that makes Further technical work will be undertaken the South East more productive and to identify the potential short term competitive, improves the quality impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on of life for all residents, and protects travel behaviour, employment patterns and enhances its natural and built and the economy in the South East. The environment. Its ambition is to transform outputs from this work will be fed into the quality of transport and door-to-door the five area and thematic studies, which journeys for the South East’s residents, will follow on from this transport strategy businesses and visitors. and feed into the forthcoming Strategic In economic terms, we have identified Investment Plan, will need to reflect on the potential to grow the number of jobs and take account of the potential impact in the region from 3.3 million today to 4.2 of any changes to the economy and million and increase productivity from wider society. These changes may not £183 billion to between £450 and £500 be immediately apparent – and it may billion Gross Value Added a year by 2050. be some time before the ‘new normal’ This is almost 500,000 more jobs and establishes itself – but Transport for at least £50 billion more per year than the South East remains committed to without investing in the opportunities achieving our vision of a better, more identified within the transport strategy. productive and more sustainable South East and this strategy provides the framework to get there. Executive Summary vii Figure i The Transport for the South East area viii Transport Strategy for the South East Overarching approach – planning The transport strategy has utilised for people and places modelling to understand how and where the transport network will see This transport strategy presents a shift future strain.