Contacts: Jonathan Crabb, ext 6047/Martina Olley, ext 6394

1. Summary

1.1 This report sets out progress on the development of the revised New Forest Transport Strategy (NFTS) (the draft document is attached). Members are asked to recommend support and approval to consult on the Draft Strategy.

2. Introduction

2.1 The existing NFTS dates back to July 1998. It covers the New Forest Heritage area of the New Forest District and was produced through partnership and consultation with many interested parties, including the County Council, New Forest District Council, the New Forest Committee and the Forestry Commission. Several innovative measures have been implemented through this strategy.

2.2 The Coastal Towns area has not been covered by this strategy and the Local Transport Plan covering the period from 2001 to 2006 allocated separate funding for that area. On 17 October 2000 the Panel agreed that the Coastal Towns Transport Strategy be merged with the NFTS, but that each should retain a separate budget.

2.3 The proposed New Forest National Park boundary includes the New Forest Heritage area and parts of the Coastal Towns area such as Lymington, Pennington and Keyhaven, but not New Milton.

2.4 It has been recognised that changes in planning and transportation policy made it necessary for the NFTS to be revisited and updated. In addition, the need to produce a strategy document for the Coastal Towns area, and the proposed New Forest National Park boundary extending into the Coastal Towns area, led to the decision to produce one document covering both the New Forest Heritage and Coastal Towns areas. The merge enables a common approach to transport issues in different parts of the overall area, such as the more rural character of the Heritage area and the semi-urban parts of Lymington, New Milton and Ringwood.

3. Consultation

3.1 It is proposed to carry out a targeted consultation early next year. Copies of the document will be distributed to all draft consultees (parish councils, the local business community, interest groups, transport operators, public service providers and educational establishments) and be made available in County and District Council offices.

Recommendation

That it be a RECOMMENDATION to the Executive Member for Environment that the Draft Strategy be supported and the consultation plan be approved.

6815/JC/MO

Updated New Forest Transportation Strategy

(Draft for Consultation)

Introduction

In recent years, planning for the transport needs of communities - whether they are urban or rural - has been radically changed. Government guidance, as reflected in the Government White Paper, 'A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone', Planning Policy Guidance (PPG 13) and Regional Planning Guidance (RPG9), now advocate the development of integrated transport systems and greater co-ordination between land use planning and transport planning.

This integrated transport strategy is based on policies in the County Structure Plan Review and the New Forest District Local Plan. To achieve the aims and objectives of the New Forest Transport Strategy a programme of transport schemes and initiatives is updated each year. The schemes are included as part of the five year Local Transport Plan (LTP) submission for funding to the Department of Transport, Local Government and Regions (DTLR). The LTP sets out proposals for delivering integrated transport throughout the county (except the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth) over a five year period. The plan covers all forms of transport, and is the main mechanism for co-ordinating and improving local transport.

The first New Forest Transport Strategy was produced in July 1998 by a partnership between Hampshire County Council, New Forest District Council and the New Forest Committee and covered the New Forest Heritage Area together with the adjoining Avon Valley and Downlands. The Strategy was the subject of partnership and consultation with numerous interested parties, including the Forestry Commission and Parish Councils. Through this Strategy several innovative measures have been implemented, such as improvements to Lyndhurst High Street, heavy commercial vehicle bans on some roads and the Forest-wide 40mph zone which continues to cut accidents significantly, particularly those involving Commoners' stock animals.

Covering nearly three-quarters of the New Forest District together with parts of neighbouring districts both in Hampshire and Wiltshire, the New Forest Heritage Area is recognised by the Government as having equivalent status to a national park for planning purposes. The Countryside Agency are taking forward the process of formal National Park designation, and have consulted widely on the proposed boundary and special administration arrangements. The National Park is likely to include Ringwood, Lymington, open land on the western shore of the Southampton Water and the Avon Valley, as well as the whole of the Heritage Area. A National Park Authority will have the statutory purposes of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty and wildlife of the area, and promoting the understanding and enjoyment of it's special qualities by the public. It will also have a duty to foster the economic and social well-being of local communities. In addition, the majority of the Heritage Area/proposed National Park, including the Open Forest, much of the coastline and the Avon Valley are protected by national and international statutory nature conservation designations (Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area for Birds, RAMSAR site, Site of Special Scientific Interest).

