The Wider Policy Context

1.9 This section describes how policies at European, National, Regional and County levels have influenced the objectives of this LTP. This issue of “linkage” between the LTP and its wider policy and community context re-emerges throughout the Plan. The relationship between the wider policy and community context and the strategy contained in this LTP is explained in more detail in the supporting text to each policy in Chapter 3.

1.10 Kent stands at the United Kingdom’s gateway to and from mainland Europe. The County forms the route of choice to and from continental Europe for some 3.5 million lorries and 4.5 million cars every year, and the factors that influence this choice demonstrate the real impact of transport policy upon the UK, and particularly Kent. With the advent of the single European market in 1992 to guarantee the free movement of goods and people, the transport system underwent enormous changes to open up access to the market and ease barriers to travel and trade for freight and passengers. Examples of these changes are the removal of quantitative restrictions on the number of foreign lorries on national road networks and allowing transport operators to carry out business in other European countries. Road haulage has stepped in to absorb the bulk of rising demand for transport in the EU because regulatory changes in the transport market have reinforced road freight’s competitiveness and flexibility compared to other transport modes.

1.11 The consequence of this policy across Europe has been the generation of congestion, pollution, noise and safety problems which impact most directly and acutely upon Kent as the nearest and busiest point of access to Europe - the gateway to the Continent. These effects will worsen unless the split between transport modes is rebalanced. Reducing these negative effects on Kent and ensuring the infrastructure necessary to do this is in place are therefore key issues for this LTP. These issues have been the fundamental driver of the LTP objectives of UK Gateway and UK Connections. They have also been a strong influence behind the sensitivities to the environmental impact of transport reflected in the Environment, Heritage and Communities objective. European transport policy is beginning to implement regulatory and financial measures to encourage changes in choices of route and mode. These changes attempt to shift the expected growth in freight transport away from the roads to the railways. This could help relieve some of the pressure on Kent’s road network, but only if the landside rail connections in Kent are improved. The European Commission White Paper “European Transport Policy for 2010” forms part of a wider policy approach to increase sustainability in this part of the European economy. Given Kent’s unique gateway position, the objectives of revitalising the railways and linking up modes of transport are particularly relevant to Kent in the context of transferring more freight to rail and standardising freight loading gauges and techniques.

1.12 Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). SEA is a “systematic process of identifying and addressing the environmental consequences of plans and programmes”. In 2001, the EU legislated for SEA with the adoption of European Directive 2001/42/EC that came into force on 21 July 2004. The stated purpose of the Directive is “to provide for a high level of protection of the environment and to contribute to the integration of environmental considerations into the preparation and adoption of plans and programmes with a view to promoting sustainable development”. In 2004, the Government confirmed that the SEA process will apply to the second round of Local Transport Plans. The SEA process has been ongoing throughout the preparation of this LTP and has had a fundamental impact by strengthening the degree of environmental protection and enhancement provided by the objectives and strategies within it. More detail on SEA is contained in Chapter 3 under strategy evolution.

Figure 1.2 The Transport Secretary at the launch of the Thanet Loop

Figure 1.2 The Transport Secretary at the launch of the Thanet Loop


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1.13 In broad national UK policy terms there are three key agendas in the UK which are central to this LTP. These are:-

  • Tackling social exclusion - reflected primarily in the Accessibility LTP objective and fundamental to the Accessibility Strategy for Kent. Deprivation is a key issue for Kent, especially in the north and east of the County;
  • Creating sustainable communities - reflected in the Sustainable Regeneration LTP objective and central to the major and minor investment programmes in the two growth areas in Kent - Thames Gateway and Ashford;
  • Improving public health - reflected in the LTP Health objective and implicit in the Environment, Heritage & Communities LTP objective through the aim of reducing the negative impacts of transport. Health is also a key outcome of the provision for, and encouragement of, healthier modes of travel, and is especially relevant in the more deprived areas of the County.

