Contact: Frank Baxter, ext 6581 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report focuses on the draft text being prepared for the Area Strategy sections of the provisional Local Transport Plan (LTP). Members are asked to consider the draft text included in the Appendix to this report and advise the Executive Members for Environment of any views on the content of the sections presented.

2. Background

2.1 The LTP will consist of a number of sections addressing a wide range of issues and topics, as required by Central Government advice. Item 5 on

this agenda presents a summary of the LTP vision and contents. There will be sections relating specifically to the Area Strategies. These will include:

(i) a description of the area and outlining key problems and issues;

(ii) a long term strategy; and

(iii) the short term (5 year) strategy.

2.2 These sections as currently drafted are included in the attached Appendix. It should be emphasised that the text should be seen as work in progress. Diagrams and tables have yet to be included in some sections, statistics may be updated and the wording subject to further editing. Members are asked for any comments they may wish to make at this time which will assist in finalising the LTP.

Recommendation

The Panel is asked to advise the Executive Members for Environment of any views on the Area Strategy section of the LTP as presented in the Appendix to this report.

342/FB

Appendix

Local Transport Plan

Solent Transport Strategy Area

3.5.2.1 Description

The Solent strategy area covers much of the southern coast of the County and is focussed on the twin port cities of Southampton and Portsmouth. The area is predominantly urban in character along this coastal strip, containing a number of large towns and settlements each with a strong focus on one of the two cities. The urban areas are, however, punctuated by areas of countryside, which provides important habitats as well as buffers between developed areas. The strategy area also incorporates a rural fringe to the north, and is flanked by the New Forest National Park to the west and the proposed South Downs National Park to the east.

The coastal nature of the area, in particular the peninsula geography, places physical constraint on movement patterns by channelling routes and creating barriers to movement. This in turn significantly impacts on congestion and access to facilities across the strategy area.

The Solent area covers a population of close to one million¹ and is a prime economic driver in the region. The ports are key focuses of the local economy, handling major tonnage and providing passenger ferry services to the Isle of Wight and to continental Europe. Both of these activities generate significant travel demand, including significant numbers of HGVs. Southampton airport provides a further international transport node.

Other traditional industries include maritime engineering, ... There are strong historical associations with the armed forces, particularly the Royal Navy, centred on Portsmouth. The Solent area coincides with the South Hampshire sub region set out in the draft South East Plan. This describes the local economy as "punching below its weight"² and its policies provide the opportunity for economic renewal and growth.

The local road and rail networks are well developed for east-west movements, with the M27 motorway and rail mainline providing spines. North and south bound movements are dependant upon and feed into these spines, in large part because of the peninsula geography. This focuses much travel on these routes and places strain on the infrastructure. The existing infrastructure enables long distance commuting, and relatively complex commuting patterns have emerged in the area in recent years, exacerbated by house price differentials between different parts of the sub-region.

The proposed Light Rapid Transit scheme is vital in improving access to the Gosport peninsula, and it is estimated that it would remove 3.1 million car journeys from the network per annum³.

The highly acclaimed Solent Transport Partnership is taking an increasingly active role in planning for the future transport needs of the area. The Partnership is a key mechanism in ensuring effective co-ordination between this and other LTPs in the Solent area.

South East Hampshire is designated as a strategic growth area in the draft South East Plan, with the implication that approximately 80,000 additional homes will be built in the period up to 2026.

3.5.2.2 Problems and Issues

Key issues for the Solent transport strategy area are:

· Access to the Gosport Peninsula

· General traffic congestion across the strategy area, including severe congestion at a number of key locations

· Air quality problems, particularly at congestion hotspots

· Access to Southampton airport

· Poor accessibility to key town centres, particularly for non-car transport modes

· Access to health facilities, particularly to hospitals with planned closures in Gosport

· Environmental quality and community severance in Totton town centre, arising from current through traffic

· Future viability of local ferry services

· Routing of Heavy Goods Vehicles and impact of vehicles on sensitive urban and rural environments

· Accommodating planned major development west of Waterlooville

· Effective co-ordination between land use and transport policy decisions

· (Reference to SE Plan?)

· (cross ref to Portsmouth/Southampton identification of issues - (+list?))

Introduction

Access to life opportunities, such as education, employment, shops, and health services, can determine a person's ability to play a full and active role in society and the quality of life they enjoy. There are many reasons why people can be excluded from enjoying such opportunities, a number of which can be addressed through improved accessibility.

Deprivation

Lack of provision of life opportunities can lead to exclusion from full participation in society. Whilst Hampshire is regarded as a relatively prosperous county, there are small pockets of deprivation where these opportunities are not always available.

Havant has the highest levels of deprivation of any district in the County, and has three wards (Warren Park, Barncroft, and Bondfields) containing pockets of deprivation that are amongst the 10% most deprived in England.

Havant also has the highest rate of unemployment (1.9%) in the county, although Southampton and Portsmouth Unitary Authorities both have unemployment rates of 2.1%. Gosport has an unemployment rate of 1.3%, the second highest in the county, with further job losses threatened as the district's largest employer, the Ministry of Defence, relocates from Gosport. Conversely, Fareham is one of the more prosperous districts in the county and has just 1% unemployment.

Havant is seeking to make improvements to local infrastructure through the Liveability project. The scheme is funded by government and aims to provide safer and cleaner environments to live in and it is hoped that this will encourage further investment and improved local services.

Although the Solent area as a whole performs well economically compared with the rest of the United Kingdom, it is the marked inequalities that decrease the inclusiveness of the area and increase the exclusion of some local communities.

