Growth Without Gridlock - Full Document

8/6/2019 Growth Without Gridlock - Full Document

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Growthwithout gridlockA transportdelivery plan forKent

December2010


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OliverMannion


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Growth without gridlockA transportdelivery plan forKentContents

Foreword: our offer to Government 21. Introduction 32. Delivering Growth and Prosperity 53. Unlocking Kents Potential 64. Transports Wider Contribution 85. Our 20 Year Funding Plan 106. The Thames Gateway: gearing up for growth 157. The Channel Corridor: relieving the pressure 26 8. West Kent: cutting congestion along the A21 corridor 369. East Kent: radical solutions needed 4110. An Integrated Public Transport Network: supporting Kents workforce 4711. Local Development Frameworks: securing infrastructure 5512. Priorities for Growth without gridlock: the big, key, transport drivers for change 60

Growthwith

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Atransp

ortdeliveryplanfor

Kent

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ForewordOur offer to GovernmentKenthasSouth EastEnglandsgreatestpotentialto delivereconomicgrowth worth billions

of pounds

to the UK economy and

to stimulate

private sector led recovery.The schemesidentifiedin thisprogramme forregeneration formacollective package which,if deliveredin itstotality,willdeliverbenefitson a scale fargreaterthan the sumof itsparts.KentCounty Council(KCC)fully supportsthe Coalition Governmentsviewthatthe definition of localinvestmentprioritiesshouldbe in thehandsof localgovernment,working side by side with business andcommunitiesandwe standready to take ourdelivery plan forwardasan early pilotof thisapproach.Thisdocumentpullstogetherthe big strategic transportsolutionsbutdoesnottry to include everything.Ithighlightsthose schemesthatwefeelcan be deliveredby creative andinnovative means.We wanttowork with CentralGovernmentandtherefore ask of them:1 Give KCCanditspartnersthe powerandfunding to take forward

strategic transportprojectswhich were previously the responsibilityof CentralGovernment;to identify andrealise efficiencies;andtodeliverswiftandmeaningfulgrowth.

1 We needcheaperandfasterwaysto deliverstrategic infrastructure.We propose the transferof HighwaysAgency budgetsandpowerstolocaltransportauthoritiesin orderto remove the existingduplication of maintenance functionsandto enable localgovernment

2

andbusinessto take more strategic decisionsaboutsub regional prioritiesso we can substantially reduce costs.ThiswouldenableKCCto progresslong awaited schemessuch asthe dualling of theA21 between Tonbridge andPembury,which iscrucialto relievingcongestion andimproving accessto the newPembury Hospital.

1 We also needGovernmentto play itspart.Given the nationalstrategic importance of the proposedLowerThamesCrossing,wehave commissionedstudieson the feasibility andbenefitsof thisvitalpiece of infrastructure andask the Governmentto actswiftly uponitscommitmentto conducta detailedfeasibility study of the principalcrossingoptions.WealsoasktheGovernmenttoholdfirmon itspledge,in the NationalInfrastructure Plan,to bring forwarda schemeof foreign lorry roadusercharging.The revenue raisedfromthecharge mustbe usedto funda long term solution to OperationStack aswellasthe othervitalschemesidentifiedin thistransportdelivery plan forKent.

KCChasexciting andrealistic plansforthe future.We have alreadyproduced21stCentury Kent Unlocking KentsPotential,ourframework foreconomic developmentoverthe next20 yearsandwithourexcellenttrack recordof working with Governmentandbusinessto bring forwardstrategic infrastructure schemes,we have in place aclearstrategic base on which to proceedandare nowready to deliver.The Countryis at a crossroads and we needtoget onanddeliverthese improvements.

PaulCarterLeaderof Kent CountyCouncilDecember2010


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1. IntroductionThe ability to travelfreely aroundourCounty isessentialto oureverydaylives.AgoodtransportnetworkisvitalforKentsresidentsandbusinesses

to

have

access

to

opportunities,

goods

and

services,to

attract

newcompaniesinto the County,to stimulate economic growth andregenerationandtohelpuscopewiththedemandforincreasedhousing.We expectto be able to traveleasily,safely andquickly.We needto berealistic the private car willcontinue to remain the mostpopularanddominantformof transportforourresidentsandthese expectationsanddemandsincrease pressure on ourtransportnetwork,on ourenvironmentandon usasindividuals.

Thisreliance isalso the reason why ourroadnetwork iscongestedandin response ourvision isto create a high quality integratedtransportnetwork which willcreate opportunitiesforrealtransportchoice as

wellasenabling economic growth andregeneration.Enhancedroad,railandbusnetworkswillreinforce andsupporteach other,providingKentsresidentsandbusinesseswith comprehensive andreliabletransportchoices.As

well

as

maximising opportunities

for

travel

using the existing

transportnetwork,we willseek to introduce much needednewinfrastructure to stimulate economic growth,through alternativesourcesof funding.

Kentsgrowth agenda ishuge. Wewillensure thatnewcommunitiesaredesignedin a way thatembracestravelchoice andwhere the transportnetworkenablesresidentsandbusinessesto prosper.Setagainstthis,wewillcontinuetodevelopourCountyinasustainable way,which minimisesthe effectof pollution andclimate change on the environment. G

rowthwith

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Atransportdeliveryplanfor

Kent

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Kent is the UKs front door

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2. Delivering Growth and ProsperityThe GreaterSouth Eastisthe only area of the UK thatcan competewith the majorregionaleconomiesof Europe,Asia andthe Americas.It

is

one of the worlds

biggest

markets

for

UK business

and

therevenue generatedby itshigh value economy supportsinvestmentin

otherareas.Yetitsfuture successiscritically dependenton theresilience of Kentstransportnetwork,including itsstrategic linkstoEssex andEastSussex.Kenthasthe UKsonly High Speedrailline,offering frequentservicesto a range of northern European destinationsvia the ChannelTunnel.Itishome to the countrysbusiestandmostsuccessfulferry portatDover,which hasambitiousplansforexpansion to meetgrowingdemandforcross Channel freight.Andithasan emerging internationalairportatManston with the capacity to caterforthe increasing freightandpassengermovementsexpectedatSouth Eastairportsoverthenext30 years.Kenthasthe South Eastsgreatestpotentialforsuccessfuleconomicgrowth.The County boastsBritainslargestquantity of high qualityaffordable developmentland,allof which benefitsfromexcellentconnectivity andaccessto Kentsstunning countryside andcoast.In theThamesGateway,the delivery of 53,000 newhomesand58,000 jobsformpartof Europeslargestregeneration programme,while theGrowth Area of Ashfordandthe Growth Pointsof DoverandMaidstone offerexcellentprospectsforprivate sectorjobsgrowth.If Kentisto accommodate thisgrowth,itstransportnetwork musthavesufficientcapacity andresilience to provide forefficientandreliable

journeys.However,the Countyshighway network isalready overloaded

atcriticalpointsandisparticularly vulnerable to incidentsattheDartfordCrossing andthe Channelports.Kentalso haspocketsof socialdisadvantage which require urgentattention,concentratedwithin those seaside townsin EastKentwhichhave yetto feelthe benefitof the High Speedrailservicesandemploymentopportunities.Transporthasa key role to play in enablinga transformation of the fortunesof such communities.KCC,togetherwith localbusinessesandstakeholders,hasthereforedevelopeda plan of action forfunding anddelivering improvementstothe Countysstrategic infrastructure.The schemescontainedwithinthisplan are entirely consistentwith the strategic direction outlinedinthe Coalition Governments2010 Comprehensive Spending ReviewandNationalInfrastructure Plan.They willdeliverproductivity benefitsworth billionsof poundsa yearandwillbe paidforthrough innovativefunding mechanismssuch asTax IncrementFinancing (TIF),banningforeign lorry belly tanks anda portlanding charge,thereby minimisingthe coststo the public purse.In taking forwardthese proposals,we wantto getthe mostoutof theCoalition Governmentslocalistapproach to economic growth andtodemonstrate thatputting businessandlocalgovernmentin charge through the Kent,GreaterEssex andEastSussex LocalEnterprisePartnership can deliverswiftandpracticalresults.

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3. Unlocking Kents PotentialThe needfora TransportDelivery Plan forKentwasidentifiedin KentCounty Councilsframework forregeneration entitledUnlocking KentsPotential:

opportunities and

challenges.

Thisframework identifiesthe key opportunitiesandthe challengesthatmustbe addressedto deliverlong lasting regeneration andeconomicgrowth in the County and,through the 21st Century KentUnlockingKents Potentialdelivery plans,establishesa seriesof priority areasforaction by the County Councilanditspartnersforthe next20 30 years. Unlocking Kents Potentialredefinesregeneration to include notonlyeconomic growth butalso transformation in education andskills,theculture renaissance in the County,an efficienttransportsystem,developing a strong civic spirit,tackling climate change andimprovinghousing conditions.Itsetsa cleardirection forachieving economicgrowth anddiversifying Kentemployment;particularly acrosstheprofessionalsector.Unlocking Kents Potentialrepresentsthe County Councilsfirststeptowardsdefining whatKentwilllook like in the future andprovidesabaseline fora broadpolicy approach thatwillinformthe developmentof a seriesof furtherstrategiesandimplementation plans.These strategieswillbecome the collective evidence base to informfuture strategic investmentplans.A TransportDelivery Plan forroad,rail,airandsea,which addressesthe key transportsolutionsthatneedto be implementedoverthe next20 30 years, isone of these keystrategieswhich willenable usto Unlock KentsPotentialandsupportthe County CouncilsEnvironmentStrategy targetof reducing

greenhouse gasemissionsby 20%by 2020,40%by 2030 and80%by 2050.A key delivery strandof21st Century KentUnlocking Kents Potential,Growth WithoutGridlock outlineshoweconomic growth andregeneration can be deliveredin a sustainable way andwhatinfrastructure isneededto deliveran integratedtransportnetworkwhich isfitforpurpose in the 21stCentury.

