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ITEM No
/ 10bTITLE OF REPORT
/ Draft Central Salford Integrated Transport Strategy ConsultationMeeting of / Salford Strategic Partnership Executive
Meeting Date / 25th March 2009
Contact Officer / Jim Wensley of Central Salford URC
Contact Details / 0161 601 7729
Purpose of this Report
1. To provide an overview of the Draft Central Salford Integrated Transport Strategy (CSITS) and the consultation that is currently underway.
[Report Content]
2. The Central Salford Integrated Transport Strategy
The location of Central Salford with its 72,000 residents, two railway stations, one Metrolink line and 50 bus routes, all within a three mile radius, makes it one of the most fitting and sustainable locations in the North West for large scale regeneration. However all the major traffic routes across Central Salford and into the Regional Centre are already heavily congested and further traffic growth and increased congestion could have a very real impact on the potential for the area to create over 20,000 new homes and approximately 30,000 new jobs.
For the regeneration of Central Salford to be a success, existing travel patterns need to be changed to match those currently more prevalent in the Regional Centre where a greater proportion of journeys are made by modes of transport which are more sustainable than the car.
The Central Salford Transport Strategy has been developed for two principal purposes. The first is to underpin delivery of the Vision for Central Salford which states that:
Where Central Salford is fragmented it will be reconnected. Through strategic transport and infrastructure improvements, and the establishment of more green and walkable streets, linkages between neighbourhoods, to Manchester City Centre, and to the rest of Salford will be improved and communities will be re-connected.
The second is to support delivery of Central Salford’s priority projects by enabling the creation of a high quality environment for people to live, work and invest in to support the forecast £4 Billion of private sector investment in the area and creation of over 30,000 new jobs and 20,000 new homes.
Work on the strategy started in late 2006 with funding provided by the NWDA. The strategy has been developed in close consultation with Salford City Council supported by Urban Vision. It is intended that the Strategy will be adopted by Salford City Council during the Spring of this year.
a. Consultation
The draft Strategy is the subject of consultation from Monday 9 February to Friday 17 April 2009. Any comments received by 17 April will be taken into account before the Strategy is finalised and taken forward for adoption by Salford City Council.
The consultation on the draft strategy has included each of the three Community Committees in Central Salford as well as the Salford Cycling Forum, Chapel Street Regeneration Forum and Chapel Street Business Group. The members of Salford Travel Partnership have also been consulted; these include Salford Royal Hospitals Trust, Salford Primary Care Trust, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, North West Ambulance Service, First Group Busses, Northern Rail and Metrolink.
Consultation with other key stakeholders has included Manchester City Council, Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council, GMPTE, the Highways Agency and Network Rail as well as the University of Salford and each of the major land owners and development partners in the area.
Each consultee has received a letter detailing the timing of the consultation, where copies of the strategy can be obtained (including the Salford City Council website) and how responses can be made by post and e-mail.
A copy of the consultation draft of the Central Salford Integrated Transport Strategy can be downloaded from the Salford City Council website at:http://www.salford.gov.uk/living/planning/planning-policy/centralsalford-transport-strategy.htm
Or requested by post from – CSITS Consultation, Engineering Design Section, Urban Vision Partnership Ltd, Engineering and Highways, Emerson House, Albert Street, Eccles, Salford, M30 0TE
Responses can be made by 17 April 2009, either to the postal address above or by e-mail to:
b. Feedback so far
A summary of frequently asked questions and answers is provided as Appendix A of this paper and covers many of the overarching issues discussed during the consultation.
The strategy has been broadly well received. The core philosophy of combating future growth in car traffic by giving people more transport choices is understood and supported. Many of the responses so far have focused on detailed issues which will be picked up as the Corridor Plans identified in the strategy are developed. The fact that these Corridor Plans exist and will be developed taking into account the needs of the communities has been welcomed.
Although no formal responses have yet been received from other key stakeholders the responses in the meetings and presentations that have taken place have been supportive.
Jim Wensley
Head of Programme and Project Management, Central Salford Urban Regeneration Company
Direct Line Tel: 0161 601 7729; Mobile : 07785 723 125
; www.centralsalford.com
Appendix A
Central Salford Integrated Transport Strategy Consultation Feb to April 2009
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Is this the new TIF?
A1. Work started on the strategy in 2006 and it has been developed to enable the delivery of Central Salford’s Vision and Business Plan. In particular, although the TIF proposals were in themselves helpful, TIF did not directly address many of the key Central Salford issues such as the development of Network Rail’s Manchester Hub and making Salford more accessible for the people who live and work here rather than the people who pass through it.
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Q2.What about all the new traffic that is being generated on Regent Road, Liverpool Street and Trafford Road, is this as a result of the strategy?
A2. Over the next couple of decades both Central Salford and the Regional Centre will inevitably grow significantly – something in the order of 100,000 jobs and over 30, 000 homes. Without a strategy which gives people more transport choices, car traffic would be significant worse than shown here.