Mobility matters

Sections of communities are also deprived of life opportunities because they find them inaccessible. Personal travel is dominated by the private car in the Solent area with high car ownership levels (86% in Fareham, New Forest and Test Valley) reflected in the dispersed location of services such as shops and employment centres. The Solent area is also characterised by high levels of long distance commuting. For the significant minority of people who don't own a car, as high as 25% in Havant and 21% in Gosport, their ability to access these services is significantly reduced.

One of the characteristics of the Solent area is high density development with low car ownership rates, particularly in towns such as Gosport, which has strong ties to the city of Portsmouth. Conversely, Fareham, which has similar strong links to Portsmouth is much more suburban in nature with corresponding high car ownership rates.

Non-car owning households rely on alternative modes of transport, such as public transport. Whilst much is being done to provide more and better quality bus services across the Solent area, a lack of services, particularly early morning/late night, can limit the opportunities to work or participate in leisure pursuits.

The Gosport peninsula suffers sever accessibility problems. Gosport does not have a rail service, and has only 2 single carriageway road access point, one serving westbound movements off the peninsula and one serving eastbound movements. Local bus services operate in a highly congested area with minimal priority measures in place. There is a pedestrian ferry to Portsmouth, but the A32 remains congested with no alternative for eastward movements. This level of congestion can be a deterrent to businesses looking to locate in Gosport. Combined with an increasing reliance on out-commuting to access work, those without a car are more likely to be excluded from accessing employment. Fareham also suffers from congestion as traffic enters and exits the peninsula via the A27 and A32.

Leigh Park suffers from some of the highest levels of deprivation in the county. There are not enough local services to meet the needs of this particular area, and with 37% of households not owning a car, communities struggle to access surrounding services.

Tackling social exclusion

Levels of deprivation are heightened in south Hampshire especially where wealthy wards border disadvantaged wards. Alleviating such acute inequalities can be facilitated through improving the accessibility to life opportunities. Recognising what constitutes `good' accessibility and what communities and individuals need in place to access services, is crucial to providing improved access. An accessibility model, Accession, has been launched by the government. Accession is used to measure journey times to key services such as employment, food shops, health and education.

The quality and choice of transport is an important factor in determining accessibility. Initiatives such as the Call & Go on-demand bus service in Havant provides a more tailored approach to passenger requirements. This type of service moves closer towards a taxi service with pre-arranged drop off points, but still running to an agreed route.

Accessibility is not just about mobility. Reducing, or removing the need to travel brings services and opportunities closer to people's reach, particularly in deprived communities. Encouraging local services will help to increase accessibility, whilst also reducing the environmental impact of congestion.

Improving accessibility to services, either through better provision of transport services or through increased provision of local services, will help to facilitate improved social inclusion across the Solent area.

Background

The Southern Hampshire sub-region includes the cities of Portsmouth and Southampton, acting as key locations of activity and movement and creating a duocentric pattern of travel movements. The area demonstrates all the transport problems associated with large urban areas plus the added pressures of maintaining major port activities and an airport. Hence the area plays a major role at local, regional, national and international levels. Beyond the two cities, Hampshire is a geographically diverse county and is also influenced by its numerous smaller towns and its proximity to London. Uniquely, the links with the Isle of Wight provide an essential lifeline between island and mainland economies. The transport network of the future needs to be fully responsive to the increasing demand for access to goods and services. The two cities provide a focus for movement and hence can provide a framework for transport investment.

Traffic Growth and Land Use Developments

Historically, the coastal geography of the area has created centres of activity linked by road, rail and ferry. More recently, the construction of the M27 motorway, acting as a spine route through the sub-region, has provided new opportunities for car-based development at out-of-town centres such as Hedge End and Whiteley that are orientated around the road network. The spatial distribution of housing and employment has tended to further encourage movement along the Solent corridor. For example, housing development in Gosport has added to unbalanced, tidal peak traffic flows.

There has been considerable and sustained traffic growth across the area. However, local experience has shown that new road capacity has created growth in traffic and the associated environmental pressures, contributing to congestion problems and reinforcing a predominantly car-dependent society. Longer and more diverse travel patterns have been encouraged, with an expectation that the motorway will accommodate these movements Overdependence on private motorised transport is not considered to be a viable, affordable or sustainable route to the future as it becomes increasingly clear there is neither the space nor the resources to perpetuate unrestrained car use across the area.

Much of the road network in the Solent area experiences congestion, exacerbated by the peninsula geography. The Fareham - Gosport peninsula is a particular example. It is predicted that strategic roads and many parts of the local road network will experience increasingly severe congestion in the future making journeys take longer, less reliable and causing more damage to the local economy and environment, including deteriorating air quality.

Public Transport Provision

Public transport enhancements can create better travel choices through more reliable and extensive services. These rely however on making the public transport more attractive in both quality and journey times. Congestion affects the bus as much as the car. New types of systems will need to be developed so that the sub-region benefits from a fully coordinated network of services, enabling people to travel easily to work, education, health, leisure and other destinations. This could involve additional rail services and new designs of buses with priority measures and routes. However, affordability is a key issue particularly considering the unresolved position regarding light rapid transit and the Government's position on public funding for the Fareham-Gosport-Portsmouth scheme. High levels of investment in public transport will be necessary to create credible alternatives to the car, provide improved accessibility for all and reduce social exclusion.

3.5.2.2.3 Environment and Air Quality

As noted in section x.x, although the Solent strategy is dominated by urban areas, it still retains important rural areas containing important natural habitats. Many have protected status, including <details>. Clearly the area also has important coastal areas and habitats. The protected rural and conservation areas provide important buffers between the built-up areas, and are strongly protected by planning and conservation policies.