Credit:Land

Securities

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Deliver 50,000 jobs and

25,000 homes at Ebbsfleet

and Eastern Quarry

MEDWAYCapacity of

Dartford Crossing

Overnight lorry parking

and Operation Stack

M20 capacity

Capacity of M25

and M26/A21 link

A21 capacity

Support development of

land in Sheppey, M2, J5

and Sittingbourne

Capacity at Brenley

Corner (M2, J7)

Ensure growth at

Maidstone has good

access to M20

Development at KIA

to 4.7 MPPA

South Canterbury need

to link 4,000 homes with

A2 & city centre

Bridge interchange

Growth Point supports

Dover regeneration and

ensure Whitfield/White Cliffs

linked to town centreAdditional access to

Ashford needed at

new M20 J10A

40% of sub-region

housing requires public

transport link to

Ashford town centre

(Smartlink)

Growth Point

Growth Area

Transport Challenge

Airport

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Figure 3.1 Kents Transport Challenges

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4. Transports Wider ContributionTransportisvitalnotasan endin itself butasan enablerof economicgrowth andregeneration andmany essentialsocialactivities.The way inwhich we plan and

operate our

transport

networks

also has

a

significantimpacton the quality of ourenvironment.Growth WithoutGridlock identifiesthe necessary transportinfrastructure neededto accommodate the levelof economic growthandregeneration plannedforKent,the measuresrequiredto managethe existing network andofferstravelchoice andbetteraccessto jobs.ManagedEconomic GrowthSustainable economic growth andregeneration isreliantoncomprehensive and

resilient

transport

networks.These networks

are

essentialto increasing businessefficiency by generating time savingsandimprovedreliability forbusinesstravellers,freightandlogisticsoperations.They supportclustersof economic activity,expandlabourmarketcatchments,andfacilitate business to business interactions.Kentseconomy isnotasprosperousasotherpartsof the South East,with a GrossDomestic Product(GDP)perheadof population wellbelowthe regionalaverage,anda relatively high unemploymentrate.These problemsare particularly acute in areasof EastKentandaroundthe coastalfringe,which untilrecently have sufferedfromrelativelypoorroadandraillinks.In orderto achieve the scale of economic growth necessary to supportsustainabledevelopmentintheCountysGrowth Areasandtheregenerationof ourcoastaltowns,itisvitalthatbusinessandretailsitesare wellconnectedto reliable andintegratedmulti modal transportnetworks.

Supporting IndependenceThe lastdecade hasseen changesin the age profile of Kentspopulation.The most

significant

population increase has

been among

the 45 59 age group and asa consequence,Kentwillhave a populationthatismuch olderin 10 to 15 yearsthan itistoday.Forecastspredictthatthe olderage groupswillbe foundin Thanet,Shepway,CanterburyandDoverwith predominately youngerpopulationsin AshfordandDartford.These differencesin population acrossKentneedto be taken intoaccountwhen we considerimprovementsto the transportnetwork,especially relating to accessto key services,vulnerability,personalsafetyand

affordability.

Growth Without

Gridlock supports

the policy

framework forLiving LaterLife to the Fullby looking to improveaccessibility to key servicesby public transportincluding health centres,GPsurgeriesandhospitals.RuralIssuesKentisa ruralcounty.Some 85%of Kentslandarea isclassifiedasruralandalmost30%of the Countysresidentslive in ruralareas.Whileseveralof Kentsdistrictsregularly top nationalsurveysmeasuringquality of life andthe wealth of residents,almosthalf of the South Eastsworstareasof ruraldisadvantage are to be foundin Kent.These areconcentratedin the districtsof Ashford,Shepway andSwale.Kentalso hasa significantnumberof ruralresidentswith fewskillsandqualifications.Mostruralresidentslive in large villagesandthere isthe potentialforan improvedtransportnetwork,including pedestrian andcycling routes

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to connectthese communitieswith each otherandmajorurbancentres.Otherimportantissuesare the impactof traffic on ruralroads,especially lorriesusing inappropriate narrowlanesandspeeding onremote country roads.

Healthand

Road

Safety

Transporthasboth positive andnegative impactson peopleshealth.Improving accessibility to hospitals,health centresandGPsurgeriesmakesiteasierforpeople to seek immediate treatmentratherthandelay care due to lack of transport.Moderate activity playsa partinimproving health andwalking andcycling are goodformsof exercisethatcan easily be incorporatedinto ourbusy lives.Health androadsafety are interlinked,andreducing casualtiescausedby vehiculartraffic isa constantpriority forcentralandlocalgovernment.Recentyearshave seen a gradualdecline in roadcasualtiesthrough changesto the highway and

vehicle design,

awareness

raising,

education

andenforcement.There are 36 areasin Kentwhere airpollution,causedby roadtraffic,exceedsthe Governmentsobjectivesandthese can leadto respiratorydisease andillness.Although previously locatedmainly on the motorwayandtrunk roadnetwork,the numberof locationson localroadsinurban areasissteadily increasing.Climate ChangeIn the South East,itissuggestedthatby 2080,summerswillbe hotterby 2 6C andsummerrainfallwilldecrease by 20 60%; winterswillbewarmerby 1.5 3.5C andwinterrainfallwillincrease by 10 30%. Kentisparticularly vulnerable,due to itslocation andstretchesof lowlying coastline.

Roadtransportisresponsible foraround30%of Kentsgreenhouse gasemissions.The way forwardisto provide low carbon transport optionsalliedwith betterplanning to reduce the needto travelwhich willsupporteconomic growth andhousing growth andtackle climatechange,supporting the KentEnvironmentStrategy targetasourcontribution to the UK Climate Change Act(2008)greenhouse gasreduction targets.

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5. Our 20 Year Funding PlanIn the wake of the Coalition Governments2010 ComprehensiveSpending Reviewitisclearthatpublic sectorfunding fortransportinfrastructure willbe very limitedforthe foreseeable future,meaningthatlocalauthoritiescannotcontinue to rely on existing fundingstreams.Nevertheless,wearecommittedtosecuringthetimelydeliveryofplannedhousingandemploymentgrowthwhichwillkick start theeconomicrecoveryin Kentandthe widerSouth East.The CountyCouncilhastherefore taken boldandinnovative stepsto identifyalternative sourcesof funding which,taken in theirtotality,couldgenerate some 616 millionperyearoverthe next 20 yearswithoutany recourse to the public purse.We are working closely withGovernmentto unlock thisfunding andhave already achievedpositiveprogress,

including commitments

by the Department

for

Transport

to

introduce a scheme of foreign lorry roadusercharging by 2014 andtohypothecate future DartfordCrossing tollrevenue towardsthe costofa newLowerThamesCrossing.DartfordCrossing andLowerThames CrossingThe totalcapitalcostof the proposedLowerThamesCrossing hasbeenestimatedby Giffordasbeing in the region of 1 billion,with thenecessary link roadsinto the motorway network north andsouth ofthe Thamescosting up to a further2 billion.Overa 20 yearperiod,tollrevenuesfromthe newcrossing,plusthose fromthe existingDartfordCrossing,couldsupportaroundhalf of these costs,andforeignlorry roadusercharging anda residentplanning tariff in ThamesGateway Kentcouldprovide the remaining funding.Given thatthecapitalcostof the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge hasbeen paidfor,there isastrong case forusing the netoperating surplusto supportinfrastructure investmentthatencourageseconomic developmentin

the area thatfeelsthe impactof the tollmostacutely.Thishasbeenfacilitatedby the Coalition Governmentsannouncement,aspartof the2010 Comprehensive Spending Review,thatithasdecidednotto sellthe DartfordCrossing atthistime andthatthe crossing chargesforcarswillbe raisedto 2.00 in 2011 and2.50 in 2012.Thiswillfundtheprovision of free flow tolling using Automatic NumberPlateRecognition (ANPR)camerasfromlate 2011, andwillcontribute to thecapitalcostof the newcrossing in the longer term. Banning of bellytanksWe andthe FreightTransportAssociation (FTA)are deeply concernedby the practice followedby many foreign hauliersof carrying largeadditional

belly tanks

of up to 1,000 litres

of diesel.These give drivers

the capacity to travelfromLuxembourg to Aberdeen andreturnwithoutthe needto fillup theirfueltanks,andthusfurtherenhancetheirability to avoidpaying UK fuelduty.Ithasbeen calculatedthattheUKTreasuryloses approximately475 milliona yearin potentialtax revenue asa result.Thispractice also presentsa significanthealthandsafety hazardon cross Channel railandferry journeysandwe willwork with the FTA andGovernmentto outlawitasquickly aspossible.If thisisachieved,up to 9.5 billionof additionalrevenue couldbecapturedoverthe 20 year periodof thisDelivery Plan,which couldhave a transformationalimpacton transportinfrastructure investmentin Kent,including the delivery of the Operation Stack lorry parkbetween Junctions10 and11 of the M20 andthe upgrading of the A2corridorin EastKent.

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Tax Increment Financing (Thames GatewayKent)We strongly welcome the Coalition Governmentsrecentannouncementthatlocalauthoritieswillbe given the powertointroduce Tax IncrementFinancing (TIF)schemes.TIFisa fundingmethodusedforinfrastructure investmentin a numberof countries,including the UnitedStates.Itusesforecastfuture gainsin taxation tofinance infrastructure improvements.These improvementsserve toincrease the value anddesirability of surrounding landandhencepromote furtherinwardinvestment.Thisin turn generatesgreatertaxrevenues,enabling localauthoritiesto recoup theirinitialinvestment.TIFhassignificantpotentialto provide a sustainable funding modeltosupportKentsgrowth aspirations.A tentative assumption wouldbethat35%of the Gross Value Added(GVA)impactsof a newLowerThamesCrossing wouldbe capturedin taxation andcouldthuscontribute up to 117 milliona yearforlocalinfrastructureinvestment.

Resident Planning Tariff (Thames GatewayKent)The residentplanning tariff,orroof tax,isbasedon existing practicesof levying standardchargeson newdevelopments,such asthe MiltonKeynesTariff.Underresidentplanning tariff arrangements,newhousingdevelopmentsgiven planning permission wouldpay a setcontributionto the costof newinfrastructure.The amounteach developmentwouldpay perdwelling wouldvary acrossKent;howevera reasonableassumption wouldbe thatnewdwellingsin the ThamesGateway KentGrowth Area shouldcontribute approximately 10,000 each in tariffpayments,representing a contributionof 10 millionperyearoverthe 20 year periodof thisDelivery Plan.