1.14 In UK transport policy terms, this LTP takes account of, and helps deliver the Government’s vision for transport set out in The Future of Transport: 2030, and in the Ten-Year Plan. The shared priorities for transport agreed between central and local Government are also central for this LTP. The importance of these priorities for Kent is explained briefly in paragraphs 1.1 to 1.4, and they form the framework for and link directly to the ten objectives for this LTP. In turn, each LTP objective is achieved through a combination of the specific policies and measures within this Plan. Detail of how each policy or measure within this Plan contributes to the shared priorities runs as a central thread throughout the LTP and has driven its presentational structure.

1.15 In terms of regional policy context, Regional Planning Guidance (RPG) 9, is the currently adopted guidance, covering the period to 2016 and providing a regional framework advocating economic success and environmental improvement through a more sustainable pattern of development. The South East England Regional Assembly (SEERA) has produced a draft South East Plan, a Regional Spatial Strategy, that will replace RPG9 when adopted by the Government.

1.16 The Assembly lodged part 1 of the South East Plan with Government in July 2005. This contains the core regional policies for the region as a whole. Part 2 of the plan containing District housing numbers will be submitted at the end of March 2006. For Kent and Medway the total housing development between 2006 and 2026 is proposed as 122,000 – a rate of 6,100 per annum - plus a possible additional 2,000 dwellings at Dover and 1,000 at Maidstone if found to be satisfactory in local development frameworks.

1.17 The distribution of the 122,000 dwellings concentrates provision in the Growth Areas with Ashford (22,700), Medway (16,300) and Dartford (15,700) allocated the highest levels.

1.18 This level of growth across the County has the potential to generate significant demand for travel and so there needs to be commensurate improvements to the major road network, rail and bus services, and funding for maintenance and integrated transport measures. Demand management will also be key to enabling the residents and businesses of Kent to function effectively in the future. 

1.19 Part 2 of the South East Plan also includes sub-regional strategies, including housing distribution, targets for affordable housing, locations for new employment land and planning policies. The sub-regional strategies in Kent - for Kent Thames Gateway and East Kent & Ashford – are based on advice from the County Council and Medway Council following extensive public consultation. Investment Frameworks for each sub-region were submitted containing the transport and other investment felt to be necessary to support growth. Further work will be undertaken on the frameworks and priorities in preparation for the South East Plan Examination in Public.

1.20 The South East Plan will be submitted to Government at the end of March 2006 and, following public consultation, there will be a public examination (public enquiry) on the Plan starting in November 2006. The Plan is expected to be adopted in 2007 or 2008.

1.21 The Regional Transport Strategy (RTS) forms the basis for the Communications and Transport section of the draft South East Plan and provides the regional framework to ensure that the investment of local transport authorities and other transport organisations support the wider regional objectives.

1.22 In the RTS policies on transport are focussed on a set of core principles – managing and investing in the network, the rural dimension, regional hubs and spokes, communication technology, mobility management, road pricing and charging, gateways and freight. The RTS also contains policies and priorities for investment in transport, and identifies the LTP as one of the delivery mechanisms for this investment. This Investment Framework will now be refined and updated following work on the sub-regional strategies and the South East Plan.

1.23 Specifically for Kent, the RTS sets out to improve the transport infrastructure within and to the Thames Gateway to maximise regeneration potential, East Kent to support economic regeneration and Ashford to support development. The draft Plan also includes support for an enhanced role for Kent International Airport as an airport of regional significance, and support for land side infrastructure to maintain and enhance the role of the ports of Dover, Ramsgate and the Medway Ports, as well as the Channel Tunnel. The RTS also supports increasing the capacity of rail freight by giving priority to the rail route between Dover and the Channel Tunnel and through and around London.

1.24 The RTS also designates transport hubs, which are defined as centres of economic activity and transport investment in the region, particularly public transport. The hubs in Kent are Ashford, Ebbsfleet, and Maidstone .The South East Plan will include additional hubs at Canterbury and Tonbridge-Tunbridge Wells.  Chatham in Medway is also a transport hub.

1.25 The RTS stresses the need for local authorities to give priority to improving accessibility by public transport, walking and cycling at transport hubs as well as encouraging higher density development and giving priority to high quality interchange facilities. 