As highlighted above (cross ref), traffic congestion is a major issue for the Solent area, and for the Gosport Peninsula in particular. This clearly has knock-on implications in terms of vehicle fumes and air quality.

There are currently two designated Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) within the Hampshire Solent area, in Eastleigh and in Totton. In addition, there are xx AQMAs in Portsmouth City and xx in Southampton.

The Eastleigh AQMA is described in greater detail elsewhere (cross ref). It is focussed around central Eastleigh and is largely attributable to large traffic volumes passing through the urban area (is this correct?). The Totton AQMA is recently designated and is also described in section (cross ref). The AQMA is quite localised, and the problems are particularly associated with stationary traffic queuing at a centrally located level crossing.

Air quality problems are clearly not restricted to designated AQMA sites and monitoring is underway in a number of locations. It is possible that other AQMAs will come forward during the LTP period, and these will need to be dealt with in a responsive way. High pollution levels are experienced along stretches of the M27 motorway, and this is considered to be a possible candidate for AQMA status in the near future. The A32 Gosport Road approaching Quay Street roundabout and West Street in Fareham are also being closely monitored with the potential for future designation.

3.5.2.3

Opportunities

3.5.2.3.1

Solent Transport/ Partnerships

Formed in 2003, the Solent Transport partnership is an innovative consortium of the local authorities, government agencies and transport providers in South Hampshire. The aim of the partnership is to provide an integrated approach to transport solutions in the Solent Area. The Solent Transport Executive members and the stakeholders meet regularly to discuss ways that the partnership can help to solve strategic transport issues in the area. One tangible result of the Solent Transport partnership is the Solent Travelcard which is a one price multi-operator bus ticket that is valid anywhere within South Hampshire, on any bus at any time. The establishment of the Solent Travelcard, is a powerful tool in encouraging bus use across company boundaries and breaking down the reluctance of residents to use their bus services. The use of Travelcard, as a commercial product has grown steadily over the period since its introduction in March 2004 and its extension to new markets, through workplace travel planning and rail availability is being actively pursued.

*MAP SOLENT TRAVELCARD*

Consultation with key stakeholders has been an important part of the development of priorities for LTP2. Two separate consultation events were arranged February and March, feedback from these events helped to inform the priorities of these stakeholder groups within Hampshire.

3.5.2.3.2 LRT, Development, Water

A key opportunity for Solent is the proposed South Hampshire Rapid Transit light rail scheme between Fareham, Gosport and Portsmouth which will make use of existing infrastructure (a former rail alignment) over much of its length. The LRT will offer an attractive alternative to travel on the increasingly congested road network in Southern Hampshire. The total length of the route will be 14km and a key element of the scheme is the 1km long tunnel linking Portsmouth and Gosport. The LRT system will have complementary provisions for pedestrians and cyclists parallel to the route allowing for easy inter-modal car free travel ensuring the maximisation of journey opportunities.

A complementary investment to SHRT is the bus priority scheme from Waterlooville to Portsmouth along the A3 which is currently under construction. Links between Portsmouth and Southampton, involving bus and rail will be reviewed as part of the longer term Solent Transport strategy. The authorities intend to assess the role of movement between the cities as a transport component in the emerging spatial strategy as part of the South East Plan.

One possible outcome is that the longer distance schemes are remitted for longer-term development, but that easier and more local schemes are progressed first. In keeping with the concept of a "twin-city" sub region, this could involve a strategy largely based on bus or guided bus technology complementing LRT. Proposals are being developed for park and ride sites around the cities, to be complemented by quality access routes into the cities and improved interchanges. These routes would link to the existing rail network, where capacity would be increased through timetabling enhancements and low cost measures. Further enhancements to the heavy and light rail lines could be introduced in the future, but are not essential for the effective operation of the initial light rail scheme.

The strategy depends upon the need to improve access to the Fareham and Gosport peninsula, whilst supporting the attractiveness of Portsmouth as an employment centre and transport hub. Land-use policies to allocate more employment land will not be sufficient to tackle the high levels of net out-commuting from the Gosport peninsula. Other measures to reduce the need to travel, such as smarter working, will be employed but are unlikely to solve the congestion problems. The authorities remain committed to the light rail scheme, as road solutions would add to the existing congestion problems and do nothing to encourage a switch to public transport.

The light rail line will considerably improve journey time, reliability and accessibility from Fareham, Gosport and Portsmouth whilst providing relief to congestion between these points. It will be compatible with the spatial strategy of concentrating development in the two cities.

The coastline is an intrinsic part of the area's character, but one that places physical constraints on movement patterns causing considerable problems of accessibility for many of the towns and cities in the Solent area. Gosport in particular suffers from poor access, with no heavy rail line and only one major road connection - the A32, the proximity of Gosport to the major employment centre, Portsmouth is hampered by the severance of Portsmouth Harbour. While over 1000 Gosport commuters use the ferry to Portsmouth each day, nearly 2.5 times as many drive to Portsmouth contributing to the 6,600 vehicles on the A32 to Fareham and beyond with a further 4,600 using this route or B roads to destinations to the west. This underlines the justification for the cross-harbour tunnel that is central to the SHRT light rail scheme, permitting seamless journeys between Fareham, Gosport and Portsmouth by offering a better alternative to car-based travel and so reducing the number of road journeys in the area.

*MAP GOSPORT COMMUTING?*

To help to relieve some of the pressures on the road system caused by the physical constraints of the coastline, renewed investigations will be made into the role that water transport and local ferries can play in providing relief to the crowded road network, although the absence of piers and jetties along the coast is an immediate impediment which will need to be considered.

