A Local Plan for Lancaster District 2011-2031 Background Paper 10 – Transport and Highways May 2018 LANCASTER CITY COUNCIL 1 Background Paper 10 – Transport and Highways (May 2018) LANCASTER CITY COUNCIL Promoting City, Coast & Countryside 2 Contents 1.0 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 4 2.0 Highways and Transport: the Strategic Context ....................................................................... 5 3.0 Transport: the Local Plan Evidence Base ................................................................................ 11 4.0 Progressing the Local Plan: the need to meet development needs ....................................... 14 5.0 Dialogue with Highways Authorities & Transport Stakeholders ............................................. 15 6.0 Implications of Growth............................................................................................................ 16 7.0 Infrastructure Delivery ............................................................................................................ 22 3 Background Paper 10 – Transport and Highways (May 2018) 1.0 Introduction 1.1 This background paper has been published to accompany the Submission of the Local Plan for Lancaster District. It aims to explain how consideration of evidence on transport and highways shapes the policy decisions taken by the Strategic Policies & Land Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD) and the review of the Development Management DPD. 1.2 The document is one of a suite of background papers which sets out the evidence that informs the preparation of the new Local Plan. The paper provides context to the assessment of evidence on transport and highway matters, including dialogue with Lancashire County Council (the local highway authority for the district) and Highways England. A comprehensive understanding of the Local Plan preparation process is provided by the suite of background papers, including; Assessing Reasonable Alternatives: Informing the spatial distribution of development. Housing: Addressing housing needs in the district. Infrastructure: Providing the infrastructure necessary for growth. Economic: Achieving sustainable economic growth in Lancaster District Flood Risk: Addressing the impacts of Flood Risk in the district. Environment: Addressing the impacts of development on the natural and historic environment. Town Centres and Retailing: Retailing and town centres. Cycling and Walking: Promotion of cycling and walking networks in the district. 1.3 Lancashire County Council is the highways and transport authority, and Lancaster City Council is the local planning authority. The County Council and City Council have worked closely on highways and transport matters during the preparation of the local plan. Within the context of preparing the Local Plan this background paper discusses; transport and highways matters, the current position and how networks will be managed in and, where necessary, improved in the future. The background papers and supporting evidence are available for download on the Council’s website. 1.4 This document describes; The Strategic Context for Highways and Transport, particularly the work of Lancashire County Council to prepare a Highways and Transport Masterplan for Lancaster District. The transport related evidence available to the City Council to support local planning including the significant issue of how to take account of the implications of recently completed major infrastructure and recent survey data. The Council’s resolution to press on with preparing a local plan in the context of significant change so that evidenced development needs can be met and rational spatial decisions are made that direct development to where it can best contribute to achieving the best prospect for sustainable travel modes. How dialogue with Highways Authorities and Transport Stakeholders has influenced and continues to shape the local plan. How the plan aims to facilitate modal shift by making clear decisions on the location of development now and how transport has been considered in the development of the Bailrigg Garden Village, Lancaster City Centre, A6 Corridor, Heysham Gateway, Strategic Growth Sites and the rural areas. 4 How the plan identifies the need for new and improved infrastructure and aims, through making rational land allocations and, working with the transport authorities and funding programmes, to facilitate the reconfiguration of Junction 33 of the M6, a Bus Rapid Transit project, Low Emission Vehicles, and walking and cycling. 2.0 Highways and Transport: the Strategic Context 2.1 Lancashire County Council is preparing a new local transport plan for the district to replace the current plan (LTP31) which was published in 2011. The preparation of the new local transport plan will be informed by the local highways and transport masterplans prepared for specific areas of the county. 2.2 The County Council has produced five Highways and Transport Masterplans2 which reflect the County’s functional economic areas: Central Lancashire (covering Preston, South Ribble and Chorley); East Lancashire (covering Blackburn-with-Darwen, Burnley, Hynburn, Pendle, Rossendale and Ribble Valley and produced jointly with Blackburn with Darwen Council); West Lancashire; The Fylde Coast (covering Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre and produced jointly with Blackpool Council); and Lancaster. 2.3 Collectively the Highways and Transport Masterplans set out a cohesive highways and transport strategy for the whole county, linking economic development, spatial planning and public health priorities to the wider policy objectives of the County Council. 2.4 The Lancaster District Highways and Transport Masterplan was adopted by the County Council in October 2016, this followed public consultation on the document in the spring of that year. Preparation of the Masterplan was advanced though extensive dialogue between officers of the County Council and City Council. This supported iterative consideration of emerging growth and development intentions in both the masterplan and the emerging Local Plan. 2.5 Section 2.15 below summarises the key points and aspirations of the Lancaster District Highways and Transport Masterplan, and, describes the implications of the masterplan for the preparation of the local plan. Lancaster Today 2.6 Lancaster district, though on the northern perimeter of Lancashire, is a key part of the region: it has significant economic importance by virtue of assets including; the Port of Heysham, Lancaster University and Heysham Nuclear Power Stations. The district is also located within a sensitive natural and built environment that includes a part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and parts of two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Forest of Bowland and Arnside & Silverdale). The district also has a close relationship to the Lake District and is located on the shores of Morecambe Bay which is recognised internationally for its environmental importance. 1 http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/council/strategies-policies-plans/roads-parking-and-travel/local-transport-plan 2 http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/council/strategies-policies-plans/roads-parking-and-travel/highways-and- transport-masterplans/lancaster-district-highways-and-transport-masterplan 5 Background Paper 10 – Transport and Highways (May 2018) 2.7 The district’s transport networks have constraints: recently addressed in part by the significant investment in a new link road between M6 Junction 34 and the Morecambe/Heysham peninsula to improve local connectivity with the motorway. The Highways and Transport Masterplan, acknowledges the constrained and challenging nature of the transport network within the district, the issues highlighted include: Congestion in Lancaster City Centre (particularly around the gyratory system) and Galgate. Delays to public transport, especially in Lancaster City Centre. Barriers to pedestrian and cycle movements in Lancaster and Morecambe. Road safety concerns for pedestrians and cyclists. Road safety concerns for children and young people. Environmental issues, especially relating to air quality. Rail connections are not as good as they should be, particularly linkages to and from Morecambe and Carnforth. Ultra-low emission vehicles are not well catered for. Rural residents and businesses struggle without cars. Looking to the Future 2.8 The Northern Powerhouse Independent Economic Review of June 2016, prepared by SQW Ltd and Cambridge Econometrics Ltd, commissioned by Transport for the North (TfN) on behalf of wider partners, describes the economic performance gap between the north west region and the other regions of England, presents the key sectoral strengths and capabilities of pan- northern significance and sets out a range of future growth scenarios. The report identifies four Pan-Northern “Prime” capabilities and three “Enabling” capabilities including, education, primarily Higher Education. Further development of these specific capabilities provide the opportunity for greater economic activity in the North. Lancaster’s two Universities are identified as assets of (Higher) Education ‘Enabling’ Capability. The Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) continues to develop its aims and objectives to develop identified assets and the economic growth potential specifically within Lancashire. 2.9 The County Council’s Highways and Transport Masterplan recognises that the future development