The East Devon District Council, Development Management Committee discussed this document at our meeting on 11th January 2011.

The Local Transport Plan sets out a picture of the transport challenges Devon faces for the years ahead. Feedback is sought to this consultation to help inform the final transport plan.

Whilst this report has general relevance to East Devon, it refers to few specific transport proposals in the District, and even fewer (ie none!) in Trinity Ward. However there are several statements on items which affect us.....the maintenance (or otherwise) of 'A', 'B', and 'C' roads....the proliferation of Supermarkets.....and we, the public being central to the development of the Local Transport Plan.

I hope that this means real, forward looking Participation, commensurate with genuine 'Localism' where there may be a temptation to ignore 'inconvenient' views or situations...

The Local Transport Authority has a statutory requirement to produce a local transport plan. The third Devon and Torbay Plan sets out the strategy for transport for the priod 2011 to 2026, based on data relating to the period around 2009.

A full Consultation Document as presented to the Development Management Committee is available online.

A much abbreviated summary of the content includes;

Transport Assets;

Devon has  the most extensive highway network in England, with 12,830 Km of road, 2,750 Km of footpath, 3,200 bridges, 9,000 culverts, 73,000 street lights, 60,000 other traffuc signs and 235 sets of traffic lights.

Immediate maintenance works should be considered for 4% of A-roads, 5% of B-roads, 16% of C-roads and 20% of unclassified roads. Minor deterioration shown by 70%, 67%, 46% and 33% respectively.

Transport Goals;

Support economic growth by increasing connectivity with London and the rest of the UK.

Reduce carbon emissions.

Improve Health & Safety, by making walking and cycling and easier and safer choice for travelling to work, school and leisure. Lessening the negative impacts of transport by reducing accidents and improving air quality.

Enhance our quality of life by protecting our beautiful countryside and high quality built environment.

Provide equality of opportunity for all by connecting rural communities to employment, education and training, and involving local communities in the design and delivery of demand responsive transport.

- a personal aside - I doubt any Trinity resident or business would argue against theseTransport Goals, but is there any clear evidence of a historical record of this in our East Devon Ward? Are the pressures currently being placed on Axmouth and those which may follow in the future, consistent with the achievement of, or a drive toward these goals?

Transport Asset Management: Vision

Transport assets will be managed and maintained so that the strategic transport network is efficient and reliable. For the towns and rural areas, maintenance will be focused on making sure people can walk and cycle safely, supporting the plan’s aspirations to make sustainable travel a better choice.

Public feedback indicates a low level of satisfaction with the condition of non-trunk roads and pavements in the County. Road and pavement repairs are high priorities in urban and rural areas. Councillors report that road maintenance and potholes in particular, are a major issue amongst their constituents.

A and B roads will generally be maintained in their current good (?) condition over the 15 years life of the Plan, but it will not be possible to maintain the C and unclassified network in its current state with current levels of funding. There will continue to be an emphasis on rapid reactions to required pothole repairs and the capital funding available will be prioritised towards routes regularly used by cyclists and buses and where they provide access to, from and within industrial areas.

Climatic change is having a greater impact on the condition of the road network and associated structures because of the increase in extreme weather events including intensive rainfall, colder winters and warmer summers. The impacts of future climate change are expected to exacerbate these trends and result in shortened service lives of road surfaces.

Devon has already introduced part night lighting (dusk to 12.30 am and 5.30 am to dawn) and this will be extended across the whole county by 2016. Dimming will be considered in locations where lighting is required to remain on all night, for example in town centres and on main roads. The capital cost of converting a street light to part-night lighting is usually recouped from energy savings within three years.

Strategic Rail Links

The total number of rail journeys in the South West has increased at an average rate of 4% per annum between 1998 and 2007, the biggest single movement being between Exeter and Paddington (about 400,000 journeys yearly).

The new passing loop at Axminster from December 2009 has enabled an hourly service to be operated throughout the day with a significant increase in patronage to London from Axminster and Honiton. In July and August, tourists can generate up to 30% more demand than the annual average. Rail is particularly important for business links to London, but the high cost of peak-time fares could be a constraint to the South West’s general economic growth. The lack of capacity to accommodate increases in leisure travel, the resulting higher fares and poor quality carriages means that the area is significantly disadvantaged.

A new station will be constructed on the Waterloo line at Cranbrook, operational by 2012, with a single platform and hourly Exeter-Waterloo services.

Market and Coastal Towns Strategy

Devon’s market and coastal towns will be better connected to the main urban areas. New employment and housing developments will be supported by sustainable, flexible transport, making them easy to travel around. The East Devon towns included in the strategy are: Market towns – Axminster, Honiton and Ottery St Mary; Coastal towns – Exmouth, Seaton and Sidmouth.

The proliferation of supermarket developments has threatened town centre viability and presented challenges for transport infrastructure and provision. The plan aims to provide more opportunities for private, public and voluntary sector groups to identify needs, secure funding and maintain and evaluate progress for a variety of transport projects, allowing communities to address their own local transport issues.

For the period 2005-2010, new transport services and improvements have increased accessibility,

Improvements to bus routes, including the X53 Jurassic Coast.

Community involvement in the design of transport solutions. Public involvement is central to the development of the LTP; it is important that people have a clear opportunity to express their views on how they want to see transport improved to meet their day to day needs. Tourism is a major contribution to the area’s economy and the needs and views of visitors are also critical. with Public involvement stated to be central to the development of the Local Transport Plan.

The Consultation Document as presented to the Development Management Committee is available online.

What do you think about the plan? - please add you comments...

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