Modelling/ITS/Info/Soft

The pattern of movements in the area is being modelled, at a broad level, in the Solent Strategic Transport Model, which is contributing to the development of spatial options and transport interventions. There is, however, much that can be done in making the best use of the available transport network. For a number of years, Intelligent Transport Systems have been deployed to maximise system capacity, through such techniques as urban traffic control, real time management and information on car parking, incident management and bus departure times. This can be supplemented by journey planning information and soft measures. In terms of journey planning, two techniques have been used over and above the supply of traditional transport information and travel guides. These are Personalised Journey Planning and Infomotion, which are described more fully in para XXXXXX. They offer a real opportunity to grow the public transport share by tackling the knowledge gap.

These techniques are able to stand alone, or can form part of travel plans for workplaces, schools or other significant traffic attractors. See para XXX

4.3.1 Solent

There are severe transport problems throughout the Solent area, particularly associated with accessibility and congestion. As well as investment in infrastructure to accommodate planned new development, there is a need to invest significantly in infrastructure to address existing problems; indeed, this is seen as a pre-requisite to accommodating further development.

4.3.1.1 Growth Agenda

The longer term strategy for the sub-region is being developed as part of the South East Plan. The Solent Area Strategy will need to take account the size and location of new development and the resulting need for new transport interventions. The

South East Plan currently proposes that the Southern Hampshire area should accommodate between 2,800 and 3,800 additional dwellings every year until 2026. This level of growth is likely to have a considerable impact on travel demand and congestion.

This long term strategy is being informed by the development of an integrated transport and land use model for the Solent area. It is being developed in partnership with the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth so as to consider the emerging issues across the wider Solent area. The model will allow different land use scenarios and transport interventions to be tested and will provide a robust evidential base for the strategy.

The proposed long term growth proposed by the draft South East Plan will place pressure on existing transport networks and systems. Hampshire County Council will only support such growth if it is accompanied by investment, particularly in transport infrastructure. Whilst the strategy is still being formulated, a core priority will be maintaining good access to the employment, leisure and other facilities in the two cities. The local authorities will continue to promote improved public transport through quality partnerships, upgrading facilities for interchange, information, intelligent transport systems and promoting park and ride.

4.3.1.2 PT Network- SHRT Lite

The overall spatial strategy for the Solent area is likely to continue to favour concentrated development around the two cities. The intention is to encourage shorter journeys from within the wider area surrounding each city and to discourage longer journeys from one city to the other. The strategy approach continues with a long standing commitment to improving links to the cities from their hinterlands, reflecting the needs of the local communities across the Solent area. SHRT has always featured in this strategy and will contribute to this linkage, whilst opening up access to the Portsmouth hub.

The long term strategy for the Solent relates to the creation of a number of transport hubs (towns and urban centres) which would be connected by a number of high quality spokes (public transport based). It is envisaged that each hub will be well served by public transport as well as have good quality pedestrian and cycle links. The implementation of the vision will need to recognise people's dis-inclination to change vehicles or modes mid-journey due to the risk of secondary delay and getting stranded away from their origin/destination. Therefore these core routes to the transport hubs will be developed in partnership with the two cities, transport stakeholders, local authority districts and the local community to strive wherever possible for through links or seamless, secure interchange. This approach to partnership working will also help to ensure that the routes are inclusive and relate to the community need and the overall transport vision for the Solent.

A key element of the `hubs and spokes' approach will be to develop `accessibility plans' to/from the hubs to improve sustainable transport options between the transport hubs.

4.3.1.3 Better Use of Motorways

The Highway's Agency have included proposals for extra lanes on the M27 for implementation in 2008. The extra lanes will be provided between Junctions 3-4 and 11-12. The additional lanes will not in themselves offer a significant increase in capacity to alleviate problems on the M27. An alternative scenario to link up possible new settlements and provide relief to the M27 could be a transport corridor mainly to the north of M27 between Waterlooville, Botley and Eastleigh, with connections to Gosport and Southampton Airport. This new transport corridor could provide a high quality public transport route between the east and the west of the Solent area.

4.3.1.4 Two Wheel Approach

The preferred approach to further development within South Hampshire is to focus on key locations where it would benefit the sub-region through associated transport improvements and in localities where it would help to achieve economic regeneration and reduce social deprivation. The overall approach favoured by the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH⁴) is on the regeneration and renaissance of the two cities and other urban areas which embraces mixed use developments and very high densities in appropriate locations.

The cities of Southampton and Portsmouth already function independently, both with distinctly separate hinterlands that are travelled to and between. Although there is a there is a complex overlap of origins along M27 to the two cities, with relatively clear demarcation in the Whiteley area. Therefore, there is a need to strengthen the move to local travel through the development of spokes to transport hubs, whilst not disadvantaging those who do need to travel between the cities reflecting the need for high quality public transport links.

*SEE BUS MAP FROM LTP Lite*

The Solent Clipper (X27) provides an express coach service between the two cities, this service has recently been improved with a doubled frequency meaning that the service is now half hourly, with an extra diversion to Fareham.

4.3.1.5 Buses and P and R

Section 110 of the Transport Act 2000 requires all local transport authorities to produce a bus strategy as a part of their LTP. This requires consultation with other relevant local authorities, operators and representatives of bus users. The Bus Strategy addresses such opportunities as Quality Partnerships, Quality Contracts and integrated ticketing improvements. The bus strategy is detailed in Section XXXXXXXXXX.