ForeignLorryRoadUserChargingKCCisdelightedatthe Coalition Governmentscommitment,in itsNationalInfrastructure Plan,to introduce a scheme of foreign lorryroadusercharging.The Governmenthaslistenedto the evidence wehave presentedandwillimplementa vignette imposing a standardcharge on alllorriesentering the UK.Thiswouldprovide an importantnewrevenue streamof up to 40 milliona year(640 million overthe 20 year periodof thisDelivery Plan),aswellaslevelling the playingfieldforUK hauliersvis vis theirforeign counterparts,many of whomenterthe UK with fullfueltanksandhence make no contribution tothe coststhey incurin thiscountry through roaddamage,congestionandemissions.We will worktowards the introductionofanew system ofHGVroadusercharging toensure afairer arrangement for UK hauliers.

The Coalition:our

programme for

government July

2010

Port Landing Charge (cars andcoaches)The practice of levying a smalldevelopmentcharge on internationalpassengersisalready wellestablishedata numberof UK airports.Thecharge isusedto fundimprovementsto the airportenvironment,including parking areasandaccessroads.We believe thatthispracticeshouldalso be adoptedby the UKsmajorseaports(including DoverandRamsgate)andthe ChannelTunnel,in orderthatinternationalcarandcoach passengersmake a reasonable contribution to the economicandenvironmentalburdensthey place on Kentsresidents,businessesandinfrastructure.The charge wouldnotbe leviedon HGVs,given thathaulierswouldbe askedto make a separate contribution through theproposedforeign lorry roadusercharge (see above).A charge of just5 foreach carandcoach entering the UK wouldgenerate some12.5 millionperyearforinvestmentin localtransportimprovementschemes. G

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Releasing additionalfundingAshford Ramsgate line speed improvementsKCChasrecently supporteda Network Railstudy to identify potentialline speedenhancementsbetween AshfordandRamsgate viaCanterbury West.The study foundthat journey timesbetween the twotownscouldbe reducedby up to 10 minutesandthatthe strength ofthe businesscase forthe necessary improvementworksjustifiessome5 million investmentforevery minute saved,representing a potentialtotalof 50 million.Network Railhastherefore committedtoprepare a fullbusinesscase forthe scheme,which iscurrentlyscheduledforimplementation in 2014.Thanet ParkwayStationInitialfeasibility analysisby KCCsuggeststhatthere isalso a strongbusiness

case for

a Thanet

Parkway station close to Kent

International

Airport(KIA).The County Council,togetherwith ThanetDistrictCouncilandNetwork Rail,iscurrently preparing a bidto theGovernmentsRegionalGrowth Fundto bring forwardtheimplementation of the newstation,which hasan estimatedcostof10 million.LastyearsTotalPlace pilotin Thanetidentifiedmillionsofpoundsworth of potentialsavingsto the districts180 million

welfare bill,which couldbe achievedby delivering public servicesmore efficiently.If we are to realise these savingsandto lock in thebenefitsof reduceddependency forthe long term, itmakessense thatsome of thismoney shouldbe usedto fundnewtransportinfrastructure andserviceswhich willimprove accessibility to jobsandservices.

IntegratedBus NetworkBy taking forwardthe successfulmodelof partnership working withKentscommercialbusoperatorswhich hasdeliveredpatronage growthof some 65%overthe past10 years,KCCwouldbe in a position tomake an unprecedentedlevelofinvestment inbus routeinfrastructure tothe levelof 80m.We have already receivedagreementin principle thatthe Countysmajorcommercialbusoperatorswouldbe preparedto match fund such an investment,whichwouldsecure significantservice improvements,newlow emission vehiclesandimprovedmarketing andinformation.In addition we willalso pursue European funding opportunitiessuch asthe European RegionalDevelopmentFund.The tablesopposite provide a detailedannualbreakdown of our20 year

funding plan.

Please note that

the figures

provided

are based

on

the capitalcostsemerging fromourscheme feasibility studiesandthelatestavailable statisticsforinternationalroadtraffic,Dartfordtollincome andhousing delivery.They are therefore indicative only andwillrequire more detailedanalysisby KCCandCentralGovernmentaseach funding modelisdevelopedandimplemented.

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ThirdThamesCrossing 1000 millionEnhancementsto M20/M2 500 million

BifurcationOperation Stack

Network RailUpgrade to Thanet(including Manston Parkway station) 40 millionIntegrated/EnhancedPublic Transport(busnetwork etc) 80 millionA21 Dualling 50 millionOtherDistrict based roadimprovements 100 millionTotal 1.77 BILLIONSpreadover25 years annualrevenue cost (incl.interest andrepayment) 154 millionp.a.

IncreasedTollsatExisting DartfordCrossing 20madditionalrevenueThirdThamesCrossing Toll(assuming transportgrowth) 30 millionIncreasedDERV Duty banning belly tanksto EUHGVs 475 millionTIFtariff (approx 20%on roads& public transport) 23.4 millionResidentPlanning Tariff 20%on roads 10 millionVignette forforeign lorries 40 millionPortLanding Charge 12.5 millionEUTransEuropean Network Funding 5 millionTotal 615.9 millionp.a.

Estimated Capital Costs of Priorities for Growth

Our Offer to Government Perannum

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Note These estimated figures do not include any GVA increase orwelfare reduction to DWP13


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MEDWAY

Dartford

Gravesend

Tonbridge

Tunbridge Wells

Maidstone

Faversham

WhitstableHerne Bay

Margate

Ramsgate

Deal

Canterbury

Dover

ChannelTunnel

Folkestone

Hythe

Ashford

Sevenoaks

Ebbsfleet

Sheerness

M25

M25

A264

A21

A26

M26

A20

M20

A227

A228

A226

A249 A2

M2

A20M20

A2070

A259

A274

A229

A228

A262

A28

A251

A252A28

A299

A28

A257

A256

A256

A258

A2

A260

Sittingbourne

CTRL

Thames Gateway Kent

Channel Corridor

West Kent:A21 Corridor

East Kent

Public Transport Improvements

Figure 5.1 OurPlanof Action

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6. The Thames Gateway: gearing up for growthIssue: congestion atDartfordCrossing anditsapproaches

costsUK economy some 40ma yearAction: provision of a LowerThamesCrossing eastof GravesendOutcome: 6,000 jobs,contribute 12.7bn to localGVA (334ma

year), journey time reliability andincreasednetwork resilience

Cost: 1bn (excluding accessroads)fundedfromexisting andfuture tollsandforeign lorry charging

Thames GatewayKent

ThamesGateway Kentcoversthe majority of the districtsof Dartford,GraveshamandSwaleincludingthemainurbanareasofDartford,Gravesend,Northfleet,Sittingbourne andSheerness.Itjoinsup with Medway,SouthEssex andpartsof EastLondon to formthe ThamesGateway GrowthArea.There isa targetto develop 52,340 newhomesand58,000 jobsforThamesGateway KentandMedway overthe period2006 2026. The economy of ThamesGateway Kenthasundergone a structuralshiftoverthe past20 years,reflecting the decline of the traditionallocalindustriesof manufacturing,engineering,quarrying andpowergeneration.Although thishasbeen partially offsetby growth inemploymentin construction andfinance,there remain significantpocketsof unemploymentanddisadvantage in each of the GrowthAreasconstituentdistricts.ThamesGateway Kentnonethelessexhibitsgreatpotentialforgrowth andregeneration given itsproximity toLondon andthe wide availability of brownfielddevelopmentsites.

Thisnewhousing andemploymentwillbe focussedaroundEbbsfleetInternationalStation,with mixed use communities plannedfortheEbbsfleetValley andEastern Quarry developmentsites.Newhousingandemploymentin Swale willbe focusedaroundSittingbourne andSheppey.SwaleBoroughCouncilisproposingthedevelopmentof 8,700newhomesoverthenext15 years.ThePortofSheernesshasplansformajorexpansionwhich also incorporate newhousing.The Portisthelargestemployerin Sheernessandthe scheme offerssignificantbenefitsforthe town.The area enjoysgenerally goodroadandraillinks,being locatedon theM2/A2 corridorandhaving benefittedfromthe commencementofSoutheastern High Speed

services

to London in December

2009.

Unfortunately,connectivity acrossthe Thamesisvery poorwith majorcongestion atthe DartfordCrossing limiting the growth of the wholeThamesGateway area.North South links are also poor,which resultsincongestion on the main inter urban routes to Maidstone andTonbridge/Tunbridge Wells.Within the area,thisnewgrowth willputpressure on localroadsandtherefore sustainedinvestmentin newinfrastructure isnecessary.

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1119

226

3.9

223

4 8 8

8

18

8.4

3

2

18

106

1516

1.5

1.5 1.6

7.2

1.8

2.5

3.9

1.7

3.79

Southend

Tilbury

Grain Sheerness

Dover

Channel

Tunnel

M25

M11

M2

M20

A127

A102 (M)

A13

A12

A282

A20

A2

A228

A249

A2

A20

Figure 6.2HGVFlows perday 2008 09 (thousands)shows the volume (in

thousands)of two way HGV movementsperday on the strategic roadnetwork inKent andEssex.It illustrates the heavyreliance of roadfreight fromDoverand

the Channel Tunnel tr avelling nor th, andfromthe majordistribution centres in theMidlands travelling south,on the DartfordCrossing, which is part of the Trans

European Transport Network (TEN T).

LowerThames CrossingThe DartfordCrossing isone of the UKsmostimportantstrategicconnections.Itoffersthe shortestfreightroute between the Kentportsandthe majordistribution centresin the Midlandsandthe north ofEnglandandcarriessome18,000 HGVs a day(see Figure 6.2).Yetthecapacity of the existing bridge andtunnelsisconsiderably overloadedforlarge periodsof the day and,like allestuarialcrossings,ithaslimitedresilience to incidents.

The Crossing experiencesan average of 15 majorincidentsa yearwhich require the closure of some orallof the carriageways,along withfive additionalclosuresof the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge due to highwinds.The widerimpactson the highway networksof KentandEssexare severe andextensive,affecting the reliability of journey timesforallroadusersandcosting the UKeconomysome 40 millionayear.Disruption atthese timesisincreasedsince the alternative routesare significantly longerthan the directcrossing.

