London Southend Airport and Environs Joint Area Action Plan walking and cycling improvements Draft study on behalf of Southend-on- Sea Borough Council, Essex County Council and Rochford District Council September 2014 About Sustrans Table of contents Sustrans makes smarter travel choices possible, Executive Summary 3 desirable and inevitable. We’re a leading UK charity enabling people to travel by foot, bike or public Local Context 4 transport for more of the journeys we make every day. We work with families, communities, policy-makers Policy Context 7 and partner organisations so that people are able to choose healthier, cleaner and cheaper journeys, with Present conditions for Cyclists and Pedestrians 10 better places and spaces to move through and live in. Developing a network 13 It’s time we all began making smarter travel choices. Make your move and support Sustrans today. Delivering and Monitoring the improvements 38 www.sustrans.org.uk Implementation Plan 39 Head Office Sustrans 2 Cathedral Square College Green Bristol BS1 5DD © Sustrans June 2014 Registered Charity No. 326550 (England and Wales) SC039263 (Scotland) VAT Registration No. 416740656 - Binding Margin - The findings in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of Essex County Council. Southend Borough Council and Rochford District Council. Report prepared for Essex County Council. Southend Borough Council and Rochford District Council by Sustrans Written and surveyed by Kris Radley London Southend Airport and Environs Joint Area Action Plan walking and cycling improvements • Draft study on behalf of Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, Essex County Council and Rochford District Council Executive Summary This report represents the findings of a study to examine proposals to upgrade and improve the existing cycling and walking network around London Southend Airport and to create a London Southend Airport and Environs Joint Area Action plan Walking and Cycling Network. The aim of the report is to assess current provision and consider all the options at various locations to gain an understanding of whether the current provision is valid or alternative options exist to create an improvement. The main focus for this study is a network of routes that run from west, east and central Southend-on-Sea, from Rochford and from Hawkwell to key trip attractors within the environs of the Joint Area Action Plan (JAAP). See map of London Southend Airport and Environs Joint Area Action plan Walking and Cycling Network. The existing cycle network in the project area continues to be improved and has become a significant local resource with many trips being made on it throughout the year. This report seeks to identify the technical issues and practicalities of creating coherent, safe, direct and comfortable additional sections that will ultimately provide access to the - Binding Margin - existing and new developments within the environs of the JAAP. The report is split into four main sections: • Introduction and background • The local context • Developing a network • Detailed route sections • Conclusion and Programme By the end of the report there will be clear outcomes as to which sections of the route should be prioritised and how to phase developments; giving strong indications as to which recommendations should feed into the masterplan for the Southend Airport Business Park site. Page 3 London Southend Airport and Environs Joint Area Action Plan walking and cycling improvements • Draft study on behalf of Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, Essex County Council and Rochford District Council Local Context Geographical Background In transport planning terms, the area’s focus is very The proportion of residents who travelled to work much on Hockley, Ashingdon, Hawkwell, Rochford, within Southend-on-Sea by foot or bicycle was London Southend Airport Environs and Southend-on- 14.13% in 2001. This was high, placing the area in the Sea as the main location of services and facilities, and top 40% of LAs nationally. By comparison the national major hubs for transport, providing connections to figure was 13.03%. Essex, London and the rest of the United Kingdom. The average travel to work time for residents in In 2009, Rochford District had a population of 83,100 Southend-on-Sea is very high, with the area ranking people (representing just under 6% of the total in the top 20% of LAs nationally. The average travel population of Essex), with 24,600 of those living in to work time of 25.00 minutes compares with a Essex Hockley and Hawkwell. Southend-on-Sea has a average of 25.36 minutes and a national average of population of 174,300. 20.32 minutes. Latest travel to work data from the Essex County At 1,505.05, the number of journeys per sq km in Council Tracker survey shows that in Rochford around Southend-on-Sea is very high, with the area ranking in 71% of workers travel 30 minutes or less to work the top 20% of LAs nationally. (Essex highest: 77% Harlow, Essex lowest: 58% Castle Point). 