The long term strategy for the Solent is likely to feature a number of transport hubs (towns and urban centres) which would be connected by a number of high quality spokes (public transport based). Both Southampton and Portsmouth City Councils are developing bus priority measures on key radial routes and seeking to improve

the potential for park and ride schemes at the peripheries. Proposals exist for park and ride sites at Nursling, Stoneham, Windhover, Tipner, and Farlington which would make use of these priority routes into the cities. The priority measures within the cities will be supported by the high quality P&R buses, which may also be extended back to serve local settlements beyond the car park sites. Linkage from the Solent area into Winchester will also feature in this strategy.

4.3.1.6 Congestion

Road traffic congestion is becoming a regular feature in many Solent areas and this is beginning to undermine economic activity and quality of life. As congestion is one of the four shared priorities, the focus is on measures that address congestion in terms of the current situation and in the face of rising traffic levels. Traffic levels on the M27/A27(T) are already considerable and indicate the future impact that vehicular movement will have on Solent in terms of noise, emissions, safety and the overall quality of life and undermining the reliability of links within the Solent area.

There will be traffic management and specific measures to tackle local congestion but a long term strategy together with the Light Rapid Transit and other interventions involving a range of partners in Solent Transport are the key to this problem. The long term strategy to reduce traffic congestion in the Solent area relates to the development of the hubs and spokes approach detailed in Section 4.3. Congestion in the Solent results from increasing demand for car use, inadequacies in public transport supply and a need to exploit the full potential of walking and cycling. In addition, incident management is needed to address the sometimes severe problems caused by a single incident on the road network.

The range of measures to address congestion and associated problems includes the following:

· development of transport hubs and spokes

· major investment in an upgraded core highway-based rapid transit network;

· complementary and comprehensive improvements to local bus services and infrastructure;

· extension of Bus Quality Partnership initiatives;

· introduction of Red Routes on core corridors;

· improved interchange facilities and passenger information systems;

· improvements to rail stations and ferry terminals;

· demand management measures; and

· incident management.

A number of other proposals are closely linked with other shared priorities such as walking and cycling measures, workplace and school travel plans and personalised travel planning.

4.3.1.7 Access to Ports and Interchanges

Access to the ports of Portsmouth and Southampton is important not only to the UK economy, but also to the local economy. As a key link in the distribution chain, the ports are dependent on the quality of infrastructure on the land side that allows for the distribution of goods. The Regional Transport Strategy suggests that port trade will continue to grow substantially over the period to 2016.

Southampton Port has facilities for deep sea containers and therefore priority should be given to rail access to/from Southampton to support existing operations as a more sustainable mode of distributing goods around the country. The required rail gauge enhancements have the full support of the Country Council and are in line with Government Policy to encourage sustainable goods carriage around the country. The County Council will continue to work in partnership with the port operators including the Freight Transport Association, Network Rail and the City Councils to ensure a modal shift to rail is encouraged.

The Isle of Wight is also closely associated with the Solent area. Ferry services to the island are important features of both Portsmouth and Southampton and access to the ports is essential for island residents both to promote tourism and to provide access to facilities that are not available on the island such as specialised health care.

The County Council will continue to encourage productive relationships with the stakeholders involved in the access to the ports. The recent affiliation of Associated British Ports to the Solent Transport partnership is a key step in maintaining a current understanding of this industry's needs. The Hampshire ports will continue to be promoted as the main gateway to Southern Europe.

Hampshire County Council and the Solent Transport Partnership will continue to support the growth Southampton International Airport. The airport has grown significantly in the past five years with 767,000 passengers using the airport in 1999-2000 to 1.53 million passengers in 2004. The continued growth of the airport is vital for the growth of the local economy as well as offering a more attractive interchange for people in and around Hampshire, than the alternative London based airports.

The improvement of interchanges is vital to achieving a high quality seamless public transport network which will in turn reduce car dependency. The hubs and spokes approach is detailed in Section 4.3.

4.3.1.8 Access- Town Centres and some rural

The South East Plan also considers the role of town centres. Both Portsmouth and Southsea are identified as important centres in a regional context, acting as a focus for retail, office, cultural and other activities. Transport associated with town centres is a major issue in terms of traffic congestion and parking, particularly for retail, office and residential land uses.

These issues are reflected at a more local level also with a number of centres acting as a focus for local movement including Shirley, Eastleigh, Fareham, Cosham, Fratton and Havant. Where possible, local journeys by non-car modes will be encouraged to reduce the impact of traffic. However, the availability of services beyond traditional centres creates problems on the local road network, particularly associated with retail and leisure sites. The County council is introducing a programme of improved access to town centres and improving conditions for pedestrians and other road users within them. This mirrors the work being done in the cities in both the centres ( as transport hubs) and district centres. In these areas regeneration, tackling severance issues, improving access to services and resolving inequalities will be important, using the new accessibility planning techniques.

Outside the towns and cities, measures to improve rural accessibility are of importance to the Solent area. Accessibility from the rural areas within the Solent sub region to employment, education and other services is important, especially in tackling social exclusion.

5.1.2.1

Solent- Congestion Area Wide

The high level of mobility afforded by the key highway routes in the Solent area has served to encourage longer distances by car and an expectation that people can easily commute over a wide area. However, increasing car dependence has led to high levels of commuting that are not only unsustainable but have also increased the severity of congestion on the highway network. The high levels of congestion on both local and strategic roads have affected the attractiveness of other transport modes such as walking and cycling creating specific issues for those without a car, adding to the problems of social exclusion. Early outputs from the strategic transport model (detailed further in Section 4.2.2) show that many road links will be considerably over capacity by 2016 which is likely to prompt demand for either more road capacity or an improved public transport network or both. The existing public transport network does not have sufficient capacity to meet these needs without significant investment.