The national park boundary proposed in autumn 2001 includes not only the Heritage Area but also the towns of Ringwood and Lymington, and the Western Solent coast as far as Keyhaven and Hurst Castle. However, the towns of New Milton, Barton on Sea, Hordle, Everton and Milford on Sea are not included within the proposed boundary.

Conservation and the natural beauty of the countryside need to be given special attention.

Across all sections of the community are realising that road building alone cannot solve present or future transport problems. In the case of the New Forest, even the building of new or the improvement of local roads could not cater for unrestricted car travel, either now and in the future. The impact of providing more road space on the Forest's environment and ecology would be unacceptable in relation to the conservation of the quality of the Forest's environment.

The future survival, prosperity and improvement of the Forest, which is an area of international importance for nature conservation - as proposed in the New Forest Committee's "A Strategy for the New Forest", the New Forest District Council's "Tourism and Visitor Management Strategy" and the Forestry Commission's "Enjoying the Forest-An Access and Recreation Plan for the Crown Lands of the New Forest" (Consultation draft, 2000) - depends on developing and implementing a viable and sustainable transport strategy.

It is recognised that any measures and initiatives which emerge from the New Forest Transport Strategy cannot be considered in isolation. In transport terms, the influence of the Strategy is not confined to the New Forest area alone, just as influences from external areas can affect the Forest. Totton, Hythe and other settlements covered by the Totton and Waterside Transport Strategy (TAWTS), a sub strategy of the Southampton Area Transport Strategy (SATS) and west (the towns of Highcliffe, Christchurch and Bournemouth in Dorset) influence the movement of people and goods within and through the Strategy area. There are strong transport links with these neighbouring areas and the transport needs of all these local communities affect each other. These external influences cannot be ignored: close liaison with local authorities and organisations beyond the New Forest and Hampshire will be essential to the success of a coordinated Strategy. Measures which form part of this Strategy may well extend beyond the borders of the New Forest.

Vision

This revised Transport Strategy covers the rural parishes of Milford-on-Sea and Hordle and the coastal towns of Lymington, New Milton and the existing New Forest area. Lymington is an attractive historic town and provides the largest shopping centre in the New Forest District which has its trade significantly boosted by tourism in the summer.

The New Forest district is an area of international importance for both nature conservation and cultural heritage as well as an area for recreation and tourism. These activities are vital to the local economy. To protect and improve the New Forest, three documents - "A Strategy for the New Forest", "Tourism and Visitor Management Strategy" and "Access and Recreation 2001" - set out wide-ranging objectives which seek to safeguard its unique nature of the area for future generations to enjoy.

Local authorities alone cannot solve the traffic and environmental problems within the areas covered by the New Forest Transport Strategy. The support of residents, the business community, major land owners and interest groups is essential. Expectations regarding private car use will need to change if we are going to make a difference. Working together, the New Forest Transport Strategy will help tackle the special issues which face the area.

The Vision of this Strategy is:

"To seek to maintain the area's distinctive character, whilst improving travel choice for everybody through more integrated and sustainable types of travel thereby enhancing the environment and the local economy and reducing social exclusion. This will be achieved through the integration of land use and transport policies, through an innovative approach to travel and the management of existing resources in the New Forest".

Policy Background

The Hampshire County Structure Plan (Review) was adopted in January 2000 and sets out the strategic planning and transport policies for the period to 2011 for the whole of the County, including Southampton and Portsmouth. It proposes an overall strategy for development, for improving the environment and for managing the need to travel. Work on a further review of this plan commenced in 2001.

The New Forest District Local Plan was adopted in November 1999 and sets out detailed planning policies for most of the Forest and adjoining areas. A draft alteration to the Local Plan was placed on deposit in 2001.

In June 2000, Hampshire County Council published its Local Transport Plan - a requirement that was laid out in the Transport Act 2000. The New Forest Transport Strategy both reflects and builds on these policies and those within relevant Local Plans. It reflects Government policies as expressed principally through Planning Policy Guidance Notes and Circulars and Regional Planning Guidance. Where necessary, it will complement the policies of adjoining development plans and transport strategies

Public Awareness and Involvement

Hampshire County Council aims to raise public awareness by encouraging everyone to think more carefully about their transport choices. We need to cut down on non-essential car use to the benefit of our health, our working lives, the environment and society in general. Small changes in travel behaviour are likely to result in considerable benefits.

