success of these ports in order to maximise their economic and employment potential. Source: Provisional Regional Transport Plan for South West Wales (2008), pp 35 Fig 5 Regional Transport Plan vision for transport network 3.114 This existing network provides the basis upon which future improvements will be achieved. Ensuring good quality access in terms of journey times, the quality of routes and the frequency and quality of public transport services is central to the development and maintenance of complementary relationships within the Spatial Plan Area and to the achievement of the vision for the area. In summary, the analysis has demonstrated that: a By virtue of its geographical location and role as a transport hub, Haverfordwest is the best linked to other centres by road and public transport; b The accessibility of the other Haven Towns by road is broadly similar although by public transport, Pembroke Dock enjoys better accessibility than Milford Haven; c The location of Carmarthen to the east of the Spatial Plan Area, some distance from the Haven Towns Hub means that travel times from the town to other parts of the Spatial Plan Area are greater; d Fishguard is the least accessible of the hubs with greater journey times by road and public transport to the other hub settlements and fewer public transport services; and, P47/91 30576/752428v1 e Accessibility to and from the non-hub settlements varies considerably across the Spatial Plan Area, depending upon its location, relationship to the nearest hub settlements and the availability of existing road and rail infrastructure. 3.115 The vision for complementarity is built upon the aspiration for settlements to fulfil their full potential and for services and facilities to be provided within those key centres that are best able to achieve a critical mass to create a high level of attractiveness and attraction to investors. These are to be complemented by smaller, local centres which are to offer a more limited range of functions and facilities in order to support the main locations. The implication of this is a need to ensure that good levels of accessibility can be provided and sustained. Whilst this will be a function of geography, it will also depend upon the availability of infrastructure and services, as well as the ability to overcome the following existing barriers: a The structure and location of the road and public transport network which has a bearing upon travel distances and journey times between different settlements within the Spatial Plan Area. b The frequency and quality of some public transport services which impacts upon the level of patronage and extent to which it is capable of helping to encourage more sustainable forms of movement and increase complementarity between different settlements in the Spatial Plan Area. c The pressure that presently exists upon key sections of the transport network and the implications of the resultant congestion upon the long term attractiveness of different centres and the achievement of complementarity between centres in the Spatial Plan Area. This is recognised to be an issue both within settlements and on some of the main connecting routes. d The potential impact of the Cleddau toll bridge upon shaping travel patterns and levels of activity on either side of the Milford Haven Waterway. Whilst it provides a valuable link and avoids a lengthy journey around the waterway, it is perceived to represent a psychological barrier for some and hence as a possible barrier to complementarity. e Connectivity to the heavy industrial plants at Milford Haven and Pembroke Dock is recognised as being poor and as constituting a barrier to the long term enhancement of these areas as a key centre of the local economy. f Difficulties that have been identified for movement by a number of specific groups represent an important basis by which the equality of transportation provision in the Spatial Plan Area might have been undermined. A failure to address this barrier would be contrary to the ambitions of the Wales Spatial Plan vision which seeks to improve access to services for all sectors of the community. P48/91 30576/752428v1 3.116 Addressing these challenges is vital to the delivery of the level of complementarity that is sought within the Spatial Plan Area. However, in responding, it is important to recognise that the physical character of the area does impact upon the potential for a very high level of connections between all areas. 3.117 The range of actions and measures that has been identified by the Regional Transport Plan and these would be important in helping to address and overcome the existing barriers to complementarity. Recognising that the future for complementarity will be dominated by the role of the largest settlements, it will be particularly important to ensure that these locations are the most accessible. However, good connections should also be promoted throughout the Spatial Plan Area so that all members of every community are able to take advantage of the enhanced complementarity by accessing a full range of services and facilities quickly and effectively. 3.118 As an associated matter, the enhancement of virtual communications will also be an important mechanism by which complementarity might be enhanced. It will support the economy and the provision of services and facilities throughout the Spatial Plan Area and will also be important in helping to reduce issues of peripherality which presently constitute a barrier to the ability of many local communities to access services that are available. Complementarity between sectors 3.119 The purpose of this chapter has been to highlight the way in which different functions and services are to be provided in a more complementary manner within the Spatial Plan Area in the future. This is important in highlighting the role of the different settlements which is considered in detail in the next chapter. However, in summary, this chapter has shown the particularly important role of the main Primary Key Settlements (Carmarthen, Haverfordwest, Pembroke Dock and Milford Haven) in the provision of employment, retail, leisure and public service facilities. This role reflects the population and housing distribution within the Spatial Plan Area. It is thereby the most appropriate in relating the supply of services to demand and concentrating activity into those locations that are best able to achieve an adequate level of critical mass to sustain services, not only for the benefit of those living within the hubs but also for the population of the Spatial Plan Area as a whole. 3.120 Whilst the main Primary Key Settlements serve a central role in the establishment of complementary relationships, this chapter has also highlighted the importance of smaller centres in helping to enhance the local service provision and thereby in complementing the offer of the larger settlements. 3.121 In considering complementarity within the Spatial Plan Area, the focus should not just be upon the relationship between settlements but also on the P49/91 30576/752428v1 relationship between sectors. This is important given that the multiple roles that are performed by a number of centres necessitates a need to ensure that the different functions can be undertaken in a mutually beneficial manner and without resulting in conflict between their operation. The cornerstones of complementarity 3.122 The staring point in this regard, must be a need for complementarity between the environmental character and quality of the area and the pressure for development. One of the primary characteristics of the Spatial Plan Area relates to the quality of the natural environment and this is important in attracting visitors, in-migrants and investors. As the area continues to develop, it will be important to ensure that this characteristic is retained. The need for complementarity between the protection of the environment and the delivery of growth in key sectors throughout the Spatial Plan Area must be at the forefront of the decision-making and policy processes. 3.123 As considered elsewhere in this report, complementarity is fundamentally about sustainability. The achievement of complementarity will facilitate a movement towards a more sustainable and environmentally acceptable future which takes account of the natural capacity for growth and the importance of achieving a low carbon economy. Complementary seeks to achieve a balanced distribution and provision of services. It recognises that not everything can be provided everywhere and that self-containment is neither viable nor sustainable on every settlement level as this would result in an over-capacity in respect of services and an unsustainable level of development and activity. Even within this context of focusing activity into the most appropriate locations, it will be important to test potential development sites and ensure that they are capable of accommodating the growth required to achieve complementarity in a manner that does not have any adverse impacts upon the environment. 3.124 To this end, it is important to achieve a balance between development, protection and the provision of adequate links between facilities and services so that complementarity might be able to satisfy the four elements of sustainability. 3.125 Complementarity between settlements is all about serving the needs of the local communities. As such, an understanding of the need for complementarity between the role of settlements as population and housing locations and as centres for other services and facilities must represent another cornerstone of the policy process. Adopting this approach will mean that functions are provided in locations where they best match demand, recognising the different needs of the different members of the community and the particular implications of the seasonal increase in local population that is caused by the locally important tourism industry – both in terms of the additional pressure for services and the potential conflict that might arise between the need to serve the local population and visitors.