In order to deal with the effects of congestion, a number of specific measures are likely to be employed, as local circumstances permit. These include efforts to reduce journey lengths and the need to travel by providing services in a different way, a range of demand management approaches or by marketing the costs and consequences of continued reliance on private car journeys at busy times. Where this is not practicable, measures will be put in place to make the best use of the network, assisted by the Traffic Management and active maintenance regimes, boosting the attractiveness of the public transport alternatives, through investment, marketing and other measures to enhance the quality of service on offer. The active modes of walking and cycling will be assisted by better signage, training, publicity and maintenance, to attract those who are currently making very short journeys by car.

Where there is no alternative but to provide additional capacity, a range of measures is envisaged, including intelligent transport systems, road and junction improvements, public transport infrastructure, such as rail stations, bus priority measures, better interchanges and mass transit, and better footpaths and cycleways. A renewed investigation will commence into the role that water transport and local ferries can contribute to reducing congestion levels in the area.

It is anticipated that approximately £50million will be invested in the Solent area by the 3 authorities in the 5 year period (with a slightly larger amount in maintenance and bridges) supplemented by about £20 million in developer contributions.

5.1.2.1 Gosport Peninsula Congestion

The coastline causes considerable problems of accessibility for many of the towns and cities in the Solent area. Gosport in particular suffers from poor access, with no heavy rail line and only two main access roads - the A32 and B3385. Approximately 18,000 workers commute out of Gosport Borough, with 7,500 workers commuting in, which results in peak time traffic congestion. Hampshire County Council, in partnership with Gosport and Fareham Borough Councils, considers accessibility on the Gosport peninsula to be a key priority. The major policy approach for the peninsula is the implementation of South Hampshire Rapid Transit between the centres of Fareham, Gosport and Portsmouth via the Portsmouth Harbour tunnel.

Given the severe problems experienced by drivers along the A32, the County Council has undertaken measures to improve traffic flow and is investigating further proposals. Options for schemes such as junction improvements, Quality Bus Partnerships, cycle routes and pedestrian links are currently being developed. There is limited scope for new link roads or localised widening because of the established pattern of development along the route. Traffic signals are linked and co-ordinated on the A32 to optimise traffic flows with timings regularly reviewed to ensure optimum flow conditions for the volume of traffic. The County Council is also considering traffic signalling proposals to improve traffic movement on Newgate Lane at the Speedfields and Longfield roundabouts.

Improving public transport services will also play a part in reducing congestion. The County Council is implementing a range of measures through the Fareham-Gosport Bus Quality Partnership to make bus use more attractive, such as improving passenger information at bus stops. The installation of electronic display boards at Fareham and Gosport bus stations, giving up to the minute information about bus departure times, destinations, departure bays and variations to timetables will improve passenger information and use of services.

Traffic congestion on the A32 and B3385 is closely linked to a number of other factors, in particular geographical location, capacity of the M27 and the balance between housing and employment provision. Further road building is neither physically possible along this corridor, nor desirable, since congestion leads to the M27, which does not hold the spare capacity to cope with increases in traffic. Better management of the existing network and changing travel behaviour away from car use, is considered to be the most effective means of reducing congestion.

Tackling congestion will also be addressed through the promotion of land use policies to improve employment opportunities, thereby reducing the need to travel off the peninsula for work. These are being taken forward through a variety of means including the forthcoming Local Development Document.

The Western Access Corridor (Stubbington Bypass) is one means of improving the north-westerly access and links in the Fareham - Gosport Peninsula. The main purpose of the road would be to provide access to the M27 and A27 corridors, whilst also providing relief to the village of Stubbington.

The County Council is currently assessing the feasibility of a new link into the wider strategic road network, coupled with other works in the village itself to improve its overall environment. This corridor study will take several years to complete to ensure that the road is justified, meets legal, planning and other requirements, and represents value for money.

Hampshire County Council remains convinced that providing viable and attractive alternatives to car use on the peninsula, combined with localised engineering measures, presents the best case for improving accessibility on the peninsula. The LRT system, together with the integrated approach to a system of public transport, walking and cycling `feeder' links, is the preferred solution to providing the peninsula with a transport system that meets local social, economic and environmental needs.

A Gosport and Fareham peninsula access strategy is being developed by the Gosport and Fareham Peninsula Access Panel, a joint panel of members from Hampshire County Council, Fareham Borough Council and Gosport Borough Council. The Panel is assessing the key issues of providing complementary measures in the form of attractive public transport measures, as well as progressing improvements to local road conditions.

5.1.2.2 Town Centre Access and Regeneration

A key objective of this LTP is to improve access both to town centres and promote accessibility within town centres to ensure that existing or new development is or will be, accessible and well served by a choice of transport modes. Further interrelated objectives include the promotion of social inclusion, encouragement of investment in deprived areas, the promotion of economic growth both regionally and locally as well as the delivery of more sustainable patterns of development.

Access to town centres will be examined as a part of the wider vision for the Solent area- the hubs and spokes approach. This approach (detailed in Section 4.3.1.2) will look to improve routes into the town centres (hubs) with high quality public transport provision (spokes).

Regeneration of existing town centres will provide a platform for redevelopment that considers alternative modes of transport and can allow for unsustainable patterns of development to be altered. Likewise integration with land use planning policies will be key to improving both access to town centres and accessibility within town centres. Land use policies such as the retention of local services will be of primary importance in ensuring accessibility for all.