Traffic growth is a problem for everyone. It is important that we consider the issues and all play our part in the solution. Public involvement and consultation is a key part of the Strategy. The views of local communities are essential in the development of the Strategy and transport schemes. Prior to the implementation of a transport scheme, an extensive consultation process takes place involving local communities and stakeholders.

Most drivers accept that not all their mileage is essential. They could walk or cycle more, car share, use public transport or when possible, choose to work or shop closer to home. The New Forest Transport Strategy seeks to encourage individuals, employers and communities to make such changes.

This Transport Strategy is being developed in association with Hampshire County Council's 'Headstart' Transport Awareness Campaign. 'Headstart' is a community involvement initiative which aims to raise everyone's awareness of the problems caused by ever-increasing use of the private car, an acceptance that everyone has a part to play in solving the problem. We can all change our attitude to car use, and there is action we can take to change our travel behaviour.

Aims and Objectives

The aims of the New Forest Transport Strategy are:

1. to help deliver the aims and objectives of the New Forest Committee's "Strategy for the New Forest".

2. to provide effective local transport solutions tailored to the needs of particular areas which reduce impacts on the Forest environment.

3. to improve the quality of the environment and reduce the harmful effects of transport.

4. to reduce adverse impacts on the New Forest environment, especially most sensitive areas.

5. to integrate land use and transport planning.

6. to set targets and identify a range of indicators which can be monitored to raise public awareness of the importance of transport issues.

7. to improve travel choice and accessibility for all.

The objectives of the New Forest Transport Strategy are:

1. to promote new and improved passenger transport, cycling and walking facilities that are accessible to all and which provide a safe, reliable, affordable and attractive alternative to the car.

2. to provide local solutions that maintain the character of the Forest and its towns and villages, contribute towards the development of a safe, attractive and well-used environment, reduce visual impact, noise and air pollution, and at the same time enhance in a sustainable way access to services, goods and markets for local people and businesses.

3. to ensure that any new development is located and planned to provide alternative means of travel to the private car.

4. to manage the use of the Forest's highway network and reduce the undesirable effects of traffic on wildlife and the unique Forest environment.

5. to raise public awareness of future transport issues and maintain support for the Strategy, with a view to bringing about changes in travel behaviour.

6. to identify a range of targets which can be monitored in order to assess the effectiveness of the Strategy's measures.

7. to improve road safety and reduce the number of personal injury accidents.

8. to ensure adequate accessibility for people with disabilities.

9. to reduce the level and impact of through traffic on the New Forest.

10. to ensure that car parking polices support the Strategy for the New Forest.

Targets and Monitoring

The headline target for the New Forest Transport Strategy is to reduce traffic growth by one-third by 2020. Target traffic levels in 2020 have been calculated using the low growth forecasts derived from TEMPRO as trends indicate this is the more likely scenario for local roads.

Local targets for NFTS (By 2020):

· To reduce by 5% the proportion of trips by car in the New Forest in favour of public transport, walking and cycling.

· To achieve a 10% reduction in visitors arriving by car.

· To reduce by 30% on 1996 levels through and non-essential traffic from Lyndhurst High Street, and traffic travelling through the Forest using inappropriate roads.

· By 2010 (compared with the average 1994-98) to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured in road accidents by 40% (children by 50%) and to reduce the slight casualty rate by 10%.

· To promote the introduction of Company and School Transport Plans.

· To achieve the objectives of the National Air Quality strategy.

· To contribute to the UK's climate change targets.

· To reduce the proportion of single occupancy car trips by 20%.

· To increase the use of public transport by one-third.

· To contribute to the National Cycling Strategy targets of quadrupling the number of trips made by cycle by 2010 and from a 1996 base.

· To increase the level of walking by one third by 2020.

· To increase the use of dial-a-ride services by 2006.

· To increase the proportion of parking spaces for families and people with mobility impairments by 2020.

