Launch of the Western Gateway Strategic Transport Plan 2020-2025
Western Gateway Sub-national Transport Body (STB) is delighted to launch its Strategic Transport Plan which has been approved by the Western Gateway Board. This short‐term plan covers the period from 2020 to 2025 and outlines the strategic challenges facing transport, setting out important transport investment priorities across the Western Gateway area within the Government’s existing funding programmes. It lays the ground for a long-term strategic plan to be produced covering the 25 year period through to 2050.
The aim of the Plan is to enable sustainable economic growth by identifying a long-term investment programme designed to deliver a well-connected, reliable and resilient strategic transport system. In doing so it will support the nation to recover from the impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic, influence the carbon reduction agenda, close productivity gaps and make the Western Gateway area more competitive, while respecting its world class natural and built environments.
The Strategic Transport Plan considers existing local transport plans and identifies the key stakeholders with whom to consult and work with in order to meet shared goals at a sub-national level. The lasting outcomes and delivery priorities are clearly presented and framed in the context of emerging strategic travel corridors.
The Connectivity Themes identified and discussed within the Plan are:
- Bus and Coach
- Cycling
- Digital
- Freight and Logistics
- Highways
- Ports and airports
- Rail
The Plan stresses the importance of transport in tackling economic, social and environmental issues and has set the objectives below to address these.
Economic Objectives
- Ensure effective access to labour markets
- Enable greater integration between employment clusters
- Enhance business connectivity to international markets
- Improve North‐South connectivity
- Provide a robust regional evidence base in support of the local plan making process which understands different travel markets and use of strategic travel corridors
Environmental Objectives
- Decarbonisation of the strategic transport network
- Accelerating the move towards a carbon neutral transport system
- Improve air quality
- Facilitate high quality digital connectivity to reduce the need for travel
Social Objectives
- Influence the sustainable delivery of new homes and employment opportunities
- Support multi‐modal travel options within travel to work areas
- Improve transport & digital connectivity to reduce poverty and deprivation
- Embrace the role of technology in supporting strategic travel
Strategic Travel Corridors
The Plan identifies four key strategic corridors, considers the main transport issues for each and how they will contribute towards the long-term strategic plan. The strategic corridors are:
- South East to South Wales
- South East to South West
- Midlands to the South West
- Midlands to the South Coast
Strategic Transport – Challenges
The challenges identified in the Plan include:
- The impact of COVID‐19 is still uncertain but in the short-term is expected to substantially impact travel behaviours
- The need to decarbonise the transport network when many areas are still car dependent
- Improving connectivity while supporting sustainable economic growth
- Working with partners to improve transport networks for rural communities
- Reducing the region’s productivity gap by removing travel constraints
Long-term Strategic Transport Plan 2025-2050
A long-term strategic plan will be developed covering the period 2025 – 2050, informed by multi modal corridor studies on the four identified strategic corridors. The long-term plan will take a multi-modal transport approach that focuses investment priorities on regional rather than local requirements.
For further information and to access the Strategic Transport Plan click here.