Full accessibility audits will be produced for each town centre and will inform action plans that include both transport and non transport interventions. The existing urban design frameworks for both Totton and Havant Town Centres will play a key role in the identification of possible improvements for the town centre including pedestrian and cycle prioritisation.

5.1.2.3 Town Centre Air Quality (Eastleigh and Totton)

The transport contribution to areas that suffer poor air quality needs to be addressed. Air Quality Management Areas have been established in Eastleigh and Totton town centres. Action plans will be developed to try and achieve improvements in air quality at these sites recognising that slow moving traffic is the principal cause, in most cases, of poor urban air quality. Measures to improve air quality include soft measures such as informing the public of alternative non car based transport options, promotion of sustainable modes such as walking and cycling as well signs asking drivers of queuing traffic to turn of their engines.

Air Quality in Eastleigh may be alleviated by the proposed Chickenhall Lane Link Road, which seeks to bypass the town centre to the east and remove a level of unnecessary traffic from the town centre. In Totton, one of the major causes of traffic fumes is the level crossing at Junction Road and efforts will be made to improve air quality in this area of the town.

5.3.5

Solent Transport Partnership - with modelling

The authorities in the Solent area have a good track record of working together and in concert with the Highways Agency and other transport providers and operators, through the Solent Transport partnership. The sub-regional transport network is well established and the M27 motorway forms a critical core component of the local road network for many local, regional and national journeys (see below). The early outputs from the strategic transport model show that many road links in the Solent area will be considerably over capacity by 2016. For example, even with suppressed and diverted demand, traffic on the mid section of the M27 (between Junctions 8 and 9) is forecast to grow by 16% to 28% above congestion reference flow. Many other links are predicted to see higher rates of growth. This is likely to prompt demand for either more road capacity or an improved public transport network or both. The existing public transport network does not have sufficient capacity to meet these needs without significant investment. Demand management measures might help to constrain this growth in traffic demand but this should not be at the expense of the economic vitality of the sub region. However, the usefulness of demand management measures is severely limited without effective public transport alternatives.

National

South Hampshire's strategic road and rail network is well established. The M3 and the M27 (including the A27(T)) form a part of the Trans European Network (TEN) as do the main rail links from Southampton to London. The main transport routes into the strategy area include the A34 trunk road, which links with the M40 and M1 as well as the M3 and A3(M) linking to the M25 and London. The area is also linked by rail services for passengers and freight to London, Bristol and the cross country network to Birmingham.

The growing success of the three international gateways places considerable strain on the transport networks. Congestion is becoming more acute along the M27, particularly at key junctions. The rail networks need to be enhanced, both to provide more capacity for passengers and freight movement as well as facilitate the use of more modern types of containers. The delay to the implementation of the much needed improvement at Hindhead has meant that the A3(M) will continue to operate at less than its design capacity in providing a strategic route from Portsmouth to London due to this bottleneck..

Regional

The transport network also facilitates a number of cross-boundary movements, although the Solent area is relatively self-contained. 62% of commuters remain in the Solent strategy area when travelling to work and the Regional Transport Strategy places emphasis on the two cities as sub-regional hubs of employment and economic activity.

The South Coast Multi Modal Study concluded that there was no case for a strategic south coast route, although there is evidence of some long distance east-west traffic along the M27, particularly leisure traffic during the summer to Dorset and the New Forest.

Local

The M27 mostly operates as a spine for the sub region, although few journeys are made along the full length of the motorway. It does provide the primary means of accessing the two principal roads that provide access to the North - the A3(M) and the M3/A34. However, since the parallel A27 passes through so many local settlements, it is inappropriate for long east-west journeys and the motorway acts as a key part of the local road network.

The number of short journeys and junction-hopping on the M27 creates problems of congestion and safety. There is considerable weaving in between the closely spaced junctions. Some relatively steep sections can give rise to queuing behind slow-moving HGVs. Figure XXXXXX shows the increase in congestion levels on the Solent motorways between 1998 and 2003. With the traffic levels already in excess of design capacities and growing at over 2% per year, the motorways are operating under stress and giving concern to the Highways Agency. Traffic is forecast to increase by 40% by 2026 according to National Road Traffic Forecasts; such increases are not achievable for the Solent motorways that serve the area.

5.3.5.2 Development of Solent-wide transport system

Since the provision of extra capacity on the M27 and other key roads in the sub region would be unsustainable, the local authorities see the development of a network of improved public transport links as offering a good alternative to ever more congested journeys by car. This network envisages a core network of public transport links, supported by high quality interchanges at key locations with smartcards available for quick and easy boarding, supported by widespread use of real time information. This vision would be complemented by demand management measures, although these could only be implemented in the wider area once the high quality public transport alternative was in place.

It is possible, depending upon decisions in the South East Plan that future development locations might warrant new transport corridors being established to link them to centres for employment and leisure, which are principally in the cities. For these new links to operate satisfactorily, they will need to be accompanied by priority measures for public transport and not considered to be a form of relief road to the M27. This vision will be developed and informed by discussions with stakeholders, by the emergence of policies within the South East Plan and by the modelling work during the currency of this provisional LTP. By the time of the full LTP2 in 2006, it is hoped that a degree of clarity will be available for the South East Plan, to which the five year implementation programme can more usefully mesh.

5.3.5.3 Target * potential Solent wide target for congestion

Targets are primarily related to outcomes, rather than inputs or outputs. There is, however, a particular challenge attached to the setting of a sub-regional target, since interventions in one urban area or city may not measure to a significant degree on the wider scale. It may be necessary to look to transport Innovations Fund (TIF) support to enable larger scale measures to be implemented over the wider area before sub-regional targets can start to be measured.

