Draft Local Transport Plan Gloucestershire’s Draft Local Transport Plan Connecting Places Strategy 2015-31 A resilient transport network that enables sustainable economic growth CPS 1 – Central Severn Vale providing door to door travel choices Draft Local Transport Plan Connecting Places Strategy CPS 1 – Central Severn Vale Version 1.0 Snapshot of stakeholder views Last Revised October 2015 If you just look Review Date at how much new Category Transport Planning development is The A417 Missing coming – you realise Owner Gloucestershire County Council the present transport Link has to be addressed; and road network Target Audience Anyone wanting to find out about the county council’s it holds up movement transport proposals for Cheltenham, Gloucester, Churchdown just won’t be on the key corridor adequate and Bishop’s Cleeve connecting Cheltenham and Gloucester with the south east and economic development This strategy acts as guidance for anybody requiring information regarding the county council’s priorities for transport within Urban centres Cheltenham, Gloucester, Churchdown and Bishop’s Cleeve. are places for people where People The document sets out the aspirations for the Central Severn Vale Connecting have more Places Strategy area up to 2031. pedestrians and cyclists should be transport a priority choice here Draft Local Transport Plan Area Summary Area Summary Places • Central Severn Vale constitutes the county’s major • Gloucester urban areas • Cheltenham • Approximately half the county’s population live in this area • Churchdown • Congestion occurs on many of the roads in the area, • Bishop’s Cleeve particularly around Cheltenham and Gloucester • Quedgeley • Flooding issues around Gloucester • AQMAs in Cheltenham, Gloucester and the A419 Air Balloon Roundabout • Strong trip attractor with a large number of trips travelling to the area from all other parts of the county – especially the Forest of Dean Transport Links • M5 motorway – linking Birmingham and Bristol • A417 linking M5 with M4 • A40 providing east west access • 2 railways stations (Gloucester and Cheltenham Spa) linking London, Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff and Swindon • Good bus network coverage with strong commercial network Draft Local Transport Plan The Place The Central Severn Vale (CSV) Connecting The area covered by this strategy is highly desirable As a county, Gloucestershire is becoming a strong ‘trip Places Strategy (CPS) area includes the and provides the potential for sustainable economic attractor’, particularly into the major employment centres main urban settlements of Cheltenham and growth. Growth proposals identified in the Joint in Gloucester and Cheltenham. Core Strategy and Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) will Gloucester and their surrounding communities The creation of a Growth Zone, as promoted in the significantly increase the CPS area’s population and including Bishop’s Cleeve, Churchdown, SEP, is to ensure the availability of quality employment range of employment opportunities offered. This will land in proximity to the M5 motorway is attractive Charlton Kings and Brockworth. result in more trips within the area and will require careful to businesses by ensuring excellent connectivity management to reduce the occurrence of congestion Cheltenham is the cultural centre of the county and is throughout Gloucestershire and the rest of the UK. and limit environmental impacts. well known for its festivals. The vision for Cheltenham This will serve latent demand in the marketplace and is for a place where communities benefit from a The CPS area is bounded by Tewkesbury to the north, provide the space required to enable Growth Hub prosperous and enterprising economy which enhances Stroud to the south and flanked by the rural CPS areas supported businesses to grow. the quality of its cultural assets and natural and built of the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean environment. To support this vision it is essential and River Severn to the west. Key routes in the CSV The SEP plans for delivery of this employment land communities and visitors are supported by a choice of converge on the M5 junctions, where the A40 and A417 around Junctions 9 and 10 of the M5 are supported travel options. link east and west to provide access to the M4 corridor. by a number of transport related proposals across the county which will enable the growth to be achieved Gloucester City has and will continue to benefit from Economic growth in Gloucestershire is underpinned by through release of this employment land. a number of regeneration projects. The vision for its transport connectivity which helps attract business Gloucester City is to build on its strengths as one of the and staff into the county and supports it as a