1.26 The County Council will target a significant proportion of its transport resources towards the transport hubs – the three towns with the greatest existing congestion levels – Maidstone, Canterbury and Tunbridge Wells – and the two growth nodes at Ashford and around Ebbsfleet.   Funding will be concentrated to address the shared priorities of congestion, public transport, accessibility, road safety and air quality

1.27 The consultation document for the review of the Regional Economic Strategy (RES) for South East England was published by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) in November 2005, and the RES will be submitted to the DTI by the end of March. The County Council broadly welcomes the proposed direction of the RES and considers that there is general compatibility between the RES and the County Council and Kent Partnership led strategies, such as the Vision for Kent, the Kent and Medway Structure Plan and Kent Prospects.

1.28 SEEDA currently allocates some 40% of its budget to Kent and Medway, reflecting the need to address significant regeneration, low skills, inadequate infrastructure and high deprivation in many parts of the county.

1.29 The strategy is built on six drivers of regional prosperity, one of which is the recognition of the need to develop better infrastructure, including a more effective transport system. The draft RES identifies key actions in Kent which are required to improve the connectivity of the transport network and reflect regional economic priorities. These include improved surface access to Dover, maximising traffic on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), transport projects in the Thames Gateway and Ashford, and completion of the Thameslink project, all of which are supported by the County Council. 

1.30 Kent policy context. Between them, the Vision for Kent (Community Strategy), the Supporting Independence Programme (SIP), the Annual Plan, the Kent Local Area Agreement & Public Service Agreements (PSA) provide the foundation for KCC’s commitments over the next few years. While the Annual Plan and PSA express our key priorities for the immediate future, the Vision for Kent and the Supporting Independence Programme describe KCC’s longer term goals and how we intend to achieve them.

1.31 The first Vision for Kent was launched as Kent’s Community Strategy in April 2002 in line with the Government’s views as set out in the Local Government Act 2000. It presented what the county was setting out to achieve over the next 20 years and followed widespread community consultation. The Vision was fully reviewed during 2005 and the early part of 2006, thereby coinciding with timeframe for the formulation of this new LTP. This gave an ideal opportunity for the long term visions of both plans to be built up by consensus upon the same basis. There are eight key strands to the Vision, one being to create a county where "jobs and services  are easily accessible for all sections of the community and where traffic growth and congestion are reduced". Not only has this Local Transport Plan been built up at the same time using the same processes as the Vision, it has used the knowledge from the extensive community consultation in the formulation of objectives and strategies, and it adopts the Area Strategic Partnership sub-divisions of the County as building blocks for the Plan. All of the transport actions identified in the Vision have been directly integrated into the LTP, and the LTP makes a contribution towards all of the themes, directly or otherwise, particularly through improving access to jobs and services for those less fortunate.

1.32 The Kent Partnership was formed as a result of the Local Government Act 2000 which required local authorities to work through local strategic partnerships. It is made up of representatives from the public, private, voluntary and community sectors. Responsible for overseeing progress of the Vision for Kent, it has a key role in encouraging community leadership, supporting new initiatives and ensuring effective delivery of services. The sub groups of the Kent Partnership oversee the four blocks of the Kent Agreement, with the Public Service Board responsible for an overview of progress and co-ordinating support from the public sector. Sub Group 4 is concerned with Economic Development and Sustainable Communities, and takes into account wider sustainability issues, such as transport. A dedicated support group of the Kent Partnership, composed of officers of partners from all sectors, pays particular attention to issues such as transport and the environment which are not covered by the existing sub groups. This support group reviews issues such as the Kent Environment Strategy, which highlights the growth in traffic as one of the single greatest challenges facing Kent today and the need to ensure that decisions about transport and travel are more consistent with the objective of tackling traffic growth. The full detail of the relationship between the Environment Strategy and LTP is contained in paragraph 1.36.

