Local Transport Plan for Kent 2006-11

3.29 Kent County Council’s vision for transport in Kent is, by 2025, “To provide good, safe accessibility to jobs and services for all sections of the community in Kent, and to improve the environment and health of the community by reducing congestion and pollution, widening the choice of transport available, and by developing public transport, walking and cycling.”

3.30 It became clear that a key stage in delivering this vision for transport was to establish clear objectives for LTP2 which would reflect not only the four shared priorities for transport but also the views of local residents and the unique challenges facing Kent in the next five years and beyond. Therefore, the themes used in public consultation were developed into nine LTP2 Objectives.  Following consultation on the Provisional Plan a tenth objective, that of health was added. The ten LTP Objectives are listed below:-

3.31 These ten objectives are designed to focus the work needed to achieve Kent's vision for transport. There is a high degree of overlap and a complex set of relationships between these objectives but the desired outcome is always the vision for transport in Kent.

3.32 Improving accessibility is a key objective in this LTP and has repeatedly been given the highest priority by the public during community engagement. Accessibility is closely linked to other key issues including 'social exclusion' which is a high priority for the Government, and to the Supporting Independence Programme, a key goal for the County Council. KCC recognises the need to tackle these issues and to provide more accessible transport and services to its residents. The Accessibility Strategy for Kent (ASK) is the key way this will be done, and accessibility will also be improved through land use planning policies to make sure that the location of services is more accessible and closer to those who need the service provided. Joint initiatives with our partners will deliver significant benefits and tackle issues such as crime, which is a key barrier to the transport network. In a different sense, accessibility improvements can involve changes to the highway infrastructure such as better footpaths, enhanced lighting and lowered kerbs at crossing points. Although accessibility is a separate objective within this LTP, there are clear multiple links to other objectives, notably 'sustainable regeneration' and 'integration', both of which will improve access to the transport network.

3.33 Problems of congestion and pollution cannot be solved without an objective to reduce the overall demand for transport. This objective was strengthened to a seeking of an overall reduction following testing with the community and through the SEA process. During the initial phases of the community engagement endorsement (70% support or above) was given to these principles: -

• Demand Management should be a key theme in the next Local Transport Plan for Kent
• KCC should use development control to minimise the impact of new development
• KCC should continue to utilise technology to reduce congestion in Kent
• KCC should continue to manage car parking to restrain car use in Kent

3.34 Like anywhere else, demand management in Kent is about promoting viable alternatives to a journey by car, combined with measures to make car use less attractive. It is also about ensuring demand for travel generated by new development is met in sustainable ways. It cannot be delivered by the County Council alone and will involve partnership working and a recognition of individual responsibility for travel choices.

3.35 The importance of protecting the Garden of England and its residents has been set out in Chapters 1 & 2. The publication in 2005 of the Kent Environment Strategy Progress Report was hailed as a “wake-up call for Kent’s environment”. The report also highlights the need to do more to reduce our contribution to climate change given the implications for our coast, wildlife, countryside and settlements. One of the main ways KCC is looking to reduce the impact of transport on the environment is by promoting alternatives to the private car like public transport, walking and cycling. These alternatives can be attractive for local journeys and help to reduce the level of traffic on local roads as well as the levels of pollution. KCC will work with the bus operators to introduce measures that reduce journey times and integrate all forms of public transport with walking and cycling. Safe and convenient cycle routes will continue to be introduced in most urban areas, as well as extending the National Cycle Network that connects towns and the countryside. Measures to help and protect pedestrians are also planned which will also assist those with disabilities, making walking an attractive alternative for shorter journeys. KCC is supporting Kent companies by advising them on setting up green travel plans, which aim to encourage staff to use alternative transport to travel to work. This Objective has substantial overlap with Demand Management, Sustainable Regeneration, and Integration.