great place Businesses, their supply chains, workers and country’s most important historic cities by creating a to live, work and visit. consumers collectively depend upon a good quality thriving and prosperous city centre. highway network to move goods, deliver services and travel to work and other service facilities. The time taken to undertake a journey affects The urban nature of this area is reflected by its highly productivity, in that time spent travelling reduces time accessible transport network which provides the available to produce goods or provide services. greatest choice of travel options within Gloucestershire. High quality, high frequency bus services provide access Specific solutions along the M5 corridor relating to across the CSV. For longer distance trips there are two employment land adjacent to the following junctions are: railway stations located in Cheltenham and Gloucester • M5 Junction 10 – To enable significant employment which provide regular services to London, Bristol, and mixed use developments for the north west of Cardiff, Birmingham and Swindon. Cheltenham through the upgrading of the junction to Despite the travel choices offered, car use continues to all-movements dominate. The combination of already heavily trafficked • Blackfriars, Gloucester - A comprehensive routes and historic street patterns has resulted in Air transformational scheme for the centre of Gloucester Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) being declared at that has received funding through the Growth Deal several locations. The CSV CPS area covers almost half of Gloucestershire’s total population and has a higher Within Gloucester these include Barton Street, proportion of the working age population when compared St Oswald’s Road and Painswick Road; an AQMA to the county average. This is reflected by the high covers the whole of Cheltenham Borough and the proportion of travel to work journeys that begin and end A417 Air Balloon roundabout located on the east within the CPS area. This highlights the potential for of the CPS area is also a declared AQMA. increasing walking and cycling across the area. Draft Local Transport Plan The Issues A417 B4362 • Congestion at strategic pinch points: Bishops Cleeve o A417 Missing Link A38 10 o A40 from west of Gloucester to Cheltenham • Enable M5 Growth corridor – All way improvements B4215 to M5 Junction 10 • Facilitating new areas of growth including M5 11 Growth Zone A40 • Regular occurrence of congestion on many urban A40 corridors A436 • Problems of parking within Cheltenham 11a • Lack of on-site employee parking at local businesses. A417 • Buses suffer on key congested routes A46 • Lack of coordination between traffic signals Quedgeley District boundaries and • Limited information regarding ‘live’ journey times the CPS strategy area B4073 • Rail and Bus Stations should be gateways to county 12 A435 • Lack of coordination between bus routes/companies and ticketing scheme/discount cards that can be A4173 A417 used across providers A38 • Lack of cycle routes between Cheltenham and Bk th Gloucester • Lack of cycle route between surrounding communities Draft Local Transport Plan The Priorities Gloucestershire’s vision for transport Initiatives have been divided between capital and is to deliver: revenue schemes and separated into three delivery phases: Speed ‘A resilient transport network that enables sustainable • Short-term 2015 to 2021 up bus Even here you economic growth by providing door to door travel • Medium-term 2021 to 2026 need to reduce choices’ travel social isolation • Long term 2026 to 2031 through getting To address the issues raised during our conversation The delivery phases are indicative only and schemes may better bus services with local stakeholders and support the delivery of the be delivered in a different phase to that suggested here. in rural areas and outcomes identified in the LTP Overarching Strategy, a around the edges range of scheme priorities have been identified. The scheme list will be updated during the lifetime of the LTP as new evidence emerges. Therefore it should of towns The scheme appraisal process used to inform these not be considered a definitive list as it will be subject to priorities is based on the same process promoted periodic reviews. The cycle network through the European Union project Boosting Urban is very good in Mobility Plans (BUMP). parts but some Every scheme identified has been included on the roads are difficult Cycle basis of need and compliance with delivering the LTP to cycle on. Routes connectivity outcomes and does not reflect a commitment by the need to be good for between county council for funding. a whole trip Cheltenham and They will provide the basis for future funding bids, as Gloucester is opportunities arise, and discussions