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Itisclearthatthe currentsituation willonly getworse.Notonly willfreightvolumescontinue to rise butover200,000 plannednewhomesin the ThamesGateway willgenerate theirown demand.A solution isneededthatwillfree up thisvitalnationalconnection andsupportjobcreation in KentandEssex.Having establisheda clearandpressing needfora newcrossing,KentandEssex County Councilsjointly commissionedan independentstudyto evaluate the principaloptionsforthe formandlocation of a newcrossing in 2008.Thisstudy wascarriedoutby a teamof consultantscomprising Gifford,MVA andCapita andlookedatnine possiblelocations.KCCfollowedthisin 2010 by commissioning a furtherstudyby KPMG aimedatdeveloping a businesscase forthe crossing.Whilstallcrossing optionsdemonstratedpositive economic benefits,theKPMG study identifiedthata newcrossing between Chadwellin Essexand

east

of Gravesend,

linking the M25 with the A2/M2 would

have

majoreconomic benefitsforthe localarea (see Figure 6.3 on page 18).

KCChastherefore adoptedthisasitspreferredlocation andwillnowwork with allpartnersandGovernmentto furtherdevelop the case fora thirdcrossing of the Thames.

The Department for Transport intends tobeginthe necessary consultationonproposals for the new charging regime at the DartfordCrossing aroundthe endof2010.Increasing the charges as proposedallows future investment inimprovements at the Crossing,including the implementationoffree flowcharging technology,andfunding ofproposals for anew,additional lowerThames crossing inthe longer term.

MichaelPenningParliamentaryUnderSecretaryof State (Roads andMotoring)

Benefits of a new Crossing tothe east of Gravesend1 A newcrossing to the eastof Gravesendwouldremove the two

most important constraints ongrowthinthe ThamesGateway,providing significantadditionalcapacity on the strategicroadnetwork between the Kentportsandthe Midlands.

1 The Chadwellto Gravesendoption wouldunlock substantialregeneration opportunities.KPMG estimates that the crossing

wouldcreate around6,000 jobs inNorthKent andSouthEssex andcontribute 12.7 billiontolocalGVA(334 milliona year).

1 The Chadwellto Gravesendoption wouldprovide the potentialtobetterserve the newLondon Gateway port,which isbeingdevelopedby DubaiPortsWorldnearStanford le Hope in Thurrock. G

rowthwith

outgridlock


Kent

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M2/A2

M20

Thames GatewayRegeneration AreaLower Thames Crossing

Doverent

Proposed LowerThames Crossing

StanfordLe Hope

LondonGateway

Grays

A228

M2

A2

A1089

M25 A1

3

MedwayTowns

DartfordGravesend

Dartford

ExistingDartfordCrossing

M25

M11

Th

ames

Figure 6.3:Strategic Locationof ProposedLowerThames Crossing

Construction of the containerportandlogisticspark began earlierthisyearandisexpectedto generate some 12,000 privatesectorjobs.The

new

crossing

offers

avaluable

opportunity to

implement

a

systemofbifurcationfortrafficheadingtoandfromtheChannelports.Underthissystem,vehiclestravelling to theContinentby way of DoversEasternDockswouldbeencouragedtoroutevia theLowerThamesCrossing andthe M2/A2,while thosetravelling through the Western Docksorthe ChannelTunnelwouldbe routedvia the DartfordCrossing andthe M20/A20.Thiswould

greatly increase the efficiency of Kentsmotorway andtrunk roadnetwork,thereby facilitating the growth of Ashford,DoverandMaidstone by freeing up roadcapacity in the ChannelCorridor.The crossing would

also facilitate north south

journeys

to

education andemploymentopportunitiesin North KentandSouthEssex.Thisisevidencedby the factthattraffic levelson the DartfordCrossing have grown ata lowerrate than othermotorwaysinsouthern Englandin recentyears(Figure 6.4).

1 1

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Dartford Crossing - Transport Gap200,000

AverageDailyTrafficFlow(

Vehicles)

180,000

160,000

140,000

Average Daily Flow onSoutheast Motorways(rebased), HA

Average DailyCrossing Flow, HA

Naomi forecast assumingfuture growth in the area

and Thames Gateway Bridge

Forecast using trend

over last four years

Widening Transport

Gap threatenseconomic vitality by

forcing travellers toendure further

increases in congestionthreaterning investmentand regeneration in

South Essex/North Kentand impacting on

regional/nationalproductivity

Naomi forecast from Getting the

Most Out Of Dartford report for

HA 2004

120,000

2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

Figure 6.4 DartfordCrossing Transpor t Gapindicates that whilst average traffic levels perday have increasedat the DartfordCrossing inrecent years,this has occurredat a lowerrate than othermotorways inSouth East England.This suggests that north south journeys toemployment,education andleisure opportunities are being suppressedby the available capacity.

This transport gap is projected

to widen

furtherin future years,which wouldhave a significant impact on theeconomic vitality of the Thames Gateway shouldno additional crossingcapacity be provided.

1 By physically separating the newcrossing fromthe existing one,there wouldbe substantially more resilience in the transportnetwork,making itmuch less vulnerable tosingle incidents.

1 A newcrossing wouldhelp to secure the developmentof anintegratedbus network forthe Thames Gateway,includingthe Fastrack andSouthEssex Bus RapidTransit schemes.Future work on the developmentof the route in Thurrock andEssexto be discussedwith partners.

M20/M25 WideningThe HighwaysAgency plansto trialthe use of hardshoulderrunning inpeak periodsto increase capacity on the M25 Junctions5 7 by 2015 and the M20 Junctions3 5 by 2019. We willwork with themto co ordinate the work of ourTraffic ManagementCentresto cut journey times

Growthwith

outgridlock

Atrans

portdeliveryplanfor

Kent

andcontinue to lobby for

these improvements

to be implemented

withoutdelay.ThameslinkThe expansion of Thameslink railservicesfrom2018 willsignificantlyimprove accessto andfromthe City.The County Councilwilllobby forKentto benefitfromthese newservicesandin particularforMaidstoneto be linkeddirectly into the Thameslink network.CrossrailCrossrail

is

an exciting new

railway line running east

to west

across

London fromMaidenheadvia Heathrow,Paddington andLiverpoolStreetstationsto Shenfieldin Essex andAbbey Wood.Due to becomplete by 2018,itwillbring an additional1.5 million people within 45minutescommuting distance of Londonskey businessdistricts.TheCounty Councilwelcomedthe Coalition Governmentscommitment,inthe 2010 Comprehensive Spending Review,thatthe projectwillbe

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deliveredin full.We willnowcontinue to work with TransportforLondon to make the case forthe extension of Crossrailto Gravesendvia DartfordandEbbsfleetInternational.

CongestionManagementThe County Councilsrecentinvestmentin Urban Traffic ManagementandControl(UTMC)systemenablesusto maximise the efficiency ofthe localhighway network astraffic levelsincrease in line withdevelopment.OurTraffic ManagementCentre hassuccessfully reducedaverage journey times

into Maidstone town centre during peak periods

andwe are expanding the systemto coverDartfordandGravesendtown centres.Aswellasreducing congestion, the UTMCwillalsosupportmeasuresimplementedby DartfordandGraveshamBoroughCouncilsto reduce traffic pollution in designatedAirQualityManagementAreas(AQMAs).

Eurostar

Strategic Transport Investment Package SchemesTraffic modelling to supportthe KentThameside TransportStrategy hasidentifieda numberof future congestion hotspotswhich willresultfromthe majordevelopmentplannedforthe area overthe next20years.Thishasledto the developmentof 11 Strategic TransportInvestmentPackage Schemes(STIPS)which willbe primarily fundedbythe DepartmentforTransport,the HomesandCommunitiesAgency,anddevelopers.If allof these schemescan be delivered,they willhelp toreduce congestion atover capacity junctions by 21%in the evening peakandreduce journey timesby 3%ormore by 2025.The 11 STIPSschemesare: 1 A2 Beanjunctionimprovements to improve access between

the A2,Eastern Quarry andBluewater;1

A2 Demandmanagement

introduction of variable speed

limits,accessmanagement,Variable Message Signs(VMS)andvehiclepriority lanes;

1 A2 Ebbsfleet junctionimprovementsto improve access between the A2,EbbsfleetInternationalstation,andEastern Quarry;

1 A256 Thames Waydualling to improve access to EbbsfleetInternationalstation;

1Fastrack busway:

Northfleet to

Garrick Street,

Gravesend

provision of dedicatedFastrack route to Gravesendtown centrefromnewdevelopmentarea;

1 Dartford TownCentre improvements to revise trafficcirculation on the ring roadandimprove busaccessin supportofdevelopmentproposals;

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1 Rathmore Roadlink,Gravesendprovision of new section ofone way system to supportnewpublic transportinterchange northof Gravesendrailstation;

1 A226 LondonRoad/B255 St Clements Wayunderpassprovision of underpassto improve junction capacity;

1 UrbanTraffic Management andControl(UTMC)introduction of traffic signalcontrolsystem,traffic flowmonitoringusing CCTV,additionalsignalisedjunctions,VMSandReal TimeInformation (RTI);

1 A206 BobDunnWayjunctionimprovement conversion ofMarsh Streetroundaboutto a signalisedjunction;

1 B262 HallRoadjunctionimprovementjunction capacityimprovementandtraffic calming on SpringheadRoad.

SheernessSheernessisthe largestUK portforfresh produce andhastheopportunity to intensify itsactivity within itsexisting boundarieswiththe option to expandonto nearby industrialareas.The SecondSwaleCrossing hassignificantly improvedroadaccessto the port,butimprovedrailaccessandfacilitiesare neededto increase the amountofrailfreightto andfromthe port.A massive regeneration projecttotransform

Sheerness

Port

was

announced

in September

2009,

with a

marina forup to 500 large yachts,three newdeep waterberths,newhousing andan extension of commercialshipping facilities.

ThamesportThamesportisthe largestdeep water containerportin Medway,carrying a relatively high volume of containersto andfromthe portbyrail(some 20%).Furtherdevelopmentof the portwouldbenefitfromimprovedaccessby the A228 andformore capacity on the branch.