92% of Rochford residents live within an hour’s commute of their work. The number of residents living in the district who are aged 65 and over is expected to increase from 16,400 people to over 27,300. This takes the proportion of people in this age bracket from 19.7% of the districts population to over a quarter of the residents by 2035. - Binding Margin - The proportion of the resident working age population who are in employment in Southend-on-Sea is low, with the area ranking in the bottom 40% of LAs nationally. In Southend-on-Sea, 74.00% of the resident working age population are in employment, compared with 75.40% in Essex and 73.49% nationally. The proportion of the resident population aged 65 and over was estimated at 18.14% in 2008, which is high by national standards, with Southend-on-Sea ranking in the top 40% of LAs. By comparison, the Essex figure was 17.05% and the national average was 16.24%. The national average for the proportion of people who travelled to work by car was 61.18% in 2001. By comparison the Southend-on-Sea figure of 56.52% placed it in the bottom 20% of LAs nationally. Page 4 London Southend Airport and Environs Joint Area Action Plan walking and cycling improvements • Draft study on behalf of Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, Essex County Council and Rochford District Council - Binding Margin - Page 5 London Southend Airport and Environs Joint Area Action Plan walking and cycling improvements • Draft study on behalf of Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, Essex County Council and Rochford District Council - Binding Margin - Page 6 London Southend Airport and Environs Joint Area Action Plan walking and cycling improvements • Draft study on behalf of Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, Essex County Council and Rochford District Council Policy Context Introduction JAAP Walking And Cycling Corridors Developing new routes to add to the existing network • Congestion – Car traffic has increased some meets many objectives at national, regional and local 15% in the last ten years with resulting congestion level. This section of the report brings together key in Britain costing £10 billion per year. Enabling policies and plans to which the development of a people to choose an alternative to car travel will network of routes around London Southend Airport reduce congestion and improve quality of life. aligns perfectly, and it opens with Sustrans’ own narrative on the need for the change taken from the • Liveability and place making – by improving National Cycle Network strategy. the place/built environment and enabling people to walk or cycle to local facilities the liveability Sustrans’ ‘National Cycle Network of neighbourhoods and town/cities will be Strategy 2009-2013’ enhanced which in turn has a profound effect on the quality of life experienced by those people. At present only 2% of journeys in the UK are undertaken by cycle with many other countries having a much higher proportion – The Netherlands for Joint Area Action Plan example has 27% of all journeys undertaken by cycle. The Joint Area Action Plan (JAAP) has been prepared by Rochford District Council and Southend-on-Sea Sustrans calls on the Governments of the UK to adopt Borough Council in response to the challenges and policies that will enable 4 out of 5 local journeys to be opportunities offered by London Southend Airport made by foot, bike and public transport by 2020. By together with an airport related employment cluster. providing both strategic infrastructure and routes, the The plan (which at the time of writing this report is National Cycle Network provides a practical alternative yet to be adopted) is intended to integrate land use, for people’s everyday journeys, thereby contributing to transport, environmental and regeneration proposals the achievement of the 4 out of 5 journey objective. with clear mechanisms for delivery. Enabling people to cycle and walk more will tackle five Following receipt of the Examination Inspector’s critical challenges: interim report, RDC and SBC have agreed a Schedule - Binding Margin - • Obesity and related health conditions – of Modifications to the JAAP. These modifications will enabling people to be more physically active be subject to a period of public consultation before for everyday journeys (like cycling to school or being submitted – together with the results of the walking to the shops) will transform the health consultation – for the Inspector’s consideration. These of adults and children throughout the UK. modifications include amendment to Policy T5. • Climate change – personal car use is The proposed can be viewed in the Rochford District responsible for 13% of total carbon dioxide Council and Southend Borough Council – JAAP (CO2) emissions in the UK. Enabling people Submission Document Examination: Proposed to leave their car behind for many of the 58% Schedule of Changes to the London Southend and of car journeys that are less than 5 miles (and Environs Joint Area Action Plan Submission Document longer journeys as a result of better integration (February 2013) of travel) will make an important contribution to achieving the UK’s CO2 reduction targets.