· To reduce by 30 per cent on 1996 levels, animal deaths and injuries on Forest roads.

· To increase size of identified remote/tranquil areas.

To evaluate and prioritise the schemes and measures intended to achieve the aims and objectives of the New Forest Transport Strategy the following monitoring programme will be carried out both during and outside the main visitor periods.

· Traffic counts

· Pedestrian and cyclist counts

· Transpol (attitude surveys)

· Public transport surveys

· Before and after monitoring of specific schemes (or linked groups of schemes)

· Air quality monitoring

· Animal Accident Data

The Strategy

To enable the practical development of the Transport Strategy the issues have been sub-divided. This will allow a focus on differing needs within the New Forest area, as well as planning for the best use of existing and proposed transport infrastructure.

When developing Strategy measures and initiatives the Strategy partners will ensure sympathetic design and the use of materials in keeping with the Forest as a National Park or its equivalent. To achieve this, it may be necessary to seek approval for variations to normal transport standards.

A key mechanism in implementing the Strategy will be the New Forest Visitor Transport Initiative. The County Council has endorsed an action plan for the Initiative which includes preparation of a visitor routing plan, a car-free visitor guide and the revival of the New Forest Pony Express visitor bus service operated experimentally in 1999.

The Specific Sub-Divisions are:

· Demand management

· Public transport

· Cyclists

· Pedestrians

· Personal Mobility

· Larger settlements

· Remote areas

· Visitor attractions

· Car parking

· Information and education

· Freight movement

· The Highway network

Demand Management

Demand management is a method of lessening the impact of motor vehicles on an area by reducing the number of trips and managing the number of vehicles going into that area. Demand management is a powerful tool; it is likely to provide the key to achieving many of the aims and objectives of the Strategy.

Government advice states that both urban and rural transport strategies must seek to manage the demand for access by car. Viable alternatives to using the car are to be promoted and provided but should be linked to appropriate measures to persuade the committed motorist to use alternative transport and reduce the number and length of car journeys.

The New Forest Transport Strategy promotes policies which meet this criterion but the increasing pressure on the New Forest area, particularly from visitors arriving by car, will need a radical and innovative approach in managing this demand in the future.

In future, some form of road pricing scheme, linked to alternatives such as public transport, may be considered as this could provide a viable and effective way of managing travel demand.

Public Transport

Whilst it is accepted that sensible car use is and will remain an important element of rural transport, data from the 1991 census indicates that 16% of households in the New Forest District do not own a car. Whilst lower than the national average, this still represents a sizeable number of households and indeed the figure is significantly higher in parts of Lymington, New Milton and Ringwood. The current modal share is car 84%, bus 5%, walk 5%, cycle 3% and train 1%.

As the network of bus services provides a number of frequent inter-urban services and less frequent village buses, rural communities tend to rely more on their cars. There are several bus services linking Lymington and New Milton with Lyndhurst, Southampton and Bournemouth. Where services are provided commercially, generally by the Wilts and Dorset Bus Company, the County Council assists the operation through publicity, infrastructure and bus priority measures. Publication of the New Forest Travel Guide provides comprehensive bus and train timetable information which is of use to both residents and visitors to the New Forest.

Bus and rail surveys collected data on the numbers of passengers using bus services to and from the New Forest. Surveys have shown that the greatest use of buses was south of Lyndhurst on the A337, followed by the A35 east of Lyndhurst and C10 at Burley. More recent surveys show little change on the B3054 and C10, whilst bus patronage on the A35E rose by over 50% in August.

Lymington is a major tourist destination but there is no provision for tourist coach parking. The integration between bus and rail movements in the town is impaired through the distance between the rail and bus stations. The provision of dedicated facilities will have to be considered to avoid coaches being parked in unsuitable locations and to encourage the use of bus and coach travel as an alternative to the car. Traffic management and bus priority measures could improve access to Lymington bus station.