Growthwith

outgridlock

Atrans

portdeliveryplanfor

Kent

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DartfordDartfordislocatedatthe heartof the ThamesGateway,borderingGreaterLondon andEssex.The A2 andM25 passthrough the boroughandprovide high capacity routesto London,the ChannelPortsandthewiderSouth East.There are five railway linesto London andthe Kentcoast,aswellasdaily commutercoachesproviding fast,directservicesto Canary Wharf andthe City.An additional17,000 homesare plannedin Dartfordoverthe period2006 to 2026,which willincrease the boroughspopulation by over40%.Newcommunitieswillbe createdin the Ebbsfleetto Stonecorridor,on the Thameswaterfrontandin Dartfordtown centre.Thelargestof these willbe atEastern Quarry,where more than 6,000homeswillbe built.If thisgrowth isto be deliveredwithoutcreating transportgridlock,ahigh quality public transportnetwork linking the newdevelopmentsiteswith localtown centres,employmentareas,transportinterchangesandkey servicesisessential.Dartfordsgrowth strategy isthereforepredicatedon the furtherdevelopmentof the Fastrack BusRapidTransit(BRT)network,including a directroute through the EasternQuarry developmentto EbbsfleetInternationalStation.The key transport

challenges

for

Kent

Thameside are:

1 Relieving the capacity andairquality issuesatthe DartfordCrossing1 Transferring existing andnewcartripsonto public transport,walking

andcycling,especially forshortjourneys1 Tackling congestion hotspotsincluding the M25/A282 Dartford

Crossing,the A2 corridorincluding the Bean Interchange;andDartfordtown centre

22

1 Integrating railservicesandimproving connectivity between stationsto maximise the benefitsof Southeastern High Speedservices

1 Providing sufficienttransportinfrastructure to mitigate the impactofthe planneddevelopmentincluding walking andcycling routes

1 Mitigating the significantlevelsof traffic generatedby BluewaterProposalsLowerThamesCrossing to relieve congestion atthe DartfordCrossing,potentially incorporating Fastrack facilitiesto extendthisBusRapidTransitsysteminto the South Essex RapidTransitsystem.Busandrailinterchange atDartfordstation.Fastrack linksto Northern Gateway developmentandthroughEastern Quarry.


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GraveshamGraveshamiscentrally locatedwithin ThamesGateway Kentandbenefitsfromdirectaccessto the A2 trunk roadandthe High Speed1railline,which provide fastroutesto London,the ChannelPortsandthe restof the UK.The commencementof Southeastern High Speedrailservicesin 2009 broughta dramatic improvementin journey timesto the capitalfromGravesend(23 minutes)andEbbsfleetInternational(17 minutes).The boroughskey transportlink to the north isvia theA282 DartfordCrossing,although a smallpassengerferry operatesbetween GravesendandTilbury in Essex.The delivery of approximately 9,000 newhomesisexpectedinGraveshamup to 2026.Key developmentsitesinclude Gravesendtowncentre andCanalBasin andNorthfleetEmbankment.EbbsfleetInternationalStation islocatedin the westof the borough andwillformthe focusof a majormixed use development. Thiswillinclude abusinessdistrictwhich willcreate up to 20,000 newjobs.Like Dartford,Graveshamsexisting roadnetwork isalready operatingatclose to maximumcapacity during peak periods.Continuing modalshiftto railandbusservicesistherefore crucialif future levelsofhousing andeconomic growth are to be accommodated.The key transport

challenges

for

Gravesham

are:

1 Transferring existing andnewcartripsonto public transport,walking

andcycling,especially forshortjourneys1 Tackling congestion hotspotsincluding the A2 corridorincluding the

Bean Interchange;B262 HallRoad/SpringheadRoad;andGravesendtown centre

1 Integrating railservicesandimproving connectivity between stations

to maximise the benefitsof Southeastern High Speedservices1 Providing sufficienttransportinfrastructure to mitigate the impactof

the planneddevelopmentincluding walking andcycling routesProposalsLowerThamesCrossing to relieve congestion atthe DartfordCrossing,potentially incorporating Fastrack facilitiesto extendthisBusRapidTransitsysteminto the South Essex RapidTransitsystem.TransportQuartercentredon Gravesendrailstation.Green Gridlinksto Shorne WoodCountry Park.Redevelopmentof the CanalBasin area,including improvementstoOrdnance Roadjunction.

Growthwithoutgridlock

Atrans

portdeliveryplanfor

Kent

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SwaleThe Borough of Swale islocatedin North Kent,covering Sittingbourneasthe main population centre andthe townsof FavershamandSheerness.Both SheernessandSittingbourne have sufferedfromhighunemploymentin recentyearsandtherefore the priority forthe area iseconomic regeneration andemploymentgrowth.The western partofSwale (including the Isle of Sheppey)formspartof the ThamesGatewayGrowth Area and9,500 newdwellingsare plannedby 2026.The Borough iswellservedby the roadandrailnetworks.The M2providesfast journey timesinto London andthe widerSouth Eastandthe recently completedSheppey Crossing hasreduceddisruption onthe A249 to andfromthe Isle of Sheppey.The A2 runsparallelto theM2 andconnectsSittingbourne with the Medway townsandFaversham.Following the same alignmentisthe North Kentrailway line linkingFaversham,Sittingbourne andthe Medway townswith London.ThenewSoutheastern High Speedserviceshave cutjourney timesbetweenSittingbourne andLondon from69 minutesto 53 minutes.Sheernessislocatedon a branch line fromSittingbourne.The A251 providestheonly directroadlink between FavershamandAshford,including accessto emergency hospitalservicesforthe eastern partof Swale.The key transportchallengesforSwale are:1

Securing the necessary infrastructure to open up key development

areasforhousing andemployment1 Delivering capacity improvementson the strategic roadnetwork1 Regeneration of Sittingbourne town centre

ProposalsMajorroadinfrastructure including Sittingbourne Northern Relief Roadandextension to the A2,A2/M2 Junction 5 capacity improvement,A249 GrovehurstInterchange andRushenden Relief Road.Expansion of KentScience Park with possible newlink to the M2(south)andA2 (north).

East HallExtension

GrovehurstInterchange

Sittingbourne Northern

Relief Road

A2Extension

Crown Copyright.All rights reserved100019238 2010

Kent Science Park


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portdeliveryplanfor

Kent

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7. The Channel Corridor: relieving the pressure Issue: crosschanneldisruption when Operation Stack is

implementedcoststhe UK haulage industry1mperday

Action: provision of a lorry park between junctions10 and11of the M20

Outcome: reduce delaysto localtraffic andproblemslinkedtounsuitable HGV parking

Cost: 25 60m fundedfromforeign lorry charging schemeIssue: predicteddoubling of freighttraffic through the port

of DoverAction: bifurcation of porttraffic (Eastern Docksvia M2/A2,

Western Docksvia M20)Outcome: reducedcongestion andpollution through Dover,

regeneration of town centreCost: 440m 475m

There are fewpeople in Kentwho are unaffectedby the Countysroleasan internationalcorridor.We are fortunate to have convenientaccess

to the Continent,

whether

for

business

or

pleasure but

we also

have to sufferthe traffic thatusesthiscorridor.Roadfreightissignificantandone in fourvehicleson the M20 between Maidstone andAshfordisa lorry.When Operation Stack isin force,itmakesusallrealise howfragile ourtransportnetwork is.Doveristhe largestpassengerferry portin Northern Europe andhandlesmore than half ofallthe UKsinternationalferry passengers.The town benefitsfromthe

employmentopportunitiesthatthe portbringsbutalso suffersfromthe congestion,severance andairquality problemsassociatedwithqueuing traffic fromthe Eastern Docks.There wasa significantandcontinuedincrease in roadfreightthroughthe Portof DoverandChannelTunnelbetween the Tunnelsopening in1994 andthe recession in 2008.When the countryseconomy picksupagain,continuedgrowth,in line with GDP,isforecastto resume atDoverandthe ChannelTunnel.We therefore fully recognise theimportance of the ChannelCorridorto UK plc.DoverWesternDocks ExpansionDoverHarbourBoardhasdevelopeda 30 year plan forthe portso itcan accommodate the forecastincrease in cross channel traffic.A newferry terminal(T2)in the Western Dockscouldprovide up to fournewferry berthswith the possibility of re introducing rail freightconnections.Furtherimprovementsinclude a newmarina in the outerharbourandrelatedwaterfrontdevelopment,including expansion of thebusy cruise terminal.Since the newterminalatthe Western Dockswilltake some time to be implemented,interimmeasuresto dealwithtraffic continuing to use the Eastern Docksinclude revising the A20dock exitandupgrading Berth 5 to accommodate largervessels.Theproposed

expansion of Dovers

Western Docks

will

lead

to the

creation of 6,000 jobs,with relatedproductivity andGVA benefits.M2/A2 Improvements at DoverFreightandpassengertraffic through the Portof Doverisforecasttogrowsubstantially overthe next30 years,placing furtherpressure onthe M20/A20 andM2/A2 corridors.The newLowerThamesCrossing is

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MEDWAY

Faversham

Ashford

M25

A264

A21

A21

A26

M26

A20

A227

A228

A229

A226

A249

A2

A20

A20A25

A25

M20Ph2

Ph 1

A2070

A259

A274

A229

A228

A262

A28

A 2 5 1

A252

A28

A299

A28

A257

A256

A256

A258

A2

A260

Dartford

Gravesend

Tonbridge

Tunbridge Wells

Maidstone

Herne Bay

Whistable

Sheerness

Margate

Ramsgate

Deal

Canterbury

Dover

Folkestone

Sevenoaks

Sittingbourne

Congested Junctions

Trunk Road Improvements

Operation Stack

Proposed

Lorr y Park

20142012

2019+


Atrans

portdeliveryplanfor

Kent

Figure 7.1 The ChannelCorridor27


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ForeignLorryChargingThe County Councilhassetoutproposalsto introduce a charge forforeignlorriesusing Kentsroadsto contribute to the costof the LowerThamesCrossing,theOperationStacklorryparkandotherinfrastructureimprovementswhich willmitigate the impactof cross Channel traffic.A charge wouldalso help to levelthe playing fieldforUK hauliersvis vistheirforeign counterparts,many of which enterBritain with fullfueltanks,having taken advantage of the lowerratesof fuelduty on theContinent.They therefore make no contribution to the coststheyincurin thiscountry through damage to roads,the release of emissionsandthe exacerbation of congestion problems.KCCisdelightedattheCoalition Governmentscommitment,in itsNationalInfrastructurePlan,to introduce a scheme of lorry charging andwe willwork with theDepartmentforTransportto implementitasswiftly aspossible.Overnight LorryParksIn addition to Operation Stack,overnightlorriesparking in residentialandcommercialareashave a detrimentalimpacton Kentanditscommunities.KCCwilllobby forthe provision of overnightlorryparking andassociatedfacilitiesatsuitable sitesadjacentto Kent'smotorway andtrunk roadnetwork,including the possibility of usingPark andRide sitesforovernightlorry parking.We willalso work withotheragenciesto reduce the occurrence of inappropriate lorry parkingon Kent'sroads.