3.36 Transport is closely linked to health in a number of ways and the County Council recognises that the LTP can make a key contribution to the promotion of healthier lifestyles for Kent residents. Although information from the National Health Service shows Kent to have standard of health comparable to other parts of the south-east region, significant variations exist across the County. In particular, areas of north and east Kent have relatively poor standards of health which can be linked to multiple economic and social deprivation.  

3.37 The County Council will work in partnership with other agencies to promote healthier lifestyles through a series of activities and approaches which are outlined elsewhere in the LTP:

• Improving road safety through enforcement, education and engineering measures to reduce road traffic injuries which have a detrimental effect on the health and well being of residents and place a significant burden upon the health service.
• Reducing car dependence, encouraging more walking and cycling for children and adults to improve health and fitness levels and reduce obesity through education and investment in cycling and walking routes. Evidence produced by the Health Development Agency highlights that adults who are physically active have 20-30%  reduced risk of premature death and up to 50% reduced risk of developing major chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancers.
• Achieving environmental improvements, including better air quality, through traffic management measures and increased public transport use. Currently in the UK it is estimated that 8,100 deaths per year can be attributed to exposure to particulates whilst 3,500 premature deaths are in part due to sulphur dioxide.
• Addressing damaging effects of transport and associated infrastructure on specific areas including traffic noise and community severance.
• Reducing health inequalities by improving access to health facilities and other key destinations. The ability to reach key destinations varies significantly between geographical areas and groups of the community and the County Council will work with the health authority through the accessibility planning process to address key issues. This will include accessibility to key health facilities (including hospitals, primary and community care and dentists) or sport centres and wider challenges including the availability of nutritious food.

3.38 A key outcome for this LTP is a reduction in the number of journeys by car and to increase the proportion of journeys by walking, cycling, public transport and other sustainable modes. The private car is supremely convenient - journeys are made directly from most destinations with the only real cause of delay being congestion on the network. In comparison, whilst walking and cycling are convenient and suffer little delay, their lower speeds make them unsuitable for longer journeys. Public transport is suited to longer journeys, but services and stops can be a great distance from destinations, causing considerable delay in reaching the public transport network. Even when there is a convenient stop or station, there may be delay in changing to another service or the bus service may not stop at the local railway station. This adds to social exclusion since those who do not have access to a car and rely on public transport have less access to goods and services.

3.39 Improving integration makes public transport, walking and cycling more convenient and widens choice for Kent residents. KCC’s approach has been to assist operators in making these modes more attractive and we plan to continue this working relationship for LTP2. Schemes to improve interchange at local bus and railway stations have included improved signing and information. Pedestrian access to stations will be improved with pedestrian signing from local destinations. Real time information at bus stops and on the internet which allows users to reduce their waiting time and plan their journeys more effectively will continue to be implemented. Integration also needs to occur between land use planning and transport. The location of goods and services in relation to the customer influences the length and type of journey. Mixed-use development encourages people to work near to where they live, reducing the need to travel. Sustainable patterns of development encourage alternative forms of transport by integrating with the local public transport, walking and cycling networks. As the “glue” between modes and planning disciplines, integration overlaps with every one of the LTP2 Objectives.

3.40 This LTP2 Objective is central to delivering all four of the shared priorities for transport. Problems of congestion and pollution, poor accessibility and road safety cannot be tackled without better management of the local highway network. KCC welcomes the additional powers under the Traffic Management Act 2004 and the additional responsibilities to control disruption from roadworks and minimise congestion on local roads. Under the Network Management Plan, KCC will manage the local highway network to keep congestion and disruption to a minimum, thereby improving the efficiency of the network. KCC will continue to work with the utilities and other partners through various steering and stakeholder groups to achieve this objective. KCC will also start to identify causes of current and future congestion and plan appropriate measures and systems needed to do this. The condition of the local road network continues to deteriorate. Here lies the strongest connection with the shared priority for road safety, by ensuring that local traffic can use the network in a safe and efficient manner.