5.3.5.4

Gosport And Fareham Peninsula

The peninsula geography of the Solent area causes considerable problems of accessibility for many of the towns and cities. Gosport in particular suffers from poor access, with no heavy rail line and only one major road connection - the A32. As highlighted in (x ref), Gosport is also one of the most deprived areas in the Solent.

The decline in employment opportunities associated with the traditional naval industries on the Fareham and Gosport peninsula has had a major impact on journeys. Where the peninsulas communities used to be relatively sustainable there is now a severe imbalance between housing and jobs. This has resulted in the current situation where there are approximately twice as many people in the labour force as there are local jobs in Gosport and only 50% of the workforce living and working in Gosport⁵. Consequently a high level of out commuting takes place causing a considerable amount of traffic congestion on the peninsulas limited road network. While over 1000 Gosport commuters use the ferry to Portsmouth each day, nearly 2.5 times as many drive to Portsmouth contributing to the 6,600 vehicles on the A32 to Fareham and beyond with a further 4,600 using this route or B roads to destinations to the west.

Gosport peninsular has only two key strategic road access routes: The A32 and B3385 corridor to and from the east and the B3334 from the west. Both routes link directly to the A27 and make onward connections from there to the M27 and beyond. Traffic congestion, particularly during peak conditions, is generally very high and this congestion is observed to be spreading beyond traditional peak hours. In addition significant peak hour congestion on the M27 causes a backlog onto the A27 at Junctions 9 and 11 which has major knock-on effect to the operation of the A27 and A32. A significant level of committed development on the peninsula, which will be built out in the coming years, will also add to the level of congestion on the peninsulas road network.

Following the MoD announcement to withdraw services from the Royal Hospital Haslar by 2007 the Fareham and Gosport Primary Care Trust have taken the opportunity to review the way local National Health Services are organised and delivered in the area. Although one of the main aims of the revised service is to provide more services in the local community, there are major concerns for those needing to travel to the Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth from the Gosport peninsula due to the relative inaccessibility of the location and traffic congestion.

Currently the peninsulas road network suffers extended peak hour delays along the A32 and B3385 corridors, modest peak hour delays on the B3334 and there are numerous bottlenecks. A particular congestion point is the Quay Street roundabout, which is restricted by physical land constraints including a listed railway viaduct and Fareham town centre. It is understood that the air quality implications are such that an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) may need to be declared along the A32 approaches to Quay Street in the near future.

A potential west-east flyover has been closely examined and rejected on safety, economy and environmental grounds. Restructuring signalling will reduce peak delays but increase off-peak delays. In addition to the existing delays caused by capacity constraints, the M27 Integrated Transport Study forecast that the increase in traffic flows on the motorway will rise significantly over the next 15 years. The east bound on-slip road at junction 11 will reduce capacity by 20% as a result of congestion. Implementation of the proposed LRT scheme would reduce pressure on this roundabout.

Traffic congestion and the limited availability of alternative routings is also a key constraint in providing reliable journey times for the peninsulas bus network. Reliability issues also restrict the length and destinations of journeys. Consequently buses in the main provide links to Fareham, so it is currently necessary to transfer to another bus or to rail for travel further afield. As a result buses do not necessarily provide a suitable alternative for commuter journeys and are poorly perceived by the public since they are seen as unreliable and expensive.

There is a serious deficiency in public transport provision from the south and west of the peninsula. A new bus service linking Gosport directly with Segensworth and Whitely is proposed, requiring support from either Hampshire County Council or local businesses. Apart from Quay Street roundabout, bus delays on the A32 are caused by a series of minor factors and several improvement options have been suggested, including redesigning some stretches of the A32, altering bus routes and timetables in addition to traffic signal prioritisation along the A32 as a means of reducing delays to public transport.

A frequent foot passenger ferry service links Gosport to Portsmouth, providing direct access to the city and also provides an alternative point of access to the rail network. Bicycles can also be taken on the ferry and the potential for extending ferry services along the coast are to be examined. However, the Gosport Ferry pontoon is in need of repair or replacement to ensure continuation of this important passenger transport link.

Gosport has the highest cycling rate in the County (cycling mode share is approximately 11%). Walking and cycling links are reasonable, however, there are gaps in the network which cause difficulties.

Substantially improving access to the Gosport and Fareham peninsula will be dependant on the implementation of a number of measures, not least of which is the SHRT light rail scheme. Land-use policies to allocate more employment land will not be sufficient to tackle the high levels of net out-commuting from the peninsula. Other measures to reduce the need to travel, such as smarter working, will be employed but are unlikely to solve the congestion problems. Whilst various measures will be used to improve the highway network, road solutions are likely to add to the existing traffic congestion problems and not encourage a switch to public transport.

Hampshire County Council will assess the levels of traffic congestion through analysis of data to be provided by the Government. The congestion study will be underpinned by a strategic land use model which is being developed to enable the development scenarios through the South East Plan to be assessed. This will also be used to test options for improvements to the peninsula.

The SHRT light rail scheme will not provide direct access improvements to the west of the peninsula. The County Council is consequently reviewing the opportunity to provide the Stubbington bypass. Congestion levels across the main access routes to Titchfield Gyratory are lower than those in the east of the peninsula, but traffic levels are expected to grow along the B3334 corridor as a result of large residential development sites in the area such as Cherque Farm. Additional links to the A27/ M27 may need to be assessed as part of its development.

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