Quick Moveable Barrier(QMB)

Extension

The Quick Moveable Barrier(QMB)can only cope with Phase One ofOperation Stack,holding some 400 lorrieswhich,atpeak times,can befilledwithin two hours.The HighwaysAgency iscurrently reviewing theperformance of the QMB andwillrecommendwhetherthe schemeshouldbe expanded.We continue to pressforthe time taken to effectthe QMB to be significantly reduced.

EurotunnelTheChannelTunneloffersa directalternative to Doverforinternationalcarandlorry movements,taking some 40%and33%of the marketrespectively in 2008.Competition with the ferrieshaskeptthe costsofcrossing the Channelrelatively lowand,togetherwith the shortandfrequentcrossing,hasmeantthatKentattractsahighlevelofinternationaltraffic.The Tunnelhasgood,directaccessto andfromthe M20 butthebenefitsofthisarenegatedwhenthereismajordisruption in the ChannelandOperation Stack isrequired.Theoretically, EurotunnelcouldoperatemoreshuttleswhichcouldrelievesomeofthepressureonDover.InternationalRailServicesThe European Unionsliberalisation of internationalrailtravelin 2010enablestrain operating companiesto run servicesin competition withEurostarbetween London andthe Continent.The German operator,Deutsche Bahn,isthe firstto receive permission to do so andintendsto commence servicesto AmsterdamandFrankfurtvia BrusselsinDecember2013.KCCspriority isto ensure thatEbbsfleetandAshfordcontinue to benefitfromfrequentservicesto a range of northernEuropean destinationsandwe willlobby EurostarandDeutsche Bahnto include a Kentstation stop on asmany of theirservicesaspossible.Road/RailTerminalsWe are generally supportive of strategic road/railterminalsif they areplacedin the rightlocation andwillgenuinely transferfreightfromroadto rail.As

a result, the County Council

supported

the proposed

redevelopmentof a 64 hectare site atHowbury Park in Erith asitiswelllocatedclose to London andthe M25.However,the CountyCouncilstrongly opposedthe proposalsforthe KentInternationalGateway (KIG),locatedto the eastof Maidstone as,amongstotherthings,itwasover20 milesfromthe M25 andwouldnothave relievedthe mostcongestedwestern partof the M20 of lorry traffic. G

rowthwithoutgridlock

Atrans

portdeliveryplanfor

Kent

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Figure 7.3 LocalConnections tothe Transmanche Metro

LondonN

0 50km

Canterbury(22 mins)

Stansted Airport(66 mins)

Southend(50 mins)

Hastings(42 mins)

Thanet(43 mins)

Dunkerque(50 mins)

Boulogne(38 mins)

Kortrijk(30 mins)

Douai(27 mins)

Aprrox Scale

Arras(41 mins)

Dover

(32 mins)

Folkestone(20 mins)

Ebbsfleet

AshfordCalais

Frethun

To Brussels

To Paris

Lille

Stratford

Transmanche MetroThere isa realopportunity to enhance internationalrailservicesbyutilising the intermediate stationson both sidesof the Channelwith asemi fast railservice connecting into European wide services. There wouldbe a regularintervalservice (working up to hourly)linkingStPancras, Stratford, Ebbsfleet,Ashford, Calais Frethun and Lille.PassengerscouldconnectatLille forBrusselsandinto HollandandGermany,

from

Calais

to the French coastal

towns

and

at

St

Pancras/KingsCrossforthe north andeastof England.RailFreightDespite the provision of railfreightservicesthrough the ChannelTunnel,the modalshare in Kentisdisappointingly low.Estimatesare that6 million tonnesof railfreightcoulduse the ChannelTunnel,butthe

maximumlevelreachedwasbarely overthree million tonnesin 1998.Due to problemswith illegalimmigrantsboarding trainsandthe poorlevelof service quality in France,the flowhasdeclinedto 1.24 milliontonnesin 2008 butthere isthe potentialto re connect the WesternDocksatDoverto the railnetwork.We willcontinue to presscentralandinternationalgovernmentto putmore freightthrough theChannelTunnel.We willwork with the freightindustry to identifypotentiallegislative andphysicalbarriersfortransferring freightfromroadto railandassist,where possible,in identifying solutionstoovercome such barriers.MajorInfrastructure inAshfordandDoverAspartof the growth of Ashford,a numberof transportimprovementshave been identified.Some have already been awardedGovernmentfunding through mechanismssuch asthe RegionalInfrastructure Fund,with localcontributionsfromthe County Councilanddevelopers.Howeverotherswillrequire more innovative funding modelsgiven thereducedpublic funding nowavailable.These schemesinclude: Smartlink a Bus RapidTransit(BRT)scheme which willprovide fast,frequent,high quality busservicesforAshfordsresidentsandcommuters.The service willbenefitfromdedicatedbusprioritymeasuresandwilllink the town centre to the newdevelopmentandpark andride sites,aswellasexisting communities.

The WarrenPark and

Ride one of three proposed

Park and

Ride

sitesdesignedto complementthe Smartlink BRT scheme.The Warrenwillbe locatedadjacentto Junction 9 of the M20 and be accompaniedby the provision of buspriority measuresto offera rapidanddirectroute into the town centre;

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Victoria Waya new route to the south of the town centre whichwilllink BeaverRoadandthe A28 ChartRoad.Work iscurrentlyunderway on thisscheme,which isdue forcompletion in Spring 2011;M20 Junction9 andDrovers Roundabout which will improveaccessto the town;particularly the Eureka Park businessarea andresidentialdevelopmentssuch asRepton Park.The scheme willincludethe introduction of traffic signals,the widening of approach roadsandthe construction of a newfootbridge overthe M20.Work iscurrentlyin progressandwillbe completedin Spring 2011;M20 Junction10Aproviding the necessary highway capacity to serve andsupportthe newdevelopmentsitesto the south andeastof Ashford;Learning Linka north south cycling/walking route linking a series ofeducationalestablishments;A28 Kennington/Bybrook Corridorcycling, pedestrian andbusimprovements;RomanWayCorridornew link road;AshfordInternationalStationImprovementscomprising a new station forecourtandpublic space to complementthe recentlycompleted

works

to the ticket

hall.

The scheme will

include a

revitalisedbusandtaxiinterchange,extensive cycle parking,theprovision of additionalseating andlandscaping;DoverBus RapidTransit The Dover BusRapidTransit(BRT)scheme isa proposedservice connecting Whitfieldto DoverTownCentre andispartof the masterplan for5,750 newhomesatWhitfield.

Itisplannedto run on a dedicatedroute through the variousdevelopmentsitesin Whitfieldandthe ConnaughtBarracks,linking tothe town centre,DoverPriory railway station andthe StJamesregeneration area,with a possible extension to a Park andRide siteatFarthingloe.KCCandDoverDistrictCouncilare currentlypreparing a detailedbusinesscase forthe scheme andidentifyingsuitable funding options;SouthEast Maidstone Strategic Link (SEMSL)Maidstone Borough Councilhasidentified,through itsLocalDevelopmentFramework,the potentialfornewdevelopmentto the south eastof thetown.Thiscouldrequire a more directroute fromthe A274,servingthe commercialarea aroundParkwoodandnewdevelopmentattheA20/M20 Junction 8 which wouldalso actasa bypassto LeedsandLangley.The SEMSL doesnotappearto be affordable by conventionalfunding,andwouldrequire newsourcesof funding currently emergingfromGovernment,such asthe NewHomesBonus.


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AshfordThe strategic position of Ashfordon the Channelcorridorhasmeantthatthe town hasalwaysbeen a majortransporthub.The M20 runsthrough the town andaccessisprovidedvia junctions9 and10.Ashfordalso became a railway town,being the junction of five linesto Hastings,Folkestone,Canterbury,Maidstone andTonbridge andisalso servedbyHigh SpeedOne with an internationalrailway station.Ashfordhasbenefitedfromreducedjourney timeswhen Southeastern High Speedservicescommencedin December2009,with the quickestjourney timeto London cutto 37 minutesfrom84 minutes.Because of itsstrategic location,goodtransportlinksanda generally flattopography,Ashfordisone of the South EastregionsfourdesignatedGrowth Areas,with the capacity to provide an additional31,000 homesand28,000 jobsoverthe period2001 to 2031.Thisequalsa doubling inthe numberof householdswithin the town centre area by 2031.ItisplannedforAshfordto develop asan office,research andbusinessnodeproviding marketgrowth forEastKentandan opportunity forlargeinvestmentsthatrequire an expanding workforce.The key transportchallengesforAshfordare:1 Securing roadaccessfromdevelopmentsitesto the M201 Developing a high quality public transportnetwork to connectthe

growth areaswith the town centre,the internationalstation andotherkey locations

1 Providing a choice of transportmodesforresidents1 Creating a high quality public realmin the town centre

ProposalsSmartlink BusRapidTransitsystemconnecting the growth areasandout of town Park and Ride siteswith the town centre,internationalstation andcomplementary expandedbusnetwork andcycling facilities.Green spacesandthe existing roadnetwork incorporating walking andcycling routesaswellaspromotion of Ashfordasa cycling town.