Some of the Forest is well served by rail, with the express London-Weymouth service calling at Brockenhurst, and stopping services on the same line calling at Ashurst, Beaulieu Road, Brockenhurst (connections to Lymington Town and Lymington Pier stations), New Milton Sway and Hinton Admiral. Cross-country trains also serve Brockenhurst and provide a valuable link for the New Forest for journeys, avoiding London, from the Midlands, the North and Scotland. There are direct services to Havant, Chichester and on to Gatwick Airport and London Victoria. The opportunities for local authorities to influence levels of provision and to encourage new developments will be pursued in liaison with operators. Use of the rail line by visitors is minimal but the newly completed interchange between buses and trains at Brockenhurst station offers a viable alternative to access the Forest, especially with the promotion of the station as a rail head for car free tourism. New Milton station and the Lymington Town and Pier stations have potential to be better interchanges if made more readily accessible by foot, bicycle and bus or ferry services. There is scope for increasing the number of rail journeys into Southampton and Bournemouth, particularly by commuters, transferring trips from car to train. As indicated several major New Forest settlements are served by rail, and improvements to service provision and station facilities will be encouraged.

Wightlink ferries from Lymington to Yarmouth are one of three ferry connections between the mainland and the Isle of Wight for vehicles (cars/coaches/lorries) as well as foot passengers. They run from a terminal adjacent to Lymington Pier station and correspond with the train times.

Beyond conventional bus and rail services, the County and District Councils have increasingly become involved in providing and supporting community transport services, particularly where they are established to help disabled passengers. In rural areas, where deficiencies may develop and cannot be filled through traditional bus services, there may be opportunities for the voluntary sector to provide services in partnership with local authorities. The successes of dial-a-ride and voluntary car schemes in the New Forest are good examples. Funds from the Rural Bus Grant have been used to enhance and improve some bus services for both the local community and visitors to the New Forest. In order to improve the role of public transport, it is intended to develop a wider use of buses and trains through greater integration with the activities of people in the area.

The rural nature of most of the New Forest and its widely dispersed population are not conducive to a frequent and viable public transport system. However, there are considerable opportunities to provide and promote greater use of, and achieve a shift towards public transport, in the coastal towns area (population approximately 48,000). This is a primary aim of the Transport Strategy and will lead to significant benefits by relieving traffic congestion at times of peak demand.

Cyclists

There is considerable scope for encouraging cycling in the New Forest area as it is not only an environmentally friendly mode of transport but it is also a way of enjoying the Forest and coastal areas. Government polices now place greater emphasis on getting people to their destinations on foot, by bicycle and by public transport. As part of the Hampshire County Structure Plan (Review), consideration has been given to the need for further emphasis on policies to encourage cycling and walking. Many motorists own a cycle and they would be more likely to use it, as an alternative to driving, if conditions were improved. Motorists must be encouraged to cycle from their homes to their destination as apposed to driving into/through the forest with bikes and then cycling. Also encouraging both recreational and non-recreational use by local people.

The Transport Strategy's remit is to establish an area-wide network of on-road and shared-use cycle routes and facilities for utility and recreational cycling. Off-road cycling throughout the Crown Lands of the Forest is managed by the Forestry Commission. Cycling is becoming increasingly popular in the Forest, and it is therefore important to consider provision for road-based cycle routes to access a carefully managed network of cross-Forest tracks. Both the County Council and Forestry Commission are committed to working together to achieve this. A clear vision of cycling's future is essential if we are to reduce the dominance of the private car.

Route 204 (Southampton to Exeter) of the National Cycle Network crosses the New Forest with a branch from Brockenhurst running down to Lymington. Both links are part of the network already planned from completion. There is no comprehensive cycle strategy for the coastal towns area but preliminary consultation plans have been drawn up for Lymington and New Milton. This has to be further progressed with a view as to how the two plans can be linked. Following the production of a cycling report by transport consultants in 1997, a cycling strategy for the New Forest has been developed. Some routes have already been implemented and others are under investigation. However, some problems have arisen in developing on-road cycle routes in the New Forest due to environmental and safety issues. The Transport Strategy will provide the guidance necessary to assess any Sustrans proposals and ensure it forms part of a cohesive cycling strategy for the area and in turn, linking with the existing and proposed routes in the New Forest, Southampton and Christchurch.