1.33 Key issues for the Partnership which connect to the LTP objectives and implementation programmes are :-

  • Integrating the Sustainable Communities Agenda into Kent’s broad strategic interests
  • Voicing the frustration of so many in Kent at the inadequacy of the rail network and lobbying the Government & rail industry for major improvements
  • Promoting Kent’s Environment Strategy
  • Promoting safer communities and investigating underlying causes of crime, and reducing the fear of crime

1.34 Kent’s Supporting Independence Programme (SIP) is, and will remain, the single most important means of enriching the lives of the people of Kent. It was set up in April 2002, inspired by Kent’s first PSA with the Government. Its aim is to ensure that everyone living in the county is enabled to live the fullest and most independent life possible by reconfiguring and re-focussing KCC’s work and that of partner organisations in Kent. The emphasis is on generating better opportunities for all, with a long-term goal of creating sustainable solutions to the problems of dependency. One of the most fundamental ingredients of independence is accessibility to jobs, services and opportunities. This, clearly, is one of the central objectives of the LTP. The Accessibility Strategy for Kent, (ASK) identifies the whereabouts and accessibility needs of the socio-economic groups required by the Government, but also the groups identified through the SIP as requiring most assistance. This will enable action to be taken, directed by the Kent Partnership, to address the problems identified.

1.35 The deposit Kent & Medway Structure Plan (KMSP), which underwent an Examination-In-Public in September 2004 provides the strategic planning framework to guide decisions on development, transport and environmental issues in Kent and Medway between 2001-2021. It identifies that there are demands and opportunities arising from Kent’s “gateway” position, but that there are also threats and challenges from over development and from the Government’s growth targets. The Plan currently has housing provisions for the county of Kent of 93,000 new houses in the period 2001 to 2016 – a rate of 6,200 houses per annum. The Plan also has provision for additional employment floorspace of 5,314,000 m2 for employment between 2001 and 2021. Figure 2.18 in Chapter 2 shows how these provisions are distributed on a district basis. This presents major challenges to the transportation system in Kent and the approach within the Plan and, through direct linkage, this LTP, will help improve accessibility in the County and ensure these challenges are met in a sustainable way. The approach taken in Chapter 8 of the deposit KMSP “Quality, Choice and Accessibility in the Transport Network” forms the basis for this LTP. The Chapter contains 26 Policies covering all modes and issues including promoting accessibility for all sectors of the community, reducing the rate at which congestion is worsening, improving air quality, safety and personal security and reducing social exclusion related to transport issues. The KMSP is scheduled to be adopted in July 2006.

1.36 The Kent Environment Strategy (2003) highlights six key challenges facing Kent’s environment and one of these is the increasing level of traffic in the County. The Strategy proposes to move towards a more balanced, integrated transport system with an emphasis on reducing travel demand, increasing sustainable modes of transport and reducing the movement of goods. In 2005, a Progress Report was published which highlighted that progress against increasing traffic and air pollution was poor and that more “sticks” may need to be considered if we are to realise the ambitions set out. The recommended actions arising from the review have been incorporated into this Plan for action and are summarised below:-

  • KMSP transport policies to be reflected in other plans (e.g LTPs and emerging Local Development Frameworks)
  • Continued partnership working between rail industry and local authorities
  • Seek external funding for continued station improvements
  • Rail and bus operators to ensure better integration between services
  • Expansion of Quality Bus Partnerships and further investment planned for Thanet and Canterbury
  • Pursue suggestion for walking conference for districts to establish walking strategies and focus on routes for improvement
  • Extend KCC travel plan to all KCC offices
  • Two more travel plan networks to be set up in Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells
  • Work to be progressed in developing further travel plans for schools in Kent
  • Continue bus service support via Rural Bus Grant - committed until at least 2006
  • Develop KCC Quiet Lanes initiative through dedicated officer to be appointed
  • Continue to lobby government to increase freight on rail
  • Implement further local traffic management schemes

1.37 Kent’s second LTP takes these recommendations forward through the objectives of Accessibility, Sustainable Regeneration, Demand Management, Environment Heritage and Communities, Integration and their underpinning policies and investment programmes.

Figure 1.3 M20 Corridor

Figure 1.3 M20 Corridor


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