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Q3. What will be the effect of calming the A6 on roads to the north of the A6 – Broughton Rd, Frederick Rd, Adelphi St and Blackfriars Road?
A3. The direct effect in both the morning and evening peak hours is very small. Indeed some traffic flows are forecast to reduce very slightly whilst some will increase slightly.
For example in the morning peak hour the overall traffic on Broughton Rd is forecast to increase from 2107 cars to 2167 cars in the hour whilst on Frederick Rd the figure will be from 1632 to 1662 cars. In the evening peak the overall traffic on Broughton Rd is forecast to decrease from 1859 to 1850 cars in the hour whilst on Frederick Rd the traffic could increase from 1677 to 1782 cars.
Morning peak hour figures for Blackfriars Road are forecast to increase from 1139 cars to 1165 and in the evening from 1142 to 1181. On Adelphi Street the morning peak is forecast to decrease from 1042 cars to 939 and in the evening decrease from 1069 to 1024.
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Q4. What will be the effect on Air Quality?
A4. Salford has a significant air quality problem and 90% of this is generated by traffic fumes. This strategy seeks to reduce the growth in car traffic so will also have the effect of mitigating any worsening of air quality. However more benefit will be achieved by changes to industry standards. The requirement is for traditionally fuelled cars to continue to become cleaner whilst there is serious potential for electric/hybrid car use to grow in the next few years.
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Q5. When will we get a better bus service – I can’t get to (Various)
A5. Better bus connectivity is a key part of our strategy. As part of TIF, GMPTE developed a bus improvement strategy for all AGMA authorities. Salford City Council continue to work with GMPTE to deliver bus improvements not only into and out of the Regional Centre but also better, more frequent, reliable services north south within Salford and to key destinations such as Salford Royal Hospital and The Quays. In the absence of TIF funding GMPTE are looking at alternative ways of delivering these improvements.
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Q6. How will the strategy help cyclists?
A6. The strategy seeks to increase cycling as a viable means of travel across Central Salford. All of Central Salford and the Regional Centre can be covered by a circle with a radius of 3 miles so there is serious potential for cycling to be a significant mode of transport in the area. The strategy will help both the serious cyclist as well as those who prefer a more leisurely journey by providing high quality on and off road routes including Irwell City Park, the main road corridors including Regent Rd and The Crescent and Chapel Street and better neighbourhood routes. In addition Salford City Council is working with Manchester City Council to implement a cycle hire scheme at key locations across Central Salford and the Regional Centre.
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Q7. How will the strategy address the issue of improving links to Manchester Airport?
A7. The most significant improvement would be achieved by the redevelopment of Salford Crescent Railway Station and the development of a new bus interchange adjacent the Station. This would enable interchange between existing and future improved bus services and the existing train services that run from the station to the airport. The redevelopment of the station would also enable an increase in the train services running through the station with the potential for more airport services to be added.
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Q8. Pendleton Station was closed in 1999 are there plans to reopen it?
A8. The Rail Regulator gave consent to the closure of Pendleton Station in December 1998 following severe damage by an arson attack in July 1994, the British Railways Board proposed the station closure on the grounds that, due to low passenger usage, repair did not represent good value for money. After 13 objections were received, the Regulator's statutory period for the decision was extended by six months to allow the City of Salford Council to negotiate with Railtrack, North West Trains and Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive with a view to agreeing a funding package to restore services to the station.
However a study, made to determine the viability of the station based on the level and cost of facilities needed against potential revenue, confirmed the low demand. With a lack of evidence to support a business case for re-opening the station the Regulator therefore decided to give his consent to closure. Usage of Pendleton station declined from1986 as passengers switched to services from nearby Salford Crescent. At the time of the fire in July 1994 only four trains a day were running from the station. After the damage the station was closed on safety grounds. To date no case has been made for the reopening of the station and it does not form part of Network Rail’s Strategic Business Plan for the next five years.
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Q9. Will better bus/rail interchange be provided?
A9. The strategy proposes improved bus/rail interchange at both Salford Central and Crescent Stations. Under TIF two new bus interchanges were proposed at these locations, post TIF work is continuing with GMPTE to identify how these proposals might be taken forward.
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Q10.How much is this strategy going to cost and who is paying?
A10.The strategy is a high level statement of intent setting the context for future transport improvements in Central Salford over the next two decades. The costs of individual projects will be established as proposals are developed in partnership with the key stakeholders. Improvements to Railway Stations will be mainly paid for by Network Rail with potential contributions from GMPTE. Bus service improvements and bus interchanges will be funded by GMPTE. Cycle hire proposals will be mainly funded by Salford City Council whilst the boulevarding proposals will largely be funded by the Regional development Agency and the private sector either directly or through developer contributions.
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LSP/SSP Business/Meetings/2009/SSP Executive/25.03.09/Papers sent/Item 10b – Draft Central Salford Integrated Transport Strategy Page 1 of 6