Offering facilities and promoting cycling as a means of enjoying the New Forest and coastal area, and as an alternative mode of transport for short journeys, will help to reduce car dependency and improve the quality of the environment. Increasing cycling brings many benefits to the community. These include a healthier population, a cleaner environment and a more balanced transport system. In line with the Government's "National Cycling Strategy", the New Forest Transport Strategy seeks to quadruple cycle use by 2012.

Pedestrians

Most of us are pedestrians for at least part of every journey yet less emphasis has been given to the needs of pedestrians than motorists. Pedestrian safety, pleasure and comfort are all jeopardised by vehicles, particularly within towns and villages. The Transport Strategy will switch the emphasis from providing for the motor car towards raising the priority attached to pedestrians, allowing safe and easy access on foot to local facilities.

Personal Mobility

Research by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys shows that over 14 per cent of adults in Britain have some form of physical, sensory or mental disability. After adding those who are temporarily disabled due to injury illness, frailty and loss of mobility through normal ageing or by looking after young children, it is estimated that about 10 million people in this country are mobility impaired in some way. This clearly shows that full account must be taken of the needs of such people in preparing a transport strategy.

The Transport Strategy will do so. Implementing this policy commitment will involve ongoing consultation with relevant mobility impaired groups to ensure that practical requirements are incorporated into the initial design of schemes.

Larger Settlements

The larger settlements within the Strategy area i.e. Ringwood, Fordingbridge, Lymington, New Milton, Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst develop as centres for recreational walking/cycling with necessary facilities and links to wider Forest network of paths / cycle routes. They perform important functions as centres of local economic activity particularly retail, as well as being substantial visitor attractions. It is important that the role of these towns and villages is maintained and indeed increased. This can be achieved by bringing forward proposals that reduce the impact and dominance of the motor vehicle while maintaining accessibility (in line with the objectives established in "A Strategy for the New Forest") by more environmentally acceptable modes of transport.

Visitor Attractions

The "Tourism and Visitor Management Strategy for the New Forest" has identified four zones, three of which are covered by this transport strategy and are major visitor attractions in which a significant level of tourism infrastructure has already been established. These are:

· New Forest - Sway, Brockenhurst, Beaulieu, Lyndhurst, Burley

· Coastal Towns - Lymington/Pennington, Milford-on-Sea and New Milton/Barton

· Avon Valley - Ringwood and Fordingbridge

Major visitor attractions in the area include

· the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu and Paultons Park near Copythorne

· Bucklers Hard, Exbury Gardens and Longdown Dairy Farm

· towns and villages like Brockenhurst, Lyndhurst, Lymington, Burley and Keyhaven

These attractions serve a useful purpose in providing a focus for visitors and as such can help achieve the objectives outlined in the "Tourism and Visitor Management Strategy for the New Forest". Increasing their role could go some way to reducing pressures on other more environmentally sensitive areas of the open Forest. This should be carried out through linkages to public transport services (as part of the New Forest Visitor Transport Initiative) to provide alternatives to the private car.

Remote Areas

Remote and tranquil areas are those parts of the Forest which still retain a sense of `wilderness' and where wildlife habitats are most sensitive to disturbance. The concept of remote areas is put forward both in the Hampshire County Structure Plan (Review) and "A Strategy for the New Forest" where they are described as areas being managed to protect "the often intangible qualities of tranquillity and remoteness".

Their identification and maintenance will seek to achieve two key objectives:

· To provide people with an informed choice between visiting easily accessible, popular areas and visiting relatively inaccessible parts of the Forest in pursuit of a sense of remoteness.

· To protect vulnerable wildlife and habitats from disturbance.

· To safeguard tranquil/remote areas and increase the proportion of the Forest which meets tranquil/remote areas criteria.

Achieved through:

a) specific visitor management, including visitor management, in order to reduce noise / disturbance levels / visual intrusion.

b) Planning policies to limit visual intrusion from built structures and light pollution.

c) Education awareness.

Car Parking

The management of car parking is one clear opportunity to link land use planning and transport planning. One useful and effective tool in demand management is more effective control of car parks, with reduced provision in central areas which have ready access to alternative modes of travel, or the introduction of car park charges (or both) linked to improved on-street parking enforcement.

