Issue and Options 2023

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Comment - Support T2a: Issue T2a correctly states “The predominant form of transport across South Warwickshire is private car, however this will need to change in order to address climate change and create more sustainable communities”. Road transport is responsible for 80% of Nitrogen Dioxide emissions and rail, just 1.6%. Transport emissions account for 28,000-35,000 premature deaths pa in the UK. As a council that has declared a Climate change emergency, its planning and transport policies need to be radically changed accordingly, so that alternatives to road construction, including rail are prioritised. Road traffic also accounts for 72% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transport (73% of passenger-kilometres), and rail accounts for less than 1% (6% of passenger-kilometres). *European Environment Agency (2019), ‘Share of transport greenhouse gas emissions’, data visualization. In an area like South Warwickshire with above average car ownership level, rail is the only mode that will secure modal change. Bus services are slow, expensive and infrequent and subject to the same levels of traffic congestion as cars. In an area like Stratford with a historic street pattern, the provision of segregated bus lanes would not be possible. Car ownership is high compared to county-wide and national levels, translates into high car dependency for travel to work (71% compared to 59% national average. (source Stratford Area Transport Strategy 2018). As a council that has declared a Climate change emergency, its planning and transport policies need to be radically changed accordingly, so that alternatives to road construction are prioritised, including rail. The Stratford upon Avon Area Transport Strategy 2018, has a key aim “to reduce high car dependency,” yet is focussed on new road construction, a failed strategy that would only encourage additional journeys by car Investment in rail over major road investment needs to be a key policy change in the South Warwickshire Local Plan. Restoration of the Stratford-Honeybourne-Worcester/Oxford rail link should be a core policy objective. Warwickshire County Council’s bid under the National Bus Strategy, was rejected in April 2022, when the DfT announced that only 40% of BSIP Bids would receive Government funding. The DfT confirmed that:- "The successful areas have been chosen because of their ambition to repeat the success achieved in London – which drove up bus usage and made the bus a natural choice for everyone, not just those without cars. As the government stated in last year’s national bus strategy, Bus Back Better, areas not showing sufficient ambition, including for improvements to bus priority, would not be funded." To this end, the SWLP needs to prioritise reinstatement of the Stratford-Long Marston-Honeybourne-Worcester/Oxford rail link, in accordance with New Settlement ref. E1 Long Marston Airfield / Meon Vale, Growth Option 1. Rail Corridors and the Long Marston Major Investment site at LMRIC. The ‘Long Marston Airfield Garden Village – Expression of Interest, July 2016’, Stratford DC/Cala Homes, contained 12 positive references to the benefits of reinstatement of the Stratford-Honeybourne rail link. It formed the basis for the Government’s subsequent granting of Garden Village status in 2017. It will deliver 3,500 homes/8,750 people. The Stratford-Honeybourne corridor, already has a committed population of 60,000 people while the Long Marston hinterland, including the Worcestershire part of Long Marston, Pebworth, Mickleton (Glos) has a committed population of 25,000 people. The Stratford Core Strategy Inspector’s Report, 2016, considered that reinstatement of the southbound rail link would:- “provide a long-term solution to the town’s traffic congestion.” (248-257). “There can be no question that the service would provide a sustainable alternative to the use of the private car for many residents and Visitors.” The South Warwickshire Local Plan therefore needs to be proactive and actively support reinstatement of the Stratford-Honeybourne railway. To do otherwise would be against the Core Strategy Inspector’s Report Recommendations. A key objective of the Local Plan must be to reduce the car mileage by south Warwickshire residents to access these rail services. Restoration of the south bound rail link from Stratford-upon-Avon to the North Cotswold Line must be a key priority of the South Warwickshire Local Plan to achieve this objective. Comment: Issue T3b - As the opening paragraph reflected responses that the SWLP should allocate housing and employment growth near existing sustainable transport infrastructure, the two options, T3a and T3b are contradictory with the above, too restrictive and solely focused on road based transport. Comment T5 - The Plan needs to prioritize reinstatement of the Stratford-Long Marston-Honeybourne-Worcester/Oxford rail link, in accordance with New Settlement ref. E1 Long Marston Airfield / Meon Vale, Growth Option 1. Rail Corridors and Major Investment Sites – Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre. It is now 29 years since the landmark, Government SACTRA Report, 1994 which concluded that after 40 years of road construction, new roads create new traffic and do not provide solutions. When a new road is built, new traffic will divert onto it. Many people may make new trips they would otherwise not make and will travel longer distances just because of the presence of the new road.

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Comment: B2 Yes. The Vale of Evesham Control Zone seeks to control the number of additional HGV movements within the area resulting from development, thereby reducing the impact on local communities. Clearly it has failed to that that and only concentrate HGV traffic on existing road based solutions based on the A46 Trunk Road. It excluded rail and by current standards is not sustainable. Unless it is reworded to include rail freight including terminals, it should be deleted.