Learning LinkCorridor

A28 Kennington/BybrookCorridor

ProposedSmartlinkProposedPark &Ride site

Link Road

VictoriaWay

RomanWay

J10AP&R

P&R

P&R


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DoverDoverisbestknown asthe UKsgateway to the Continent,being thecountrysbusiestferry port.Thiscan often leadto traffic congestionalong the A20 TownwallStreet,causing pollution andseverance betweenthe town andseafront.Thisisexacerbatedwhen disruption causescross Channel servicesto be suspendedandOperation Stack isputinto operation.The mostdirectrailservice to London isvia theFolkestone line which connectswith servicesfromAshford.There arealso linesthatconnectto the north Kentline via Canterbury andacoastalline to Deal,Sandwich andThanet.Southeastern High Speedserviceswere introducedin December2009,reducing the journey timefrom116 minutesto 67 minutes.Thisisstarting to help create thefoundationsfora transformation in the economic geography of Dover.Itisanticipatedthatfurtherimprovementsin journey time togetherwith additionalparking andatDoverPriory station willbe realisedtosupportthe recentpublic realmworks.The key transportchallengesforDoverare:1 Increasing cross Channel freighttraffic using the portcausing

congestion andpollution on the A20 andseverance1 Delivering 10 14,000 new homesaspartof the townsGrowth Point

status,which willrequire improvementsto the A21 Providing betteraccessibility to the town centre andrailway station

to maximise the benefitsof Southeastern High Speedservices1 Regenerating the oldcolliery sitesaroundAyleshamandSnowdown

andsupporting growth in the Sandwich corridor1 Reduce HS1 journey timesfromDoverPriory to London to under

an hour

ProposalsExpansion of Western Docks,seafrontdevelopmentandrelatedaccessimprovementsto the A20 with bifurcation of porttraffic via M20/A20(Western Docks)andM2/A2 (Eastern Docks).Dualling of the A2 fromLydden to Dover.BusRapidTransit(BRT)systembetween Whitfield,Dovertown centreandthe railway station complementing an enhancedbusnetwork.

West WhitfieldGrowthArea

East WhitfieldGrowthArea

PotentialRouteof DoverBRT

DoverPriory

Port Proposals

Crown Copyright.All rights reserved100019238 2010Growthwithoutgridlock

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MaidstoneMaidstone isthe County Town of Kentanda designatedGrowth Point.The town centre currently experiencessevere congestion,particularlywhere three Aroadsmeetatthe bridge gyratory system.The launchof the County CouncilsTraffic ManagementCentre hasimprovedtheoperation of Maidstoneshighway network,reducing average journeytimesby over10%since 2006 through the active managementof trafficsignals,the use of carpark guidance systems,andthe provision of livetraffic information to roadusers.There isa large volume of inboundtraffic heading forthe townsoffices,shopsandschoolsevery day.These movementsare servedby anextensive busnetwork,including three Park & Ride sitesrun by theBorough Council.Outboundcommuting takesplace on the regularrailservice to London via Maidstone East.The key transportchallengesforMaidstone are:1 Tackling congestion hotspotsandareasof poorairquality,

particularly in the town centre andon the Aroadsinto Maidstone.1 Providing multi modal accessto a proposedurban extension of

5 6,000 homes to the south andeastof the town.1 Maintaining accessibility to the town centre by public transport.1 Maintaining andenhancing railservices,particularly to the City

of London.

ProposalsDeveloper led highway improvementsto M20 junctions7 and8.Extension of buslanesto serve the proposedurban extensions.AdditionalPark & Ride sitesto assistin reducing congestion in thetown centre.Improvedwalking andcycling networks,supportedby TravelPlanrequirementsfornewmajordevelopments.Parkway station nearHollingbourne to complementThameslinkservicesto the City of London from2018 andto reduce congestion onthe M20 aroundMaidstone.

ProposedSouthEast MaidstoneStrategic LinkTownCentreCongestionand

PoorAir

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ShepwayShepway islocatedwithin the Channelcorridor,hence the maintransportissuesrelate to the impactof internationaltraffic.Folkestoneisthe main urban,retailandcommercialcentre in Shepway with HytheandSandgate locatedalong the coast,Hawkinge,which lieson theNorth Downs,andvarioustownsandvillagesdottedaroundtheRomney Marsh.Like many of the coastaltownsin Kent,Folkestone hassufferedfromseveraldecadesof economic decline,due mainly to thelossof seaside trade.Ithasalso experiencedthe withdrawalof cross Channelferry servicesasa resultof competition fromthe ChannelTunnelandthe Portof Dover.Furthermore,the town centre isfacingincreasedcompetition fromneighbouring shopping centres,withleakage of trade to Canterbury andAshford.Folkestone hasgoodroadaccessto London andthe widerSouth Eastvia the M20,the A20 andthe A259,andregularrailservicesto LondonandDover.The town hasbenefitedfromthe introduction ofSoutheastern High Speedservicesin December2009,with journeytimeshaving been cutfrom101 minutesto 57 minutes.The ChannelTunnelfacility islocatedto the north of Folkestone atCheriton.The key transportchallengesforFolkestone are:1 The impactof Operation Stack on the localroadnetwork1 Maximising the benefitsof Southeastern High Speedservicesand

managing the impacton local journey patterns1 Supporting the regeneration proposalsforthe seafrontaspartof the

Folkestone HarbourandSeafrontMasterplan,with betteraccesstothe seafrontfromthe town centre

1 Providing public transportaccessto andfromproposeddevelopmentsitesin WestHythe,Lympne andShorncliffe.

ProposalsParkway station atWestenhangerandimprovementsto FolkestoneWeststation.Improvedpublic transportto developmentsites,existing inter urban routesandexpansion of the urban busnetwork.

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8. West Kent: cutting congestion along the A21 corridorIssue: congestion anddelay on A21 nearTunbridge Wellsand

Tonbridge,pooraccessibility to HastingsAction:

dualling of A21 between Tonbridge and

Pembury

Outcome: improvedjourney timesandreducedcongestion for

businesses,improvedsafety forroadusersCost: est.45mfundedfromNationalRoadsProgramme

The WestKentarea comprisesthe districtsof Tunbridge Wells,Tonbridge & Malling andSevenoaksandfeaturesa numberof mediumsizedtownsincluding Swanley,Sevenoaks,Tonbridge andTunbridge Wells,interspersedwith smallersettlementsandtractsof open countryside.Itisa very attractive area in which to live andwork andisgenerally moreprosperousthan otherpartsof Kentthanksto itsclose proximity toLondon.However,economic growth in WestKenthasincreasinglylaggedbehindmany otherareasin the South Eastin recentyearsandthe areasGVA percapita isonly 74%of the South Eastaverage.One of the key reasonsforWestKentsdeclining economic positionrelative to otherpartsof Kentandthe widerSouth Eastisitspoortransportconnectivity;particularly peak time congestion on inter urban routessuch asthe A21,A26 and A228.The areastraditionalrailconnectivity advantage to London hasalso been diminishedby thecommencementof High SpeedrailservicesfromNorth andEastKentto London.These have made commuter journey timesfromAshford,Folkestone andCanterbury comparable with those to Tonbridge andTunbridge Wells,andsignificantly betterthan those to Maidstone.Thissituation requiresurgentaction if WestKentisto regain itspreviouseconomic strength.

Devolving HighwaysAgency budgetsandpowersto localtransportauthoritieswouldprovide a cheaperandfasterway of deliveringstrategic roadinfrastructure.The Kenteconomy hassufferedrepeatedly fromdelaysto HighwaysAgency projects,including thedualling of the A21 between Tonbridge andPembury.Although work wasfinally due to starton thisscheme in 2011,ithasnowbeen delayedonce more beyond2015 pending furtherconsideration by theDepartmentforTransportandwilltherefore notbe completedin timeforthe opening of the newPembury Hospital. We believe that thescheme canbe deliveredforless thanhalf its current costthroughlocalproject management andprocurement. TheCoalition Governmenthasagreedto work with usto investigate thebenefitsof thisapproach andwe willprogressthese discussionsimmediately. We also wantto see furtherimprovementsto the A21 tosupportthe regeneration of Hastings.

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We willcontinue to supportthe A21 Reference Group of MPs,CouncilLeadersandheadsof public serviceswhich ispressing forthe urgentdualling of the A21 between Tonbridge andPembury andKippingsCrossto Lamberhurst.These measureswillsupportbusinessgrowth,regeneration andaccessto servicesin the A21 corridorfromSevenoaksthrough to Hastings.The lossof directrailservicesbetween the City of London,MaidstoneandWestMalling hasforcedcommutersfromthese areasto travelbyroadto Tonbridge,Hildenborough andSevenoaks,which have retainedtheirCannon Streetservices.Thishasin turn addedto existingovercrowding problemson railservicesto andfromTonbridge.Southeastern hasplansto improve the service on the Tonbridge Hastingsline when the newThameslink programme commencesin2018.The Hastingstrainswould join anddivide atTonbridge,providingfastandslowportionsalong the line between Tonbridge andHastings.Thiswouldimprove journey timesforrailpassengersfromprincipalstationson the line,while stillproviding a slowerservice forthesmallerstations.Anotherkey aspiration isthe re introduction of direct servicesbetween KentandGatwick Airport,following the cessation of servicesfromTunbridge WellsandTonbridge via Redhillin 2008.A newservicewouldneedto be demonstratedasviable andeconomicalin time forthe renewalof the existing Southern franchise in 2015.Colts HillThe A228 ColtsHillbypassscheme isrequiredto complete a highstandardandsafe route between the M20 andthe A21 andlinksto theA21 Tonbridge to Pembury dualling proposal.The A228 atColtsHillcurrently suffersfrompoorvisibility andconcealedentrances

which contribute to itspooraccidentrecordandsevere peaktime congestion.The scheme wouldincorporate a single carriageway bypassof ColtsHillvillage,with a climbing lane in the southbounddirection.The proposedbypasswouldaddressthese issues,whilstalso enhancing accessto thenewPembury HospitalfromMaidstone.Thisisparticularly importantgiven the plannedtransferof a numberof medicalunitsto PemburyfromMaidstone Hospitalwhen the site becomesfully operationalin2011.The scheme wouldalso make a significantcontribution to theplannedimprovementof busserviceson the Maidstone to TunbridgeWellscorridorandassistwith sub regional integration.KCChassubmittedthe scheme forCentralGovernmentfunding on a numberofoccasionssince 2003;howeverithasso farbeen unsuccessful.


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SevenoaksThe districtof SevenoaksbordersGreaterLondon to the north west, Surrey to the westandSussex to the south.Itislargely ruralin naturewith mostof the DistrictdesignatedasGreen Belt(93%)andtwo Areasof Outstanding NaturalBeauty (AONB).There are three main urbanareasin the District:Sevenoaks,Swanley andEdenbridge.The Districtiswelllocatedin termsof itsproximity to London andthe Continent,with a numberof majortransportlinksrunning through oralongside it,including the M25,M26 andM20 motorways.Railwaysprovide linkstoLondon andAshford.The key transportchallengesforSevenoaksare:1 Existing andforecastovercrowding on peak train servicesto and

fromLondon1 Achieving a rebalancing of the transportnetwork in favourof

non car modesasa meansof accessto servicesandfacilities.1 Working towardsan improvedandintegratednetwork of public

transportservicesin andbetween both urban andruralareas.1 Reducing the impactof traffic on the naturalandhistoric

environmentof the main urban areas.1 Tackling the 11 AirQuality ManagementAreas(AQMAs)in

the District.1 Addressing congestion hotspotsin SevenoaksandSwanley town

centres,andon the A25 andthe A225.