The Forestry Commission maintains 130 car parks which can accommodate 4,200 cars. New Forest District Council maintains car parks at Lyndhurst, Lymington, New Milton, Milford-on-Sea, Ringwood, Fordingbridge, Burley and Brockenhurst. Hampshire County Council maintains one car park at Lepe Country Park and South West Trains maintain car parks at several railway stations.

The pressure of people and cars on certain areas of the Forest and settlements can be to some extent managed by adjusting car park capacity. Additionally, car parking charges have a role to play in demand management. All controlling authorities will need to consider carefully and take a coordinated approach towards, the management of car parks and charges in order to protect the Forest, towns and villages in the most efficient way. A pricing mechanism may also allow funding for additional initiatives, such as park and ride or shuttle buses and for measures to control parking in inappropriate areas.

Information and Education

Information is now recognised as a very powerful tool in managing the number and distribution of trips made. In the past, the supply of transport infrastructure with an over-abundance of capacity especially in road space, has led people to assume that they can travel where and when they wish. Little consideration has been given to the erosion of the public transport infrastructure, as the range of facilities for the car have dominated public spending programmes. The harsh reality is that the increase in the private car use has outstripped available road space. This, coupled with the growing public awareness of the damage to the environment and economy of increasing car use, has driven the need to look at alternative strategies.

Against this background, a range of technological solutions are now available to planners to influence people's movements and travel choices. The ability to influence people's decision-making by providing information has always been recognised, but has only recently been used to its full extent in transport planning. The simplest form of information for many has been the road sign, which has been used and continues to be used to good effect in many places to guide travellers from A to B by the most appropriate route. While the road sign can be used to influence travel route, it is not such an effective tool in influencing the choice of travel mode. It is now proposed to use information systems to help meet the wider aims and objectives of the Strategy for the New Forest, the Tourism and Visitor Management Strategy and the more specific aims of this Transport Strategy. Such information systems could promote alternative forms of transport to the private car for people visiting the New Forest and coastal areas, and provide information on alternatives available in neighbouring areas, e.g. Bournemouth, Southampton, Portsmouth, Winchester or even London.

Signing is recognised as being a valuable tool in influencing drivers' choice of routes. It can portray important visitor information. Although signs are governed by regulation and there is little flexibility, careful consideration can help to minimise the proliferation of signs. Special exemptions in the design or sighting of signs may need to be considered.

Freight Movement

Hampshire County Council Lorry Policies seek to reconcile the needs for moving freight with those of minimising the impact of freight on communities. Applying these aims to the unique environment of the New Forest area requires a sensitive balance between the need for lorries to service communities within and around the New Forest area and the need to minimise the impact of lorry movements which pass through communities and through the fragile environment of the Forest itself. The proportion of heavy commercial vehicles remained fairly constant between 1996 and 1998, with around 2.8 per cent in March and 1.8 percent in August. The use of rail to service industry on the eastern edge of the Forest may offer an opportunity to reduce the potential impact of road freight on the area. But the impact of rail freight itself must also be minimised.

Industry within the Strategy area is predominantly in Lymington, New Milton and Ringwood, although major freight generating areas are located on the edge in the Totton, Marchwood and Fawley corridor and in the Bournemouth area. The main source of freight movement in the New Forest is to commercial premises, residential areas and on its south-western and eastern edges.

In order to protect the town centres and unsuitable roads from heavy traffic it is proposed to undertake a review of lorry routes in partnership with the Parishes and the Freight Transport Association (FTA) in order to arrive at the routing strategy for the whole of the area. Advisory signing schemes for the industrial areas and other parts of the Strategy area may be part of such a routing strategy.

The Highway Network

Strategic Road Network - the County Council's Strategic Road Network (SRN) forms the basis of the highway network for inter-urban and regional road movements and comprises all motorways, trunk roads and county roads forming the National Primary Route Network, together with other important 'A' roads. Although the SRN comprises only 5.5 per cent of the total county road network, it forms the key road links and plays a major role in supporting the national economy and shaping the local economy.