3.41 KCC has made excellent progress towards reducing road casualties across the county through a five-year programme of partnership working, intelligence led traffic management and engineering, and through road safety training and education. KCC’s aim is to use the learning gained through KCC's first Public Services Agreement (PSA) activities and other work undertaken during the first LTP to enable it to sustain continuous improvement in casualty reductions. Speed and the use of seat-belts among vehicle occupants are considered to be major contributory factor to personal injury accidents and these will be areas for targeted action on this Plan.  In particular, there is a genuine need to reduce the significantly higher incidences of road casualties in economically deprived areas and among vulnerable road users. Clearly, the benefits of initiatives such as the proposed local road safety schemes and localised activities programmed for the next generation of the PSA, go way beyond their desired outcome of reducing casualties, they also add significant value to local communities. These factors alone demonstrate the value for money presented by such schemes and reiterates their important role in delivering Kent's LTP objectives. The objective of casualty reduction also supports other areas of work, both within KCC and in other agencies, such as the local Health Authority.

3.42 Whilst parts of the County continue to enjoy relative prosperity, there are areas, particularly in north and east Kent, suffering relatively high levels of deprivation. Investment in transport infrastructure can stimulate economic growth in these areas. Alongside the current economic situation, substantial growth in the number of jobs and houses is planned across Kent. In particular, the Government has identified the Thames Gateway and Ashford as “growth” areas where substantial development is planned. This growth will generate significant new demand for the movement of people and goods which must be met in sustainable ways if problems of pollution, accessibility and congestion are not to be exacerbated. This objective seeks to meet these challenges.

3.43 Kent's function as a major gateway to mainland Europe places significant demand on the County's strategic road network. UK trade with the European Union member states is crucial to the national and local economy and the need to maintain efficient transport links with mainland Europe is increasingly important, given the enlargement of the EU. The movement of international freight is dominated by road haulage, despite the provision of rail freight services through the Channel Tunnel. This has a detrimental impact on Kent's communities. To tackle this issue, KCC currently supports the Government's objective to promote the transfer of freight from road to rail. The Port of Dover is disconnected from the rail network, and failure to address this will continue to hamper any chances of transferring freight to rail. KCC will continue to press for this to be resolved.

3.44 Additionally, there is the problem caused by many lorry drivers parking in the County overnight when there is a relatively small number of official parking sites available. Operation Stack, closure of the M20 during periods of disruption to cross-channel services, severely disrupts both the strategic road network and Kent's local road network. This delay places a significant monetary cost to the local economy and should also be resolved. KCC supports the evolving high-speed train market and the need to promote the role of Ashford International Station as a cross-channel rail passenger terminal. Kent's aviation function at Kent International Airport (Manston) is also evolving and has further diversified Kent's gateway role. The presence of sea, air and rail modes within the County will ensure that Kent's cross-channel operations are flexible and competitive, providing efficient links are maintained.

3.45 Efficient transport links between Kent and the rest of the UK are vital to the regeneration and economic prosperity of the Kent economy both in terms of reducing journey times and improving access to labour markets and customers. This is particularly important in the Thames Gateway and East Kent, where the decline of traditional industries has resulted in significant levels of deprivation well above the regional average. Existing passenger rail journey times between East Kent and London are very long - peak hour journey times to Thanet exceed 90 minutes. The County Council is lobbying the Government and rail industry for infrastructure investment and journey time reductions which would in part be achieved through high speed domestic services on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. Faster and more direct rail services would significantly improve access to Kent's major seaports and the Kent International Airport at Manston, which are important to Kent's future economic growth. London is seen as having a blocking effect on rail and road movements to and from Kent. A possible solution could be the construction of a further crossing of the Thames to the east of Dartford for road and rail. The Crossrail and Thameslink schemes would improve connectivity between parts of Kent and key destinations within and beyond London such as Heathrow and Luton airports. Efficient UK connections are also important to the successful delivery of Kent's growth agenda