ProposalsProvision of eastfacing slipson the M25/M26 to enable trafficapproaching fromthe south to traveleaston the M26 andM25.Developmentof Urban Traffic ManagementandControl(UTMC)to maximise efficientuse of the existing roadnetwork andimproveairquality.Buslanesandbuspriority measuresto improve the commercialviabilityof operating busesto,fromandwithin the SevenoaksDistrict.Extendandimprove walking andcycling routes.Improvedcommunity andvoluntary transportoptions.Ensuring reliable andimprovedservicesforrailcommutersinto LondonfromSevenoaks.

East Facing Slips atM25 J5 Riverhead

Congestion

SevenoaksCongestion


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Tonbridge and MallingThe Borough of Tonbridge andMalling hasa population ofapproximately 112,000 andcoversan area of justover24,000 hectares.The Borough doesnothave a single urban focusbutiscomprisedof a numberof diverse,contrasting settlementsandneighbourhoods.A considerable area of the Borough isruralin character.The M20motorway,a key nationallink,cutsthrough the middle of the Boroughandhasimportantimplicationsfortraffic patternson the localnetwork.Key transportchallengesforTonbridge & Malling are:1 Dealing with the transportimplicationsof the range of

developmentsin the Borough, particularly in the Medway Valley andin centralTonbridge.

1 Improving airquality in a numberof declaredAQMAsarising fromtraffic related factors,including a long stretch of the A20 andTonbridge town centre.

1 Enhancing station facilitiesandrailconnectionsto the City ofLondon on the WestMalling/Maidstone EastLine andtacklingovercrowding on the Tonbridge line.

1 Improving transportinterchange atTonbridge andWestMallingstationsandaddressing the lack of parking atWestMalling andHildenborough stations.

1 Reinstating directrailservicesbetween the Borough andGatwickAirporton the Tonbridge Redhill Line.

1 Minimising the adverse impactsof HGV traffic,includingovernightparking

1 Mitigating the impactsof traffic on the A25 corridorthrough Platt,Borough Green andIghtham.

ProposalsCoordinatedimplementation of transportrequirementsarising fromdevelopmentsin the Medway Valley, including newbusservicessupportedby buspriority measures focussedon the A20 corridor.Construction of a bypassatBorough Green.Construction of the London Road Hadlow Roadlink in Tonbridge.Urban Traffic ManagementandControlsystemforTonbridge.ImplementAction Plan to dealwith AQMAs.Work with Network Railandthe Train Operating Companiesin thearea to enhance opportunitiesfortransportinterchange atstationsandimprove services,particularly to the City of London,with particularfocuson the service specification forthe nextIntegratedKentFranchise periodbeyond2014.A228 CorridorImprovements including atKentStreet,SnodlandbypassandatColtsHillin neighbouring Tunbridge WellsBorough to relieve the A26 corridor.

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Tunbridge WellsTunbridge WellsBorough isan area of 326 square kilometresborderingSevenoaks,Tonbridge & Malling,Maidstone andAshfordin Kent;andRotherandWealden in EastSussex.The town of RoyalTunbridge Wellsisthe main urban centre in the district,providing social,culturalandeconomic opportunities.Southborough,Paddock Wood,Cranbrook,Hawkhurstand17 villagesserve the extensive ruralpopulation.The Borough benefitsfroma goodrailservice to Tonbridge,SevenoaksandLondon,a busnetwork thatcoversboth the urban andruralareasandgoodprovision of carparking facilitieswithin the town centres,many of which are free in the more ruraltowns.There are very high levelsof carownership anduse within theBorough,resulting in congestion andpoorairquality issues.Infrastructure improvementsandincreaseduse of high quality publictransport,cycling andwalking facilitieshave already startedto reducetraffic congestion,andthisisa key area forcontinuedimprovementinthe future.The key transportchallengesforTunbridge Wellsare:1 Addressing congestion hotspotson the A21 between Tonbridge

andTunbridge Wells;on the Pembury Road;within theNorth Farm/LongfieldRoadindustrialarea;andon the A26 withinTunbridge WellsandSouthborough.

1 Tackling AQMAsacrossthe district.1 Reducing the impactof traffic on the naturalandhistoric

environmentof the main urban areas.1 Ensuring optimumaccessibility to the newPembury Hospitalby a

range of traveloptionsincluding the proposedintegratedbusandrailnetworks,cycling andthe car

40

1 Accommodating developmentpressuresresulting fromtheBoroughslocation in the commuterbeltin a sustainable way.

ProposalsDevelopmentof UTMCto maximise efficientuse of the existingroadnetwork.ImplementPark & Ride to help tackle congestion and poorairquality inRoyalTunbridge Wellstown centre,including complementary buslanesandbuspriority measures.A21 Pembury to Tonbridge dualling to improve accessto the newPembury Hospitalandthe North FarmRetailPark.A21 improvementsbetween KippingsCrossandLamberhurstandbetween LamberhurstandFlimwell.Extendandimprove walking andcycling routes.Ensuring reliable andimprovedrailservicesforcommutersinto LondonfromTunbridge Wells.A228 corridorimprovementatColtsHill.


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HS1 Quickest JourneyTimes toLondonfrom: Pre HS1(mins) Post HS1(mins)Ashford 84 37Folkestone Central 101 57Dover 116 67Ramsgate 129 80Canterbury 110 56Gravesend 57 22

9. East Kent: radical solutions neededIssue: pooraccessibility to EastKentleading to high

unemploymentandsocialdisadvantage in EastKentAction: provision of a ThanetParkway station to improve

employmentopportunitiesin ThanetandthroughoutEastKentandimprovedline speedsbetween AshfordandRamsgate

Outcome: ~1,000 jobspermillion passengersatKIA,rising to6,000 jobsby 2033 increasedattractivenessof EastKentto employers,reduced journey timesto/fromThanet,reduction in welfare costs

Cost: ~10mforParkway station andup to 50mforlinespeedenhancements

EastKentismade up of the Districtsof Canterbury,Dover,ShepwayandThanet.EastKentisperipheralto the restof the UK and,assuch,suffersgreaterdeprivation andsocialproblemsthan WestKentandthesouth east region generally.The coastalarea hasexperiencedthecumulative effectsof a declining ferry portindustry asa consequence ofthe ChannelTunnel,the aftermath of the closure of the EastKentcoal fieldandthe lossof the holiday trade.Thisperipherality discouragesmajoremployersfromlocating in the area andhasresultedin an over reliance on jobsin the education,pharmaceuticalandport related sectors.Away fromthe coast,Canterbury isthe predominantretail,culturalandeducationalcentre anditspriority isto protectitshistoricfabric while encouraging economic growth.Economic regeneration isthe key priority in EastKentandtheregeneration potentialof EastKentwillbe dependentupon improvingthe overalllevelof accessibility to thisperipherallocation to the restofthe UK.Enhancing the Benefits of HighSpeedRailOn 13th December2009,Southeastern High Speedservicescommenced.These serviceshave dramatically cutrail journey timestoEbbsfleet,Ashfordandotherareasof Kentto Stratford(forDocklands),StPancrasandthe north of the country.The improvedjourney timeswillhave a significantimpactandactasthe catalystto regenerate partsof the County,making themvery attractive placesto live,work andvisit.The High Speedservicesprovide a realopportunity to promotetourism,bringing Kentsattractionscloserto visitorsfromLondon.

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Furtherimprovementsare requiredto the railnetwork in EastKenttomaximise the benefitsof High Speedservices.Journey timeson theconventionalrailnetwork beyondEbbsfleetandAshfordare stilllengthyandaccessto a numberof railstationsispoor.We are working closelywith Network RailandSoutheastern to ensure thatthe necessaryimprovementsare implemented.Thanet ParkwayStation/Kent InternationalAirport(KIA)Thanetisone of Englandsmostdisadvantageddistricts,with highunemploymentratesanda totalwelfare billof 180 million a year.Thearea isoverly dependenton public sectorandseasonalemploymentandhasnotbenefittedfully fromthe launch of High Speeddomestic railservicesto London.KentInternationalAirport(Manston)hasthe potentialto develop into aregionalairportandbecome one of the largestsingle generatorsofeconomic activity in the County.The airportpredictsthatitwillservearound5 million passengersandcaterfor400,000 tonnesof freightby2033.Thiscouldgenerate over2,800 jobsby 2018 and6,000 jobsby2033 in a range of employmentsectors,offering a huge boostto theeconomy of EastKentthrough newemploymentopportunitiesarisingfromthe growth of the Manston andEurokentBusinessParks.Itsfuturegrowth isdependentupon andwillbe driven by the displacementoftraffic fromotherSouth Eastairportsasthey begin to operate atcapacity due to continuing growth.We willcontinue to promote therealopportunitiesatManston andpresshardforenhancedaccessbyhigh speedrailservicesto facilitate the economic benefits.The KIA draftmasterplan proposesmajorexpansion supportedby aparkway station with High SpeedrailservicesfromLondon,serving not

justthe airportbutalso the localarea.Thiswillbe locatednearto the

perimeterof KIA,with improvedbuslinksandlocalroadimprovementsto link to the A299.Many of the existing railstationsin Thanetandpartof DoverDistrictare difficultto reach by sustainable transportandofferlimitedcarparking anddevelopmentopportunities.Thiscausessome commutersto travelsignificantly longerdistancesby carto accessstationswithbetterparking facilities.Initialfeasibility analysisby the County Councilsuggeststhatthere isconsequently a strong businesscase fora ThanetParkway station close to KIA andwe willshortly be submitting a bidwith Network Railto the GovernmentsRegionalGrowth Fundfora contribution to the capitalcostof the project.We willalsoinvestigate the feasibility of developing parkway stationsatMaidstoneandWestenhanger.

Figure 9.1 HighSpeedJourneySavings toProposedThanet Parkway

Canterbury

AshfordInternational

ProposedThanet Parkway

Ram

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