The Hampshire County Structure Plan (Review) divides the SRN into two categories (see plan) :

1. Within the New Forest district, the national primary routes are:

· M27 (A31 at Cadnam to A27 Portsbridge)

· A31 (T) (M27 Junction 1 to county boundary with Dorset)

· A36 (T) (M27 Junction 2 to county boundary with Wiltshire)

· A338 (Ringwood northbound to the county boundary at Downton)

· A354 across the north-western edge of the District

*the trunk road status of the A36 is under review

2. Other important roads (some just outside of the strategy area ) are:

· A326 (M27 Junction 2 to B3054 at Dibden Perlieu)

· A326 spur (A35 Rushington to A326)

· A35 (A326 to M271 Redbridge)

In line with Structure Plan policies, these routes should cater for long-distance through traffic of all classes. In the Forest area as much long-distance traffic as possible should be encouraged to use the SRN, particularly heavy goods vehicles. It is also important to encourage locally generated traffic onto these roads whenever possible in preference to other non-strategic routes. Any improvements to the SRN would have to be judged both in the light of the development plan and the planning status of the New Forest.

Distributor Road Network - forms important links within and between main settlements, and links them to the SRN. They are roads which provide access to major industrial, commercial, visitor or retail areas of larger towns. These should be improved only to relieve serious congestion, safety and environmental problems or to promote the objectives of this Strategy taking into consideration environmental factors.

They include:

· A337 (Lyndhurst to Lymington)

· A35 (Bransgore, through Lyndhurst to Ashurst)

· B3055 (Hinton - Beaulieu)

· B3058 (Ossemsley - Everton)

Some of these roads as mentioned above pass through towns and villages. Lyndhurst in particular, situated at the intersection of the A337 and A35, suffers from severance and traffic in its main shopping area. Measures undertaken through the Transport Strategy during its first five years have alleviated these problems to a considerable degree.

Local Road Network - comprises all other publicly maintained roads. These minor roads provide access to the wider and deeper Forest. They meet local access needs, but also distribute visitors around the Forest area. Influencing the distribution of visitors is likely to help Forest residents to travel more easily and meet their needs.

Road Hierarchy - The Forest road network has the potential to help sub-divide the stock management zones, the importance of which became clear during the Foot and Mouth crisis in Spring/Summer 2001.

Making it happen

The Transport Strategy has been developed to set out realistic objectives and targets which, when implemented, will make a significant contribution to achieving the wider aims and objectives of the New Forest Committee's "Strategy for the New Forest", the New Forest District Council's "Tourism and Visitor Management Strategy", and the Forestry Commission's "Access and Recreation 2001".

This document sets out aims and objectives for the whole of the area and individual parts of the strategy area. The measures range from better integration of different modes of transport and improving town and village centres to the use of new technologies to aid the management of traffic.

They are based on the five key themes in the Local Transport Plan of

- Improving ACCESSIBILITY to the area and its facilities for all.

- Safeguarding and enhancing the local ECONOMY.

- Improving the local ENVIRONMENT.

- Improving road SAFETY for all road users.

- Improving INTEGRATION between different modes of transport.

A programme of measures to implement the Transport Strategy have been developed and included in the Local Transport Plan (LTP) that covers the period from 2001 to 2005. Where appropriate, Strategy proposals will be incorporated into the relevant local plan. The cost of implementing the strategy will be considerable. The implementation of transport schemes will be phased to make the most of the available money and to provide best value. The timetable will depend on funding which will be sought through Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions (LTP money), the County Council, New Forest District Council, Parish Councils and the private sector in the form of developers' contributions. But there are also low-cost measures such as company and school Travel Plans and Quality Partnerships that do not depend on money from central or local Government and can make as much of a difference as the larger schemes.

The NFTS will respond to policy changes at national, county-wide and local levels. Updated measures and public consultations will be undertaken as schemes progress. It is intended to implement the Strategy through partnerships with local authorities, local transport operators, the local community, businesses, schools and other service providers. The investment programme on its own will not solve all the problems - the partnership will ensure that as many people as possible are involved to achieve over time, through encouragement and increased choice of alternatives, a real change in behaviour.

Summary: A Transport Strategy for the New Forest

The Transport Strategy for the New Forest seeks to maintain the area's distinctive character, whilst improving travel choice for everybody through more integrated and sustainable types of travel thereby enhancing the environment and the local economy and reducing social exclusion. This will be achieved through the integration of land use and transport policies, through an innovative approach to travel and the management of existing resources in the New Forest.